St. Paul daily globe., 1892-05-15
Cheyenne and Arapahoe In
dians Bitterly Complain
of Cheating.
SiXty-Seven Thousand Dol
lars Taken From Them by
CrookedneSS.
SeandalouS State Of Affairs
Revealed by an Officers
Investigation.
Retaliation Threatened on
the White SettlerS--MileS
Is Retieent.

OKLAHOMA CITY, o, r, May IA. =
Col. Lee, one of Gen. Miles inspectors,
has Just left Fort Reno, after having
conducted an investigation into the
complaints made by the Arapahoe and
Chevenne Indians that they were robbed
by number OF attorneys in the recent
sale of their lands to the government.
From what can be learned, Col. Lee
carried back to Chicago some startling
facts, which. it is said, will result in
showing concluSively that a coterle OF
lawyers succeeded in getting away with
SCI, 800 for doing nothing.
The amount has already been allowed
by the interior department, and when
the first payment was made to the In
dianS each red man found his allowance
short a certain sum. Col. Lee has, 1t Is
said. evidence in his possession thai the
attorneys bribed several Interpreters TO
make false statements to the Indian
chiefs during the negotiations for the
sale Of the lands. Col. Lees report may
be laid before congress and an inYeSti-
cation ordered.
Il was several weeks ago that over q
score of Indian chiefs and head men of
the two tribes waited on Col. Wade, at
Fort Reno. and made their complaints.
They said a part of the money due
them in payment tor their rights i'll the
Cherokee outlet had been kept back
from them and paid over TO number of
attorneys who had claimed they had
been employed by the Indians to pro-
tect their rights in the land.
The Indians Protested
that they bad not employed the lawyers.
and that they wanted an Investigation.
They asked that the case be referred to
Gen. Miles. Col. Wade telegraphed the
facts to Gen. Miles, and Col. Lee was
sent out to investigate. Col. Lee was at
Fort Reno several days, and he secured
the evidence of many of the chiefs, each
and every one of whom denounced the
payment to the attorneys as a robbery
ana Swindle, and they declared they
had been imposed upon. Cloud Chief
said his mind was clOuded. and he did
not know anything about the laws of
the white man, and he had been fooled
by the lawyers, who had gotten S67, coo
without doing anything. Several of the
chiefs spoke of the bribery of inter-
prefers and attempts to bribe others.
They wanted congress to inVe Stigate
the whole transaction.
All this and much more information
Col. Lee secured. He learned that the
two tribes were very much excited over
the affair, and many of the hOt-headed
ones talked of going on the war path.
The KiOwas and Sioux Indians, whose
reservations are near those of the Chey
enneS and ArapahoeS, are also said to
be excited over the alleged steal. There
is talk among the Indians that if re-
dress is not given they will take revenge
out of the white settlers. The total
amount received by the Arapahoes and
CheyenneS was but $4,000. They
should have been given $3.50, 900. as
agreed upon by the Indian commission.
The difference is the amount. paid to the
lawyers by the interior department.
Miles Has Little to Say.
CHICAGO. May 14.-Gen. Miles was
not inclined to talk about the investiga-
tion made by Col. Lee. In reference TO
the above dispatch he said last night:
''It is true that Col. Lee has been in
vestigating the complaints made by the
Indians. He has returned, and is now
in Missouri on another mission. The in
terror department is responsible for all
the dealings with the Indians in the
matter of the purchase and sale of
lands. l have decided opinions regard
ing these matters, but l do not care to
be quoted. Secretary Noble has sent
me a letter, in which he states that the
transaction with the attorneys men
toned was regular, and that their claims
were paid"
An army officer who is familiar with
the situation in the Indian country said {:
"a congressional investigation would,
am sure, develop scandalous state of
affairs. The Indians are and have been
robbed for years by set of leeches who
take advantage of their ignorance and
rob them at any and all times. The In
dian troubles are traceable in ninety
nine cases out of hundred to some in
justice done the Indians in their allow
ances of money or supplies. Congress
ought TO investigate. as am sure rot
ten state of affairs would be developed.