The Helena independent., 1894-10-24
ASKING FEDERAL HELP
The People OF the Indian Territory
Can't Take Care OF
Themselves
Reign OF Lawlessness Assuming
Alarming Proportions and
Increasing Violence
Gen. schonsid Thinks the Express Com
panieu Are Not DolnE All They
shoutd la the Matter.

Washington. Oct. 29,-Seeretary HoNe
Smith has requested the SECRETARY OF
war 70 send troops 10 the Indian territ-
tory 10 suppress the lawless bands,
Accompanying the request was n COM
munlcation 10 Secretary Smith. yester-
day received from Indian territory, de-
tnillng a dcplornhle condition OF nfairs.
Secretary smith, In his letter 20 the war
department. says that In view OF the OBJ
legations Of the government as set
forth in the treaty with the Indians In
Indian territory TO protect the five civil
ized tribes agiust domestic strife ana
hostile invasion. and 10 guarantee those
people peaceahlo enjoyment Of their
country, he recommends that troops be
sent as requested. IL is expected the
troops would be used To hunt down and
drive out marauders who are harassing
the people,
Agent Wisdom to-day wired the In
dian Office asking authority 20 incur
necessary travelling expenses Of the In
dian police In assisting United States
marshals In hunting down thieves and
making arrests, The authority was
granted.
luFEt AhNNANh -NNh
ing Secretary Doe at the war depart
ment this afternoon. and after reading
them carefully he referred them 10 Gen.
Schofield. Gen. Schoheld looked into
the matter and then returned the papers
10 the acting secretary with the sugges-
tion that the request for troops be ma
tured and considered with a view to as
certaining the legality OF the proposed
action. This Endorsement from so high
an authority on the complex relations
between the military and civil branches
OF the government 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.
The Indian Territory differs from the
other territories from an administrative
point OF view in the fact that the ma
tlonal government is bound by treaties
with the Indians to protect them from
domestic violence. But In the absence
OF express stipulation and law Il is held
that this protection must be extended
exactly as IL Is TO the inhabitants OF
other territories, namely. through the
judiciary. The posse committatus law
prohibits the employment OF troops an
provided by the organic law. and that
law provides, first, for the exercise OF
judicial power In quelling lawlessness,
and next for the employment OF troops
on application of the judicial officers,
based on their inability to enforce the
process Of law.
So far as the war department is ad-
vised, the judiciary OF the Indian Ter
ritory has not appealed for the assist
ance of troops and, as In the case OF the
disturbances Of last summer. the gov
ernment will not move until such appli-
cation Is made, and after the judicial
officers have shown proper disposition
to restore order In the Indian Territory.
The war department. II Is stated, has
taken notice of the efforts of the express
company to secure governmental pro-
lection for their service. and the officers
are by no means well disposed toward
the project. The army officers in charge
OF affairs feel that the express company
have not gone as far as they should in
the direction of guarding property con-
fided 10 them, and hold that by placing
twelve or fifteen determined, fearless
guards in an express car they could
soon check the attacks of train robbers
which endanger the lives of the passen-
gers.
Little Rock, Oct 23.-Last nights
programme In the great carnival OF
crime which is now holding the boards
In the Indian Territory consisted OF the
wholesale robbery Of several small
towns, in genuine desperate style. by
BIZ Cook, supported by a strong and
desperate company OF eight or ten fol-
lowers. Four men rode into the town OF
Watova early in the evening, making
their approach known by the promiscu-
Gus discharge OF firearms. The bandits
terrorized the Inhabitants. and most Of
them sought safety behind barracaded
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 Watova postofiice was
robbed of about SEQ In cash and about
$5j in stamps.
From Watova the gang ran on into
Tala, ten miles away. where they re-
peated their depredations. They rode
into the town and proceeded at once 70
rob stores right and left Every store
in the place was visited. and the pro-
priotors compelled To turn over the
cash. The postoflice was also robbed OF
stamps and small amount of money.
The bandits made no effort TO conceal
their identity.