Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-12
THE LAWYERS AND THE INDIANS.
Assistant Commissioner Beh'a Statement
About the Fees Paid

Assistant Commissioner Belt'a Statement
About the Fees Paid.
The charges made by Capt Lee respecting
the Arapahoe and Cheyenne fund were shown
to Mr.. Belt, the assistant commissioner Of In
dian affairs, last night, and Mr. Belt made the
following statement:
The treaty Of 1867 with the Cheyenne and
Arapahoe Indians 70 move from western Kan
sas to the Indian territory, prescribed . reser-
walton for them comprising . large portion Of
the Cherokee outlet with some other unoccu-
pied lands. When the Indians went down to
the reservation they found il was not the coun-
Try the wanted and they moved further south
and located upon other unoccupied lands in the
Indian territory and insste 4 upon remaining
there. For their protection the President in
1859 issued an executive order setting aside the
land they occupied as q reservation for them.
In 1889 commission was appointed TO nego-
tiate with all Indians owning or claiming land
in the Indian territory west Of ninety-six de-
grees OF longitude for surrender of their right
and title thereto. This commission Is known
as the Cherokee commission. When negotia-
tions were about to begin certain parties-S. J.
Crawford. John ID. Miles, D. b. Dyer, all Of
Kansas, and n. G. Reynolds Of Missouri
entered into contract with the Chey-
enne and Arapahoe Indians to represent
their interests before the COM
mission. the departments at Washington Con-
gress and the courts for q fee Of 10 per cent on
whatever amount should be allowed them for
their land claims. This contract was sent to
the Indian office by the Interior Department
and was returned with q report setting out OBJ
jections thereto, one Of which was the uucer-
tainty as to the amount and the probably large
amount that might be claimed for fees there
under. The contract was reformed by the at
torneys and the Indians and the fee fixed as fol-
lows: Eight per cent on $500 600 or less. 4 per
cent all over s500 600 and less than 81 600 900
and per cent for all over 81 900, 900.
Some question having been raised by COM
plants from Indians or otherwise as to the in
tegrity of the making of the contract, an inves-
tigation was ordered and report made by one
Of the Indian inspectors and by the local agent
| that IL was the act Of a majority OF the tribe
who wished to have counsel to represent them
in their negotiations with the government
The Indians set up claim to the land in the
executive order reservation, and also to that
described in the treaty, but which they had
| refused to occupy, and it this large claim
that led the department to the approval OF the
contract for attorneys services, as it was be-
lieved that the Indians would be better satisfied
to have counsel Of their own choosing in
negotiations concerning such large amount Of
land. The agreement finally negotiated pro-
vided as q consideration for the cession Of the
right and title to all lands the payment of the
sum Of Sl,500, 600. The department
thought the attorneys should not re-
cover fees under their contract for
| such portion Of that sum as was for lands
within the executive order reservation. but was
willing to allow fees on what was allowed for
the land in the treaty reservation. To ascer-
tain the proper apportionment the Cherokee
commission was called upon and reported that
the negotiations were made on the basis Of
81, $50 900 for the treaty reservation and
s250, 900 for the executive order reservation,
and the claim for fees was approved by the de-
partment accordingly, viz: 8 per cent on
Zoo go Zoo GOO, $4,000; 4 per cent on $500 GOO,
on 81, $50, 600, 1900. The SCI 500 was there
fore paid