Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-26
NOBLE WAS DEFIANT,
The Secretary of the Interior Defends
Agent Mclaughlin and Chal.
lengeS Criticism.
AN HONEST, CAPABLE MAN.
Agents of Former Days Feathered Their
Nests at the Expense of Reds, but
1t Is Not Done Now.
AN HONEST, CAPABLE MAN.
SIOUX INDIANS EXPECTED 70 HUSTLE.
Hs Does Not Believe That Sitting Bulls Young Son Was
C,ubbed to Death.


ment, passed through the city last evening
on his way to Washington from st. Louis
where he attended the funeral of the dear
General, as he expressed it.
Some time ago THE DISPATCH published
letter from a soldier at Pine Ridge who
related how the Indian police had dragged
Sitting Bulls 17-year-old son from under
a bed and brutally clubbed him
to death in the presence of his
mother. The writer also accused Agent
Mclaughlin of surrounding himself with
race OF half-breeds who committed crimes
with impunity, and always escaped with a
light punishment or none at all. The same
soldier charges Mclaughlin with appro-
pristing goods.
When the above facts were detailed to
Secretary Noble he became excited, and de-
Tended his agent in vigorous language. He
dehed any man TO show that one of his
agents was guilty of such charges. He said
it was easy to talk. but he had been con-
WINGED that Mclaughlin was good and
honest man.
Endorsed by the Military.
The Indian chiefs were satisfied with him,
and he was indorsed by the military. He
had no fault TO find, so far as the facts go,
with the Standing Rock man.
Concerning the murder of Sitting Bulls
Young sou, he ssid This is the first time
l heard the report, and L don't believe it is
true. Agent Mclaughlin had nothing to
do with the Indian police, and he did not
order the arrest of Sitting Bull. The Pres
ident, through ME, issued the order, and l
have nobody to blame tor the outcome.
Surely you could not hold the men reSpon-
sible Tor doing their duty?"
But suppose they are guilty of acts of
cruelty" interrupted the reporter.
well, certainly would not approve of
brutality, but 1 think this soldier you
speak OF is mistaken. The impression is
general that the Indian agents are guilty of
feathering their nests at the expense of the
Indians. That idea is taken from the
agents OF former times, but does not apply to
any of nv men, and TO Mclaughlin in par
ticular have asked a number of men
who talked against Mclaughlin to produce
some facts, but invariably they failed.
His Indian Agents Are Honest.
''I defy any man to show that nv agents
are dishonest. L wouldn't have them if they
were.
There is disposition to magnify the i'm
portance Of one msn among the Indians,
and what he says is taken TO represent the
sentiment of all. When the chiefs were at
Washington they asked me to write down what
had to say and submit it to the chief man.
Name him. I said and then they went of into
corner for ten minutes and held council.
They couldn't decide who was the greatesI
among them. and then one of them replied
with grin on his face, The more the merrIer.'
They complained that their young men were
forced 10 marry women of bad reputation. /
asked them to produce one man who had been
compelled to marrF against his will. Another
council was held and then they informed me
that they referred to elopements. 1 remarked
at the time that believed they didn't know
what they did want.
Il don't think there will be another Sioux
outbreak in the spring. The Government has
not broken faith with them. Every Il eaty and
law on the statute books have carried out.
They were paid S3, ,00O 600 for their lands, and
This ought to refute the statement that they
were bad and worth nothing.
They Need Nothing but Work.
The department has supplied them with
seed. horses and cattle, and all the Sioux have
to do row is go to work, and earn their living
like other people. Their diminished lands are
ample to give every buck good
sized farm with plenty of grazing ground
for his stock. Cne reason why the Sioux In
dIans have been so warlike and troublesome is
tEat the fact that they were expected to work
had not been sufficiently impressed on their
MINDS. This time, think. that idea was gen.
orally understood.
OF the 2j0GQO Indians in the country. 90 600
draw rations, and 10000 of this number
belong to the Sionx nations. The other
anu Why shouldn't these si dis tribss T1sdGs make
an effort 70 keep themselves? l believe
In giving the Indians good, English education
enough, at least, 20 teach them TO provide for
their wants and to make better people of them
There IS one little difficulty at present which
! think the Indians viii adjust among them
selves. part Of the Pine Ridge Agency over
laps on the Rosebud, and about 20U families
have been living on this strip. Under the act
the indians must get their rations and take
their allotments of land from the agency in
which they are located.
They Must Help One Another.
The families on the strip have been getting
their supplies from Rosebud, because it is
nearer, but now they must go to Pine Ridge.
These people also are looking for lands in this
agency and II means that the others mus tgiye
up something to them. AT first there was a
disposition not to help them, but, Is they are
Of enc nation, the Pine Ridge Indians have
agreed provide them with lands ! could
II" m?' '''u 'sse p00p-s "' Tue la" VIII not allow
The Secretary stated that he had warned all
boomers to keep out Of the Cherokee country
until the land was purchased by the Govern
Eent. These Indians will be protected at any
cost. He stated that in Oklahoma a great many
couhicts over CLAIMS had sprung up, but ne had
too Lluch faith in the good sense of the settlers
TO believe tuat they viii settle their disputes
otherwise than by peaceful and legal methods
These people arc expected to work out their
own salvation in ;he new country and the
Secretary added that he would keep outsiders
from interfering. He anticipated no bloodshed
iE Oklahoma, and on the whole was pleased
with The progress that had been made