The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-28

As judge the Indian is great success.
Several years ago the Indian commissioner
directed the agents TO organize Indian
courts. He prepared code OF rules and a
list Of ofTenses. The experiment has worked
surprisingly well The red man may
leave his moving machine out of doors to
rust. He may discard his stone house for
a tepee. But when it comes TO hold court
be follows the white mans road with great
dignity and efficiency
Each of these Indian courts consists of
hree judges. The Indian agents make the
nominations. The Indian commissioner
confirms. The term is one year, but the
judge may be removed at any time. Regu-
lar sessions are held every other week. The
catalogue of crimes is rather interesting.
1t includes Indian dances, plural mar
riages, and the practices of medicine men.
Will Indian judges convict and punish for
such offenses? They will, indeed. The
only trouble the agents have with these
courts is to restrain them from making
the punishment mistit the crime by excess.
Theft, destruction of property belonging
to another, drunkenness, buying and sell
ing squaws, are also dealt with by these
courts. There is a civil code as we'll The
Indian judges have about the same powers
that justice of the peace has. The civil
practice is made to conform as nearly as
possible to that in the state or territory
where the reservation is located Com
missioner Morgan says that, in spite of
their crudities, anomalies and disadvan-
tages, these courts have reached a degree
of dignity, influence and usefulness which
could hardly have been expected"
PRETTY SMALL PAY.
The government pays small judicial sal
aries. The sum of s. 900 is allowed. This
gives the Indian judges from So to s. a
month for seven months in the year. Sal
aries add dignity and Importance to the
position. Fifty-five of these judges are re-
ceiving pay at the rate of SO a month"; ten
at S., twenty-three at s. and ten at 50. The
commissioner wants a little more money
He says that the Indian judges ought to
command salaries of so month.
! He adds: 1.-THE services rendered by the
courts are of such value in promoting good
order and good morals in the community,
as well as in familiarizing Indians with
| the customs, practices and ideas which
! they will hereafter meet in white commu-
mites, that courts ought to be established
| for nearly every agency"
! The most singular thing about the court
experiment is that the intelligent white
man should not have discovered long ago
that this plan is the very best sugar coat
| ing which can be given the dose of civiliza-
ton for the Indian. The penalties i'm
posed by the courts are fines, imprison-
ments, hard labor and forfeiture of rationS
| The Indian police see that the sentences
! imposed are faithfully executed.
The agents, without exception, speak
well of these courts At Standing Rock,
S. D., the court of Indian offenses holds BIZ
weekly sessions at the agency of two days
each, where all Indians committing Of
fenses are brought for trial, and the valu-
able aid rendered by this court cannot be
too highly commended. Eighty-three cases
were heard and adjudicated by this court
during one year, and all the decisions have
been intelligently and impartially rendered
upon the evidence adduced
INTELLIGENT JUDGES.
Offenders are punished by fines of rifles,
shotguns, reyolvers, etc. also by impris-
onment at hard labor, and sometimes by
close confinement. In every instance the
decision of the court has been sustained
by public sentiment, and not a single ap-
peal to higher authority was asked. The
three judges of the court are John Grass,
head chief of the Blackfeet Sioux band;
Chief GALL of the Hunkpapa band, leader
Of the progressive element of the late hos
tile Sioux, and Standing Soldier, of the
Lower Yanktonais; all of whom are full
blooded Indians, eminent among and re-
spected by their people.
The agent at Kiowa, Oklahoma, says: 81
find this court of great benefit in punish
ing the Indians for offenses committed.
Their decisions are generally fair, and
always impartial, and are accepted with
good grace by the Indians. / have in some
instances, in view of all the facts, felt
Obliged to reduce fines imposed by this
court for the reason that considered them
excessive. During the fiscal year there has
been but little .awlessness committed by
the Indians on this reserve, and the offend
ers have all, " hen discovered, been speedily
punished.
"While the decisions of the court might
If appealed, be subject to many reverses,
still l can think of no other way in which
as much good can be accomplished for the
Indians for the amount of money 1t costs
the government TO sustain this court. The
pay of the judges is in every sense made
quate to the services performed"
SEVERAL COURTS.
At Cmatila Ore, the court is presided
over by two competent Indian Judges. The
decisions of the court are usually accepted
without complaint. They preside with dig
nifty, and in the court room order and de-
corum are rigidly enforced. They are
very prompt, and after a careful and i'm
partial trial speedily punish all offenders
found guilty.
The klamath (Ore) court is composed OF
three of the most intelligent Indians on
the reservation. A large number of minor
offenses have come before the court. The
decisions of the court are usually correct
and are accepted without complaint.
They preside with dignity and enforce or
der and decorum in the court room.
The agent at Crow Creek, :. D., says
that until an appropriation was made by
congress for the pay of Indian judges it
was impossible to establish a court of In
dian offenses. Suitable members of the
tribe refused 70 act without compensation,
and very justly, too. as there are disagree
able duties to perform and the judges
necessarily incur the i'll viii of many whom
they are forced by the evidence 10 punish
or decide against.
The courts at both agencies have done
excellent work. and their decisions have
been universally just. Much j. 70 be ex-
pected of this court in gradually familiar
iziDg the Indians with law and evidence,
and leading them TO the plane where they
must eventually staod, on which justice
will be rnesed oct to AZ alike, both white
and colored.-Cor St Louis Globe-Dem-
ocrat
Curious Temper.
: Scotch laird once said to his servant
John, who had curnpIained Of his temper,