The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-08-01
STUBBORN SIOUX.
The Indian Commission at Standing
Rock Arguing With the lndi-
ans on the New Treaty.
General Crook Bringing the Reds to
Terms in a Manner They Thor
oughIy Understand.
The Sentiment at the Agency said to
be Averse 10 signing-sitting
Bulls Fall From Power

STANDING Rock AGENCY, OAK, July
SL-lSpecial TO the independent. lat last
the Sioux commissioners have reached this
agency and started the ball in motion.
Gen. Warner arrived at Bismarck by rail
and from there proceeded by stage to
Standing Rock. which is sixty-fve miles
distant The balance of the party came up
the river on the steamer Helena. The
commissioners confined themselves chiefly
TO explaining the provisions OF the treaty,
which the Indians have heard more than
once, and also explained the difference be-
tween this bill and that Of last year. The
reds listened attentively, but their MUM
mified features betray ed no favorable indi-
cations. Major Warner spoke for two long
hours in an able and clear manner and
demonstrated that he was the
sblest man on the commission.
The Indians listened to him all
though with the greatest attention and
respect Gen. Crook was the last TO talk,
and he closed his speech by saying that he
The reds were sly and attempted 10 evade
the generals wishes by saying that they all
could not get here on account of the creeks
being swollen with the heavy rains. How
ever, Gen. Crook is thoroughly cognizsnt
of what the Indians are capable of do
ing, and wanted to understand why the
creeks seOuld detain them, as he knew
them to have crossed the big Missouri river
many times without any apparent effort.
The willy Indians then replied that they
travel now like the palefaces in wagons
and cars. The general would not have
this, and in threatening voice told them
that they must be on hand the Hext after
noon or no beef would be slaughtered OF
course, with the dire prospect of losing q
big eat, IL was pretty certain that the
agency was well represented at the confer
ence.
IL is impossible to state whether the COM
mission will meet with success, although
the outlook seems TO be several degrees
brighter than before their coming. They
brought up for discussion the treaties of
1868, 1875 and 1855. Attaches of the agency
say that the sentiment OF the Indians is
against signing. Sitting Bull deDounces
the commissioners in the strongest terms,
but as his influence is on the wane his
words will have little or no weight. His
first ACT when the commission arrived was
to hastily secrete himself in the hope of
their hunting him up and coaxlnR him or
handing him a dollar or two for the honor
of gszing upon his august self. But nobody
bothered Bull nor seemed TO think that
such a parsonage as Sitting Bull existed
The old WARRIOR came out of his seclusion
after several hours of patient waiting and
appeased his ire by chastising one of his
squaws and gloating serenely over her
bowling and writhing. An Indian police
mhn happened alonR anu put stop 70 tue |
entertainment.
Talk about crankipess, these Sioux In |
disns take the medal for that Base ball |
cranks are nothing IN comparison to them. |
The commissioners have an Associated |
Press correspondent travelling with them, /
and the Indians at once took great dis /
like TO him. They avow that they will not /
open their mouths while he is around and /
want to have a reporter from Bismarck /
chronicle the proceedings, who was at the Il
agency last summer and who Is a warm i
friend of the Indians They fear that the /
Associated Press man will not give them /
square deal and that their utterances will /
not be known TO the outside world. They |
became so solidly fixed in their desires that
Major Mclaughlin instructed the commits
sioners to telegraph for the Bismarck
newspaper man, offering him S5 day and
expenses. The latter replied that the offer
was no inducement. Ii is hoped that the |
Associated Press representative will win
the Indians good graces.