Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-11-08
LAWLEss SQuAW MEN,
Why They Can Justly BE Termed he Gu

Why They Can Justly Be Termed8h e CuEpt
of Indian Territora
''The curse of the Territory, as 10
well recognized by all who are &C.
quainted with its condition, is what
are called the 'squaw men, that is,
whites who have married Indian wom-
en- and been adopted into the tribes.
I do not believe that so low and lave
less set are to be found anywhere
else in America They are aearly
without exception men who have made
their own homes too hot to hold them
and whose only refuge q in. the Indian
Territory. They never become fully
identified with the tribes. but form q
race by themselves. rejected by the
whites and not accepted by the Indians.
But they are Of inestimabte value to
the outlaws who infest the southern
border of Kansas and northwosterN
section of Arkansas. These desperas
does are. greatly given to horse ane
cattle stealing, driving their prey
across the line to the squaw'men, wh&
take charge of it and dispose of il
among the Indians, or pass it from
hand to hand to the southwestern bog
der, where it can safely be sold These
frontier fences are the pests of the
border. and If they could be put down
fully ninety per cent. Of the lawless-
ness now prevalent would be stopped.
Besides serving in this capacity, their
homes are the refuge of all criminale
closely pressed by the authorities, and
the great difficulty experienced by tho
olc ~ L.,
rests is due to the fact that these rens
egade whites. knowing the country
thoroughly, are able to conceal fugis
tives from justice SO securely as to
render capture almost impossibles
The officials of the United States CourA
at Fort Smith, where, by the waya
more men are sentenced to death every
year than in the whole Of the countre
outside, could tell some curious tales
of the murders committed by these
men, and the list of United States
marshals who have fallen by their
hands is long and bloody one. In
the most lawless days of the mining
towns no such set of thieves and ruff
fans ever was collected together as
can now be found in the Indian Terri
tory, as there they run very little risk
of capture and make their raids almost
as secure from successful pursuit as il
they came from foreign country.
From these men, and not from the
Indians. comes the chief opposition to
the opening of the Territory to white
settlers. as they know that with their
advent their nefarious trade will be
put stop to. They affiliate little with
the Indians, but are hand and glove
with the half-breeds, who, as is we'll
known to all having had any expert
ence with them, seem to hare the vices
of both races with the virtues Of
neither. Nearly as bad In its effects
as their propensity to robbery is the
fact that through them alone is whisky
introduced into the Territory. No
matter how peacefully disposed an In
dian may be, in combination with
whisky he is q perfect fiend, and nearly
all the murders committed by Indians
can be directly traced to the dram
shops kept by the 'squaw men, No
Law or order can be expected as long
as they are allowed to remain in tie
Territory, their presence is a constant
menace to the neighboring States. and
the only remedy is to refuse to recog-
nize their adoption by the tribes and
order them out Of the Territory, as
would be done had they no onEection
with the Indians. Should this rule be
enforced the courts of Southern Kan
sas and Western Arkansas would lose
ninety-nine per cent. Of their patrone
aee~-Sk Louis R0st-Disp0tch