St. Paul daily globe., 1889-06-15
AN EARLIER ACCOUNT.
Whisky and SQuatters the Prin-
cipa1 Cause of the Trouble.

Special to the Glope.
MORA, June 1.-THE Indian massa-
ere appears to have resolved itself into
the murder of one man, by the name of
Magnusen, Swede holding a claim
near Lake Mile Lacs, twenty-five miles
from Mora, and drunken spree on the
part of the Chippewas, during which
they drove incoming settlers out of
their territory. The troops under Capt.
Stouch, sent out from Fort Smelling,
reached Mora at 4:30 this morning after
a swift night run. Capt. Hannay was
made officer of the day; sergeant of
guard, Wilcox, of Company D. and cor
porals, Mitchell. OF Company K,
and Mcmahon. of Company D.
On the arrival here Capt. Stouch
ascertained from Evan Mickelsen a
Norwegian living on the reservation,
that on Wednesday night Magnusen,
who was holding claim on land re-
served to the Indians under treaty, was
attacked by party of bucks. shot twice
in the head and killed. The Indians
had been on an extensive spree; were
drunk at the time of the murder, and,
after the killing, went from point to
point of the reservation, warning set
tiers and others coming in that they
must leave or be killed. Briggs Broth
ers. living on Lake Mile Lacs,
HEARING OF THE MURDER.
wrote out telegram stating the above
facts and forwarded it to Mora to be
sent to Gov, Merriam over the signature
of Nicholson. This was done, and
Nicholson remained here to meet the
troops. Capt. Stouch decided that on
this statement he would not move to-
wards the reservation until further
orders from Gen. Ruger. Sheriff Will
Jams, of Kanabec county. who is here,
confirms the story of the killing of
Magnusen. He says that the Indians
are made desperate by the vast quanti-
ties of whisky being Illegally shipped
into the reservation by white men. The
small towns lying on the outskirts of the
reservation have firms in them making a
regular business of this whisky shipping.
The Indians have a more genuine
grievance in the settlement of white
men upon their lands. Claims are
being taken up, although the govern
ment will give no title. The bucks are
in an angry, aggressive mood most of
the time, and minor conflicts between
them and the whites are not infrequent.
There are $50 Chippewa bucks at the
scene of the trouble, the whole outfit
with their families making between 500
and 600 persons. Mora is the nearest
int tn fhn
the people here agree that
WHISKY AND sQUATTERs
are the chief and only causes of these
outbreaks. The early reports of a
wholesale massacre were gross exag-
gerations manufactured by sensation
alists, but Mr.. Nicholson and Briggs
Brothers, who brought the news of the
death of Magnusen, and the ugly temper
of the Indians, are represented to be
very reliable citizens. The indians are
well armed, carrying Winchesters, but
peaceable when not under the influence
of liquor. AT S:15 this morning Capt.
StOuch, having received orders from
Gen. Ruger, started his command for
Lake Mile Lacs and the reservation.
Just before leaving Mora for the reser-
vation information was received from
Mile Lacs that three families who had
recently squatted on the reservation,
and had considerable stock, are missing
and cannot be accounted tor. The re-
port here is that they have been mur-
dered by the Chippewas, but this is not
confirmed. Capt. Stouch will not with
draw from the field until the entire
trouble is sifted.