The record-union., 1894-10-24
Special to the REcoRD-UN1oS.

oDtCidI 10 tIib LehCOtND-O-N1ONs
LITTLE Rock (Ark.), Oct. 23.-Last
nights programme IN the great carnival
of crime which is now holding tine boards
in the Indian Territory consisted of the
wholesale robbery OF several small towns
in genuine desperate style by Bill Cook,
supported by strong and desperate COM
pany of eight or ten followers. Four men
rode into the town of Watova early in
the evening, making their approach
known by a promiscuous discharge of fire.
arms. The bandits terrorized the in
habitants, and most of them sought
safety in their houses behind barricaded
doors.
The outlaws visited every store in the
village, and ran the merchants away with
Winchesters and revolvers. They took
from the stores all the money they could
find, and whatever else they wanted. The
Postot1ice was robbed OF about $50 in cash
and about $50 in stamps.
From Watova the gang ran on into
'Tala, ten miles away, where they re-
peated their depredaticns. They RODE
into the town and proceeded at once to
rob stores right and left. Every store in
the place was visited and the proprietors
compelled to turn over their cash. The
Postotfice was also robbed of stamps and
q small amount of money. The bandits
entered the town boldly, and made no
effort to conceal their identity. None
were masked.
From reports of their descriptions, they
were undoubtedly the same gang that
held up the Missouri Pacific train at
Caretta siding Saturday night. 1t is be-
lieved that it was the bandits intention
TO rob the Missouri Pacific train, No. DBL,
at Tala. While they were holding up the
Postoftice the train pulled into the sta
ton. The trainmen were notified of the
presence of the gang, and the train was
started at once. The bandits gallOped out
of town discharging their Winchesters.
THE ORDER FOR TROOPS.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23.-Secretary Hoke
Smith has requested the Secretary of War
TO send troops to the Indian Territory to
suppress lawless bands. Accompanying
the request was communication Secre-
tary Smith yesterday received from
Indian Territory detailing a deplorable
condition of affairs.
Secretary Smith, in his letter to the
War Department. says that in view of the
obligations of the Government. as set
forth in the treaty with the Indians in
Indian Territory, To protect the live civil
lied tribes against domestic strife and
hostile invasion, and to guarantee those
country, he recommends that troops be
sent as requested. II is expected the
troops would be used to hunt down and
drive out the marauders who are harass-
ing the people.
Agent Wisdom to-day wired the Indian
Office, asking authority to incur the
necessary travelling expenses of the In
dian police in assisting United States Mar
shals in hunting down the thieves and
making arrests. Such authority was
granted.
These communications reached Acting
Secretary Doe at the War Department
this afternoon, and after reading them
carefully he referred them to General
Schotield, commanding the army. Gen
eral Schoheld looked into the matter, and
then returned the papers to the Acting
Secretary, with suggestion that the re-
quest for troops be inatured and con-
sidered with a view to aScerUaining the
legality Of the proposed action. This in
dorsement from so high an authority on
the complex relations between the mili-
tary ana civil branches OF the Govern
ment will undoubtedly cause the War
Department to move with great caution
in acting on this request for troops, and
in the end may result in refusal. In
dian Territory differs from other Terri
tories from an administrative point of
view, in the fact that the National Gov
ernment is bound with treaties to the In
danS to protect them from domestic vio-
lence. But in the absence of express
stipulation and law, it has been held this
protection must be extended exactly as it
is to the inhabitants of other Territories,
namely, through the judiciary.
The posse cOmitatus law prohibits the
employment of troops as provided by or
ganic law, and that law provides first
Tor the exercise of the judicial power in
quelling lawlessness, and then tor the
employment of troops on application of
the judicial officers, based on their in
ability to enforce the process of the law.
SO far as the War Department is advised,
the judiciary OF Indian Territory has not
appealed for the assistance of troops, as
in the case of disturbances last summer,
and the Government will not move until
such application is made, and after the
judicial officers have shown proper dis
position to restore order i'll Indian Terri
tory.
The War Department, il is stated, has
taken notice of the efforts of the express
companies to secure governmental protec-
tion for their service, and the officers are
by no means we'll disposed towards the
project. Army officers i'll charge of af-
fairs feel that the express companies have
not gone as far as they should in the di-
reCtion ofguarding the property confded
to them, and hold that by placing twelve
or fifteen determined and fearless guards
in the express car they would soon
check the attacks of train-robbers, which
ondauper the lives of the DaSsenCerS