The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-25
THE NORTHERN CHEYENNE TROUBLE
Hone. Tia, IL 7. over and That Its Ne
nu.~.,.. Fan ne Prevented


WASHINGTON. June 2A-The inTestleatIV 5a VI
the Tongue River disturbances oy hayoi - 81.
roll Of the First Cavalry and COL CUTIE y. .
stan OF Gov. Tooe Of Montana snow nm w
Indians have grievances as well Us inc wnl'os'
They COMPLAIN that they get too little 10 eat'
and II that be so. with scores OF thou-
sands of cattle on tho ranches AROUND
the reservation il Is not surprlsluE
that n few OF these cattle have lately peoh
killed. Two or three years ago some Oh 'ne
CheyenneS went to Fort keogh oegRlhg loou
and at that time Col. Crofton' Commanding ~, uho
Fifteenth Infantry, made report 10 the war
Department asking to have relIel eNtehueu "
them.
Tho question OF rations Is involved WIN ono
OF religion or rather OF fnnatichl lerVor' rs iur
cupine represents himself 10 pe INC hi'o9''e U.
a new Saviour Of tho Indian race. ami some OF
the Cbeyernos Dive him credence. NoNt week
n gathering nnd ceremonies roto DO heIu' ana
Porcuplne will address the assembly, and this
may possibly rencw the late troubles. 1t Is
very evident, however, that the Intervention OF
the troops has had good effect. There are
about 900 Cheyenues on the rcservhtloh' put
not moro than $50 warriors; while Tour troops
| OF cavalry and three companies oiihlanry nave
been sent there, and reGnforcements nom Fort
| Custer and Fort Keogh could have been sup
piled. 1t is true that there has been talk OF In
dams from Pine Ridge and standing Rock go
ing to aid the Cheyennes OF Tongue River and
the Rosebud. but 1t appears to have been I'M
founded.
Resides the Cheyennes dIsclnim any pur-
pose OF going on the warDath and any hostility
to the settlers. Although there have been
rumors OF murders and outragcs OF many
kinds, the only man killed 30 far as 1t now ap-
| pears. was robert Ferguson. and the circum-
| stances attending his death arc cOnjectural.
| Whether be Quarre led with Indians whom ne
mot or whether they murdered nun I'M IN exc hfl
murderers were Cheyennes; the whole tribe
can hardly lie held ansTerable fer the crime OF
rested on the charge Of completely in this
affair their trial may throw all needed light on
One source of trouble or at least of anxiety,
| comes from tho fact that the Indians are armed.
But SO on tho other hand are many Of the set a.
| practicable to strictly enforce DISARMAMENT.
The Indians say that they are AFRAID of the COW.
reason for their apprehension. Although IN re-
| Spouse to the call OF the settlers Gov IooIe
Of ammanitan yet COL curtis took tie presau
ton not to distribute these at once. but to Keep
them until they were known to he needed. ne
Cheyennes huye thrown un what appear to be
| field Licences, but that implies not necessarily
| hostility but fear OF attack.
| The three things needed to insure peace ar-
pear to be the supply o adequate rations TO
| the Indians. their confinement to the re-erva-
ton. and the disarminG OF them. The auihOri-
| ties have promised to make proper represen-
tations about the food. and the Indians a. q
said to have agreed 10 leave their rifles in heir
| tepees, instead OF constantly carving them
| about. 1t seems hard to turn the leservati ms
! into prison limits but whenever the Indians
! are found outside the settlers become anxious
for their families and their property. as Is quite
natural and inevitable Recently the gather
| ing of several hundred Indians on the White
| River for dancing and horse racing, following
| ration day. caused panic among the settlers
| who spread II rumor OF an Indian uprising and
| on learning of this the red men stopped their
sports and scattered. In like manner some OF
| tho gatherings OF the Northern theyennes
which have caused alarm may have been inno-
| cent in intent.
Still. 1t is no doubt true tina: this tribe is
restless by nature and not easy TO manage
| They like TO roam and to make and receive
visits. They have bitter memories of the In
| dim Territory and Of the slaughter at Cam
| Robinson. Their reservation seems not to be
very favorable for farming, even could they be
! induced 10 devote themselves to that kind oil
| work. The reservation is also not large
enough for them to make n very profitable
trade Of tho surplus. rs has been the case with
| some tribes But II it is true that they need
more rations than they now receive, prudence
as well as humanity demands, that these wants
| should be supplied. One Of the undoubted re.
suits OF experience Is that it Is cheaper to iced
Indians than 10 fight them.