The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-23
TROUBLE MAY RESULT
wINNEBAGO AND OMAHA INDIANS
IN NEBRASKA ARE RESTLESS.
Whites Unless the Land Question
Is Soon Settled.

OMAHA, Neb., April 22.--Two hundred
and ten Thurston county settlers were sum-
moned to appear in federal court at Omaha
to-day in the case wherein the Flournoy
Land Company asks a permanent injunc-
ton restraining Captain Beck, agent of
the Winnebago Indians. from ejecting the
settlers settled on the reservation who have
subleased the Indian lands from that COM
pany. The case has been the cause of dis
turbance on the reservation for months.
1t will be tried on its merits tomorrow.
United States District Attorney Sawyer.
who has charge of the case for the govern
ment, to-day asserted that there was dam
ger of trouble from the Indians unless the
litigation is adjusted one way or the other
at an early date. He returned from the
reservation yesterday and Is inclined to
think the danger is imminent. Mr. Sawyer
says 1t was just such a case as the present
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 six hundred fighting men available
they were liable to clean out Thurston coun-
ty some morning if the question was not
settled soon. Conversation with others
ELECTED the fact that it was with difficulty
the pacific members of the tribe enforced
patience and obedience to the wishes of
Captain Beck, who favors a peaceful set
tlement of the difficulty. They were ready
to fight at any time and were onis,~heid
in check by the agent by promises OF relief
rom the present trouble. AS Captain Beck
has authority to commission every Indian
on the reservation policeman, 1t is pre-
dicted that the authority thus vested would
encourage an outbreak. With this fact in
mind Captain Beck has commissioned but
he will enforce the government regulations
if it takes every Indian on the reservation.
Captain Beck is in Omaha and also ex-
presses the belief that trouble trouble VII re- re-
lieves an uprising will be avefted unless
the Flournoy Land Company aSgravates
tin,a tine iraia be hoped d' and believed the Winnie
bagos and Omahas would calmly await de-
velopments and peaceabiy abide by his
wishes for peace He SAID the the indians ha ona9 naa
collected for Indian children had not been
paid. 1t was a clear violation OF guardian
ship confidence. and when an Indians
child is wronged it generally found re-
sentiment in the hearts of the tribe. The
Indians, he said, were now developing
keen interest in the case; esr They have nd iate-
soon as information Is obtained 1t is trans
mtted quickly, and in few hours all
the Indians are posted on current events.
When asked why the two Indian police now
in iail were not released bail, Captain
Beck said he wanted them to remain in
jail in order to "cinch' suit for false sem. I'm,
Sheriff MuIlin and others. As an example
of the temper of his red-skinned charges
the Captain said one chief volunteered hve
hundred men to prevent the arrest of the
two Indian police.