Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-14

THKy ATTACK GANG OF LABoRrRs, scALPrSo
AND rxRRTBLY NUrILarISo rHK BODIES OF
THEIR vIcrINs-rHE ExrLASAuoS OF rEs
RAID IA rRE GOVERNMENT COMMISSIONERS.
ST. PAUL. MINI. June IA dispatch from
Mora, Minn., says: The irescherous Chip
pewa Indians are on the war-psth again. and
there are grave fears Of a general uprising.
Already seven Swede laborers have been nsss-
sacred and several hundred laborers aud set
tiers are now hurrying here for safety Sheriff
Nieolsen, mounted on an Indian pony, rode TO
town on gallop yesterday and gave
the alarm. He also communicated with Gov.
Merriam. requesting him TO order out the ststs
troops to quell the uprising. The present
trousle rs the outgrowth of encroachment by
the whites upon the Mile Laos reservation
Recently acuntract was awardedby the settlers
TO Foley Bros, of St. Paul. to dig q ditch for
irrigation purposes from Mile Lsc's lake 90 .
point on the Smoke river near this place
When the Indians learned a ditch Was 10 be
dug they at once came 20 the conclusion that
the intention to drain the latter and de privs
them OF their fishing privileges. Notice was
warning them that If they did not leave the
| territory al once
THEY WOULD RE PUT To DEATH.
The contractors gave no heed 10 the warning,
but came here and engaged 800 lAborers. who
began work yesterday morning at Mile Laes.
About noon yesterday they were attacked by .
party of about 4o0 Chiplewas led BY White
Snake and Great Bear. life Indians were IN
full war paint and armed with Winchester
rifles and toplahawks. As soon as they saw the
reds coming the laborers dropped their sboyes
and fled toward this place.
They were pursued by the sayages. who shot
and killed seven men Their names are: Olaf
Magusen. Christian Raemussen. Bernt Iosrr-
dahl, Aug. swanson. Gustav Doderstrom. Carl
| Speh. Jacob and Skoll. Several others wore
wounded but not seriously The Indians
| scalped Toderstrom and Maguson and mutllatsd
| the bodies of Speh ana Skoll IN a nendhh man
| ner. The Indians, who have been gathering
on the south shore of Mile Laos lake for a
week or more, Wednesday night engaged N q
war dance as a preliminary to the massacre.
| Three OF the seven victims have families here
\ in destitute circumstances
| Ex-senator II. VI. Rice. OF ST. Paul Bishop
Marty, of Dakota, and DIR. Whiting, Of Ws-
| consin, commissioners appointed by President
| Harrison to treat with the Chippewa Indians,
are IN tRs city, and were 20 have started out
next week to negotiate with the tribes at Mile
Laos. All three were seen by reporter Last
| night
WHAT COMMISSIONER RICE SANS.
| The situation between the government and
the Indians at Mile Lacs," said Senator Rice,
has been a critical one for many years, and
| the affairs have been in a very unsettled state.
! Difficulties have repeatedly arisen regarding
! their ownership OF the land which they occupy.
| They are in wretched condition and very
much demoraiized. Whisky is TO be had all
| around them, aud Is accessible at innumeralse
points on the border of the reservation. The
massacre Is no doubt attributable to a drunken
spree. don't apprehend that il will extend
over any long period OF time. The Mile Laos
| have not been bad people. During the Sioux
outbreak IN 1882 some " the Chippowas from
| the Upper Mississippi. with Hole IN the Day at
their head, were anxious TO JOIN the Sioux and
| make war on the whites. They sent messages
ito the Mile Laos, and asked them to 90 with
! them and join the sioux tribes. The Mile
| Laos, however, were true TO the government,
| stunning their OWE brethren and rendering
| their service TO the state. But for the last tsn
| or fifteen years through fear of losing their
property. they have been very unsettled and
demorali1ed. Their pine lands have tempted
the whites to encroach upon the reservation"
BISHOP MARTYs VIEWS.
Bishop Marty, of Dakota. one Of the three
members of the Chippewa commission, ex-
pressed the opinion that there was no con-
certed action in the uprising. He thought there
| must have been some great proyocatlon or
they would not have committed the outrages.
| He was confident there was no Catholic mis-
| sionaries among them, for had there been they
| would have been able TO prevent it. Speaking
of the effect upon the commission he said:
! think il will help u.s. and / will demonstrate TO
the sensible Indians that the time has come for
them to give up their reservation life and be-
come like white men. DIR. Whiting, another
member Of the commission, said: Ii is little
wonder that the outbreak occurred. did not
expect il any more from them than from any
one of the ten bands whom We are 10 negotiate
| with, but 1t is simply the result of the long
delay in the realization Of the promises uisde
! by Congress. With true Indian instinct they
became discontented and dissatisfied and
jumped on the first white Ihen they came
across. general uprising among the Chip
pewas is among the probabilities Of the near
| future.
| TROOPS READY TO MOVE.
MORA. MINI, June lL-At 1850 last night
commandants of three companies, third in-
fantry, received an order to get under arms.
Immediately upon receipt of orders all was
hustle and activity at the post. Men out ON
passes. private and nOn-commissioned officers
| on guard duty and others preparing to turn In
| for the night were summoned TO prepare for
| departure at once. Capt q. W. ii. Stanch was
| cOmmandant of troops detailed for service, and
| lac issued orders at once for the start by
i ll:i5 O'Clock the entire oHft of baggage
| WAS on the depot platform at Fort Ssell-
| ing. and the men were drawn up
| ready 10 board the train which arrived ten
minutes later. The three companies with off,
| GERS made total of lis men. The train let
the fort at 1920 and was pulled into ST. Paul to
| change engines. The start was made from
Union depot at l:20 a m, over the Manitoba
| road. The average speed was 35 miles per
hour and the train reached Mora at 4:30 this
! morning. No one in the vicinity of the
depot except the telegraph operator and the
man Evan Nicholson, who sent the telegram to
the governor last night, and Nicholson was
seen by reporter few minutes after the az
rival of the train.
MICKEIsoS's STORY.
He stated he left the scene Of the trouble -
6 o'clock yesterday morning, having been dis-
! patched by settler who instructed him TO come
to Mora to telegraph for aid. He said that the
Indians in that locality got hold of a lot Of
whisky during the past week. and were becom-
| ing very hostile. When asked TO how many
people had been killed, Nicholson said .
| settler named Magnuson had been shot
twice through the head aud he thought he
| was dead when he left, He had
not seen Magnuson himself but had been
! told the STORY by another man who had dis
| patched him to Mora for aid. Tho operator AZ
Milaca reported this morning that mah chms
| i'll from the Indian reservation last night and
| reported Indians drunk and threatening set
! tiers with firearms il they did not leave the
vicinity. Beyond news brought by the last
| mentioned and the man Nicholson nothing has
been heard from the locality where il is claimed
| that the disturbance occurred. Capt. Stancb
! has commenced making arrangements for =
start and unless orders are received 10 thu