The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-23
DEMAND AN INJUNCTION.
The Court Asked to Restrain
Agent Beck From Elect
ing Them.
SERIOUS TROUBLE IS FEARED
Indians Are With Difficulty Pre-
vented From Opening
HostilitieS.

OMAHA, NEBR., April 22.-Two hundred
and ten Thurston County settlers were
summoned to appear in the Federal court
at Omaha to-day in the case wherein the
Flournoy Land Company asks a perma-
nent injunction, restraining Captain Beck,
agent of the Winnebago Indians, from
ejecting the settlers on the reservation who
subleased the Indian lands from that
company. The case has been feature of
the disturbance on the reservation for
months. 1t will be tried on its merits to-
morrow.
United States District Attorney Sawyer,
who has charge of the case for the Govern
ment, asserted that there was danger of
trouble from the Indians unless the litiga-
ton is adjusted one way or the other at an
early date. He returned from the reserva-
ton yesterday, and is inclined to think
that danger IS imminent.
Mr.. Sawyer says it was just such case
as the one that precipitated the outbreak
among the Winnebagos in 1862, when
they were on their reservation, which was
at that time located in Minnesota. He
talked with one survivor of the famous
| fight the other day, and the aged warrior
frankly told him that history was liable to
repeat itself, and that with 600 fighting
men available they were liable to clean
out the Thurston County settlers some
morning if the question was not soon set
tied.
Conversation with others elected the
fact that it was with great difficulty that
the pacific members of the tribe counseled
and enforced patience and obedience to
the wishes of Captain Beck, the Indian
! agent, who favored peaceful settlement
OF the difficulty. They were ready to fight
at any time, and were only held in check
by the agent by promises of relief from the
present trouble. As Captain Beck has
authority to commission every Indian on
! the reservation a policeman, it is predicted
| that the authority thus vested would en-
| courage an outbreak. With this fact in
mind. Captain Beck has commissioned but
sixteen Indian police, although he admits
| that he will enforce the Government regu-
| Iations, if it takes every Indian on the
! reservation.
/ Captain Beck is in Omaha, and also ex-
pressed the belief that trouble will result if
this question is not settled. He believed
that an uprising would be averted unless
the Flournoy Company aggravates the In
dams into violent department. In the
meantime he hoped and believed the Win
nebagos and Omahas would calmly await
developments, and peaceably abide by his
wishes for peace.
He said the Indians had good cause for
| grievance. Even the money collected for
Indian children has not been paid. 1t was
clear violation of guardianship conf
dence, and when an Indians child is
wronged it generally found resentment in
| the hearts of the tribe.
The Indians, he said, are now develop
ing keen interest in the case. They have
| lately established relay of couriers, and
as soon as information is obtained it is
transmitted quickly, and in few hours
all the Indians are posted on current
/ events.
| When asked why the two Indian police
men now in jail were not released on bail
| Captain Beck said he wanted them to re.
main in Jail in order to cinch a suit fol-
false imprisonment, which he will bring
against Sheriff Mullin and others. AS an
example of the temper of the Indians the
captain said that one chief volunteered 1OC
men to prevent the arrest of the two In
| dian police