Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-10

Ex-Chief Scout Bennett Diseourses All,
Our Red Breehren.

Our Red Breehrea.
Speaking Of the snperstitions Of the
Apache Indians" said Frank P. Bennett the
ex-chief Of scouts, TO q STAR reporter, 'they
have undergone o radical change in the last
twenty years, the change proving detrimental
TO the whites. In the early seventies the
Apaches we're afraid to move out of q camp at
night, believing that then only the evil spirits
reigned. Then the troops operating against
them could count almost to q certainty that il
they were able to get within striking distance
by sundown by a forced march at night they
would be able to surround the Indian camp
and surprise them at daylight. Now, from their
association with the whites, the Apaches have
outgrown that and learned the advantage de-
rived by night march. Now they viii often
travel until sundevn, go into camp, cook and
remain until after dark, then break camp
stop again. When they do stop they make
no tires. Thus they avoid the possibility
OF having. their camp located by scouts
before dark and the troops brought down on
pressive age2 I have had Indians when out
with hunting party to correct me when
around the camp fire for saying intended to
XII certain game the next day. On my asking
why should not speak 30 l have been told that
the game would hear me and keep out Of my
way and would not see any on the morrow. /
have had an Indian fire his gun off in the night
IN camp contrary to orders. When / ques-
toned him for disobeying orders he told me
be shot at the devil and did not doubt but
satanic majesty and did not ridicale him in his
belief only told him he had disobeyed
orders and the next time he shot at the devil
wanted to find the devil when came to his tent
or would punish him for his bad mar ksmanship
my belief being that he had eaten too heartily
nm Ir1s Cor
merry would not eat pork, fish, ducks, geese or
chickens, but were and are yet fond Of beef
mutton, deer, antelope, horse, mule, jackass
and the Tonic Apaches, like the plain Indians
are fond OF dog, 1t being considered delicacy
by them. l well remember eating very heartily
once Of stew Of that kind, thinking at the
time was eating rabbit. The Indians were
much amused when they found / thought
had been eating rabbit. must say l enjoyed
my meal and was thankful. 1 knew no better
eneo Dy hfty-mlie horseback ride.
WHY THEY ARE SUSPICIOUS
"They are full of superstition and always look
with suspicion on anything they don't under
stand and will examine into the smallest details
to ind out what its advantages might be to
them They will handle things very gingerly
until they find out their advantages and disad-
vantages. They don't care to take the chances
that q white man will take and they look on
every man coming on an agency with suspi-
cion, believing that he would take advantage of
snem II he could. In measure they are right,
Tor every man who has been among them has
seen them imposed on in different ways and
TINS has tended to make it very hard to deal
with them: If once the Indians know a white
man to tell them a lie he will find it a hard job
TO regain their confidence. think most of the
trouble OF our former wars have come
out OF the selection Of men for agents
who knew nothing Of the nature of the people
they we're going to control Nine-tenths of
them make the mistake of supposing that be-
cause these people are Indians they don't know
what is going on about an agency. Now, will
say there is nothing occurs there but what
they see and compare it with what they have
seen In former times. For instance, if there
has been an honest agent with them, giving
them their full allowance of rations, and
another man is appointed who cuts off one third
or half it causes a dissatisfaction among
them. Often the agent don't take the trouble
to explain to them why it is SO, simply because
they are Indians, supposed to know nothing.
Now, say If these agents would take the trouble
to treat Indians with some of the considera-
ton they have to show to whites lots of trouble
would be averted and many lives saved. They
are fully capable of understanding the why's
and wherefores Of a short issue of rations If the
people in charge would only explain to them
why it was so.
HOW THEY JUDGE WHITE MEN.
Ihe suspicion In an Indian OF a white man
is greatly due to the former actions Of the
whites toward him.. He knows we have no
love for him, and our treatment Of his people
tends to make him dislike us. To illustrate this:
was sitting down talking to an Indian once
when an army doctor came up rubbing his
head, as he had the headache. The Indian
looked ct him and asked me what was the mat
ter with the doctor. / told him that he was
sick. He kept silent moment, then said the
doctor was no good il he were sick and could
not cure himself. Rather rough on the DOCTOR
but nevertheless he was very near the truth
80 they judge us as they see us. and 1 have
often known them to put up with treatment
from whites that a white man would rebel
against. The white man would be said to be of
independent spirit If the Indian rebelled he
would be said to be bloodthirsty and wanting
to cause trouble. That is the difference in the
Judgment passed on the white and the red
man for the same offense. Is that right? The
sooner they are put under the control Of the
War Department and U. S. army officers put
on the agencies as agents and quartermasters
and regular system Of discipline established
with them, giving them what the government
provides and Furnishing white and Indian alike
for wrong-doings, the sooner you will put stop
to Indian outbreak"