Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-02-08
TOM BURNS, OF RIO hRRlBA.


Monday next, the 10th inst, is the eN
pration If the time allowed the san Junl
river settlers by tie irate Navajoes i,
which to make reparation for the recent
killing Of one o! their red brothers whil.
rowing beyond the bounds Of their reses
walton.
The Ind ans demand the surrender e..
the man, John Cox, who shot their wa
rior His punishment they insist upon
or they will rctaliate on tie whites,
Their only offer OF a compromise is that
Cox shall pay $500 for killing the Indian
and this he refuses to do. He says he ),
willing to risk II trial before white men
and abide bv their verdict, but he viii
| not pay any money.
Nothing new is at hand o'day direct
| from the San Juan country, AS the settlers
reside sixty miles from the nearest tele'
graph office, Durango, Colo. but it l.
probable tuat ere this time sub-Agent h
| &. Adams, who seems to have been
pretty badly scared up 10y the demands OF
HE Indians, has probably reached FOrt
Defiance, A. I. and laid the whole affair
before Agent Nanderveer. Capt. Adams
main object in going to d. iiauce is to try
and have U. 5. troops ordered into the
san j Juan section before Monday, ii pussi-
Ue, Tor he believes only the presence oi
troops will prevent the Indians from re-
taliatiun, provided their demands are not
complied With.
AS to tie alternatives offered there is q
decided difference Ill opinion. Some Scout
the idea OF The Indians proceeding to en-
tremlte s in any event, and assert a belief
that ANY accession to their demands now
will cad to her and more dras tic eXac-
tons in the future; Willie others as. ert
that the White settlers Of san Juan coun.
ty are in the face OF a grave situation, and
that something should he done to qnet the
Navajoes and avert the impending crisis.
However. no one understand, the con
ditlon Of affairs in noi tiWest New MeXlc"
any better than Hon. L. ID. Burns, OF
Eerra Amarillo, who is now on a visit to
Los Angeles, Cal. He has a large "a tie
ranch in the Canon Largo, near the head
waters of the San Juan, and also ID, U0J
head OF sheep ranging in San Juan county.
He believes, evidently, that the easiest
way is the best way, and hence lie tele-
graphed here last night as follows:
Los ANGELES, Cal, FEB. Second
National bank, Santa Fe: Wire Agent
Adams that If necessary for peace with
the Navajoes you will pay them $500 Oh
my account. L. ID. BURNS.
Cashier simmons this morning sent Il
dispatch to Agent Nunderveer, at Fort
Defiance, apprlslng him OF Col. Burns
orders and asking him to accept
the $500 in the interest of peace
with the Navajoes. In case Agent
Nanderveer and Sub Agent Adam,
decide to accept the money they will
probably send runners across the country
to the upper end OF the Navajo reserve to
notify the Indians, so that there vii! lie
no danger oil iuuher mOIestalion OF the
san Juan river people. This may, upon
the whole, be establishing a very bad
precedent that viii cause no little annoy
ance in the future, and it is possible that
even should the mo"ey he paid over
to the Indians, the trial OF john Cox Will
he had in the San Juan district court to
determine whether or not he acted III sell
de tense, ana il it should be proven that
he did 1t may then become necessary, III
order to avert The bad effects OF estab-
fishing such precedent, to bring suit
lur lie recovery OF this 200, as, should II
be shown that Cox acted II sell defense,
ii would quite clearly appear that the
Indians were not Justified III demanding
the payment OF tins money.