The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-08
GENERAL ]. 2. JONES.
1t Was the Nevada Senator who
Outlined the Plan
Of Campaign that Caused the Force Bill to be
Laid Aside and Placed Hoar H0rs
de Combat.

Especial to THE Observation-Disclosures Dispatch
NEW YORK, Jan. IA special from
Washington says: The credit of the lay
ing aside of the force bill is generally
credited to Senator John r. Jones, of
Nevada. 1t was the Nevada statesman who
organized the movement that took Senator
Hoar by surprise. Senator Jones had only
returned from the west that day, but he
quickly sized up the situation and deter
mined on taking sudden action. Even the
friends of the force bill admitted it was a
very clever piece of work. The Senator is
very quiet and modest man. and has
great backbone. 1t seems to be regarded
that, with the new blood in the Senate.
Senators Edmunds, Hoar and other old
Republican leaders will be forced to the
background in year or so more, and in
that case the Nevada Senator is likely to
be the leader, at least of the western Re
publicans.
Senator Jones is almost as well known to
the average New Yorker as Senator His
cock, for he spends great deal of his time
there. He is conceded to be the most &C
complished story teller that we have here
in Washington. There is always an artis-
tic flavor about all of his stories. The
Senator always has a large crowd around
!
some unlmportant measure up and fre
quently the laughter that his stories pro-
duce can be heard in the Senate chamber.
Captain Pierce to Take Charge at Pine Ridge.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-Secretaries Proc
tor and Noble and General Schofeld had a
conference at the war department. this
afternoon in regard to the Indian troubles,
and agreed to recommend to the President
the appointment of an officer of the army
as agent OF the Indians at Pine Ridge
agency, business necessitating the retire
ment of Indian Agent Roger from that
duty. The officer so appointed will, how
ever, retain his position in the army. The
Indian agents at other agencies will not be
disturbed, but, as shown in General Soho
fields telegram of the 9th instant to Gen
eral Miles, army officers have been desig-
mated to take military control of the -four
other agencies, with instructions to CO.
operate with the agents of the interior
| department The report that these agents
have been displaced is without foundation
except so far as relates to Pine Ridge
agency. Captain Pierce of the First in.
fantry, has been selected as agent at Pine
Ridge agency, and will probably be ap
pointed by the President tomorrow. a
message embodying the facts given above
mas been sent by General Schofield to Gen
eral Miles.
Secretary Proctor is considerably exer-
cised over The newspaper reports of con.
troversy between the war and interior de
partments in regard to the management OF
the Indian campaign. He said this after
noon the two departments were in most
perfect harmony in the matter, and author
lied the most emphatic denial of any report
indicating the slightest friction between
the two departments.
The commissioner of Indian affairs has
received a long report from the agent at
Pine Ridge about the Wounded Knee
fight, according to which the fight was
started by the medicine man of Big Foot's
band. When the soldiers were searching
the tepees for arms he suddenly began to
cry out, kill the soldiers. Their bullets
won't have any effect on our ghost spirits, !
at the same time throwing up handful OF
dirt into the air. After short perform
ance, he fired his gun in the direction oi
military and that started the fight.