The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-06-20
AN INDIAN WAR!
The Chippewa Indians on the War
Path Again.
Ihey Attack a Construction Gang
ard Kill Seven Men.
More Rain in the Stricken City Of
Jamestown.
The Collapse of the Panama Canal
Still Continues.

MORA, Mimi, June 14.-The treach-
erous Chippewas are on the warpath
again and there are grave fears of
general uprising. Already seven
Swede laborers have been massacred
and several hundred laborerS and set
tiers are now hurrying here for safety.
Sheriff NicOlson mounted on an indian
pony and rode into town yesterday and
gave the alarm. He also communica-
ted with Governor Merriam requesting
him to order out the state troops to
quell the uprising The present trou-
bic is the outgrowth of encroachment
by the whites upon the Mile Laos res
ervation. Recently a contract was
awarded by the settlers to Foley Bros.
of st. Paul to dig ditch for irriga-
ton purposes from Mile Laos to point
on Smoke river near this place. When
the Indians learned that a ditch was to
be dug they at once came to the con-
ciusion that the intention was to drain
the lake and deprive them of their
fishing grounds. Notice was served by
the Indians Oh the contractors
warning them that if they
did not leave the territory
at once they would be put to death.
The contractor gave no heed to the
warning but came here and engaged
800 labOrers who began work this morn
ing at Mile Laos. About noon yester-
day they were attacked by party of
about 400 ChippewaS fed by White
Snake and Great Bear. The Indians
were in full war paint and were armed
with Winchester rifles and tomahawks.
AS soon as they saw the reds coming.
the labOreTs dropped their shovels and
fled towards this place. They were
pursued by the saVages who shot and
killed seven men. There names are:
Olaf Magusen, Christian Rasmussen,
August Swans, Gustave TOderStrom,
Carl Speh, Jacob Skoll and Frank Tor
renSon. Several others were wounded
but not seriously. The Indians scalped
TorrensOn and Magusen, and mutilat-
ed the bodies of Speh and SkolI in a
fiendish manner. The Indians who
have been gathering on the south
shore of Mile Laos lake for week OF
more, Wednesday night engaged in
a war dance as preliminary to the
massacre. Three of the seven victims
have families in destitute circum-
stances.
THE TREATY COMMITTEE.
Ex-United States Senator II. NJ.
Rice of st. Paul, Bishop Marty of
commissioners appointed by President
Harrison to treat with the Chippewa
Indians are in the city and were to
have started out next week to negOti-
ate with the tribes at Mile Laos. All
three were seen by reporter last night.
THE situation between the govern
ment and the Indians at Mile Laos, :"
said Senators Rice, ''has been crit
ical one for many years, and the affairs
haly in 49, Id rNankN
Difficulties have repeatedly arisen re-
garding their ownership of the land
which they occupy. They are in a
wretched condition, and very much
demOraliZed. Whisky is to be had all
around them and it is accessible at in
Vulnerable points on the border of the
reservation. The massacre is no
doubt directly attributable to a
drunken spree. | do not appre-
| over any long period of time. The
Mile Laos have not been bad people.
During the Sioux outbreak in 1862
some of the Chippewas from the upper
| Mississippi, with Hole-inthe Day at
| their head, were anxious to join the
| Sioux and make war on the whites.
They sent messages to the Mile Laos
and asked them to go with them and
| join the Sioux tribes. The Mile Laos,
1 uONONCIs nOlC lu0
stunning their own brethren and ten
dering their services to the state. But
for the last ten or fifteen years, for
fear of losing their property. they have
been very unsettled and demoraliZed.
| Their pine lands have tempted the
| whites to encroach on the reservation -
Bishop Marty of Dakota. one of the
members of the Chippewa commits
sion, expressed the opinion that there
was no concerted action in the upris-
ing. He thought there must have been
great provocatiOn or they would not
have cOmmitten the Outrages. Speak
ing of the effect on the commission, he
said: II think it will tend to help us,
as it will demonstrate to the sensible
Indians that the time has come
for them to give up their
reservation life and become like
white men," Whiting said: ut is lit
tie wonder that the outbreak occurred
did not expect it any more from them
than from any other of the ten bands
with whom ewe are to negotiate
but it is simply the result of the long
delay in realization of the promises
made by congress. With true Indian
instinct they became discontinued and
dissatisfied and jumped on the first
white men they came across. A general
uprising among the ChippeWaS is
among the probabilities of the imme.
date future"
still Raining at JOhnsGOwn.
/ YOUNGSTOWN, Pa, June 14-The rain