The herald., 1893-07-15
A HORRIBLE CASE OF DEPRAV|TY,
Yuma Indian Girls Sold to
White Men.
Serious Charges Against Ex-Chief
Miguel.
Don Francisco EstudilIo Makes State
ment About Things as He
Found Them ut
Yuma.

Banning Herald: Don Francisco Es-
tudillo. Indian agent, arrived in Ban
ming yesterday to straighten out some
matters on the reservation. Agent Es.
tidullo has lately returned from Yuma
agency, where he went to settle differ
ences between ex-Chief Miguel and
Chief Jose Pama. He gives the history
of delorsple state of affairs which it
is hard to believe can exist in the midst
of our boasted civilization.
The reservation OF the Yuma Indians
is located upon the California side of the
Color ado river, and opposite Yuma,
Ariz. The Yuma tribe is noted for it's
1.-THE, stalwart men and graceful, we'll
formed and good looking young women.
Miguel has been chief of the tribe for
some years, but about two months ago
| the Indians selected Jose Pama as their
chief. The manner of holding the
election was simple and effective.
The male Indians we're all summoned
to meet at the reservation on q certain
day. When they were gathered together a
line was drawn, and they were told that
all who favored Pama for chief shoIld
step across the line while those who de-
sire the retention of Miguel should re-
main stationary. Nearly two-thirds of
the Indians crossed the line and Pama
was declared elected by large majority.
= This inceneed Miguel and his adher-
ents very much, but no one was pre-
pared for the subsequent deviish action
of the redskin. He organized rebel
lion against Pama and all who had
taken that side and 9ngled them out
for his vengeance.
GIRLS SOLD INTO SIN.
At the Yuma reservation the Catholics
have an industrial school conducted by
gentle-faced sisters of charity, who are
spending their lives in an endeavor to
cause some glimmer of Christianity to
penetrate the pagan brains of the Indian
children, as we'll as TO teach them some
useful avocation to serve them when
they had left the school.
The institution is noted for the good
it has done, particularly In the line of
getting the girls when very young and
removing them from the temptation of
immortality. So successful we're the sis
ters that it was almost impossible to
find young Indisn girl on the town at
Yuma.
Miguel, however, in one day undid
the good that it had taken the school
years to accomplish. Belonging to his
faction were about 80 girl scholars, rang
ing in age from II to II years. These
girls had all been within the quiet pre-
cincts Of the school for the past seven
years, only venturing thereirom under
the escort OF the nuns. They were good
looking and intelligent, could nearly all
read and write, sew and cook, and bade
fair to 60 forth and exercise an elevating
and refining influence upon the balance
of the tribe. But the edict went forth
from Miguel that all those sympathizing
with him should withdraw their chill
dren from the school.
The girls were taken from the school
and put in Miguel's charge and agent
Estudillo gives 1t to us as an actual fact
that the vile old chief took these inno-
cent and comey children over the
bridge to Yuma, and sold them out to
the low white men, certain number of
whom are always found In border
town like Yuma. The girls brought
from IS to $12 according to age and good
looks, and one particularly beautiful 16.
year-old girl with some white blood in
her veins, was sold to trapper for $2l
and taken down the river TO keep camp
for her purchaser.
Many of the other girls were discarded
by their owners after day or two and
since then have divided their time be-
tween the reservation and Yuma. Their
presence on the streets has been a
source of great annoyancs to the citizens
of Yuma, and when agent Eatudilla ar
rived he was presented with petition
from the council and citizens of Yuma
requesting him to keep the grls confined
to the reservation. Mr.. Estudillo sta
toned native police at the bridge with
instructions not to allow these girls to
60 to town, and his plan seems to work
very we'll, and the nuisance, 30 far as
Yuma is concerned, is temporarily
abated. The harm done by old Miguel,
however, can never be undone, and no
steps have been taken or even devised
to punish him for his crime. Several of
Miguel's own daughters were among the
girls sold.