The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1895-09-05
WHITES TO BLAME
Jackson Hole People Caused the
Trouble With the Bannocks.
The REDS WERE MURDERED
United States District Attorney and
Deputy Marshal Denounce
Settlers as Assassins.

Washington, Aug. 30.-The depart
ment of justice has received from the
United States district attorney and
marshal of Wyoming the official re-
ports of their investigation into the
Bannock Indian troubles, made by the
direction of the attorney general. The
reports are dated August 20. The dis
trict attorney of Wyoming reports as
follows:
II have no doubt whatever that the
killing of Indian Tanega on or about
the 18th of July was an atrocious, out
rageous and cold blooded murder, and
1t was a murder perpetrated on the
part OF Constable Manning and his
deputies in pursuance of a scheme and
conspiracy on their part to prevent the
Indians from exercising a right and
privilege which is. in my opinion, very
clearly guaranteed to them by the
treaty before mentioned. Should pros
ecution on the part of the United States
be determined on, it would be useless
to commence 1t before a commissioner.
AS the law now is we are bound to
bring the prisoners before the United
States commissioner nearest to the
place Of arrest, and in this case 1t
would be before Mr.. Pettigrew, the
commissioner of Marysvale. / am in
formed that he is thoroughly in sym
pathy with the so-called settlers in that
region, and that he advised Constable
Manning and his posse that the pro-
visions OF the treaty under which the
indians claimed the right to hunt on
che unoccupied lands of the United
States had for some reason ceased to
be operative. Hence / think that to
cause the arrest of these men and take
them before this commissioner would
simply result in their discharge. 1t
seems to me to be a great pity that
there is no national law which can be
certainly invoked for the protection of
these, our domestic subjects, weak and
defenseless as they are. in their right
to enjoy these privileges guaranteed
to them by a solemn treaty, to the en-
forcement of which the honor of the
country Is pledged, and that their only
protection against forcible resistance
to their enjoyment of these rights must
be found In the courts In the state
wherein the juries will unquestion-
ably look upon them as possessing no
rights which a white man Is bound to
respect"
The district attorney has been ad-
vised that the department concurs with
him In the opinion that there is no fed.
eral statute under which the offenders
can be punished.
INDIANS MURDERED.
Accompanying the report of the dis
trfct attorney Is a scathing arraign-
ment Of the Jackson Hole settlers
made In a report of the United States
deputy marshal who Investigated the
trouble. The deputy marshal's report
says that after careful investigation
the whole affair shows that the reports
made by settlers, charging the Indians
with wholesale slaughter of game for
wantonness or to secure the hides of
animals killed, have been very much
exaggerated.
During my stay In Jackson Hole
he says, Il visited many portions of
the district and saw no evidence of
such slaughter. Lieutenants Gardner
Parker and Jackson of the Ninth Uni
ted States cavalry who conducted
scouting parties of troops through all
portions of Jackson Hole, also found
this to be the case. In connection with
the troubles between the Indians and
the whites. / spent some time inquiring
into the causes for the unconcealed
hostility of the Jackson Hole people
against the Indians. There was little
or no complaint among the settlers OF
offensive conduct on the part of the
Indians. In no instance has there ever
been a well authenticated case where
settler has been molested by an Indian.
The killing of game by the Indians
and by the increasing number of tour
ist hunters threatens to 50 deplete the
region of big game as to jeopardize the
occupation Of professional guides at
Jackson Hole. 1t was decided at the
close Of last season to keep the Indians
out OF the region this year, and the
events Of this summer are the results
of carefully prepared plans"
PLANNED TO KILL THEM.
Continuing, the deputy marshal says:
If a full investigation of the jackson
Hole affair should be held the fact
would be established that when Con-
stable Manning and his posse of rs
settlers arrested party of Indians on
July 10, and started with them for
Marysvale, he and his men did all they
could to tempt the Indians to try and
escape, In order that there might be a
basis of justification for killing some
Of them. The whole affair was, 1 be-
heve, premeditated and prearranged
plan to kill some Indians and thus stir
up sufficient trouble to subsequently
get United States troops into the re-
gion. The plan was successfully car
ried out and the desired results OBJ
tanned. 1t would, however, be but an
act Of simple justice to bring the men
who murdered the Indians to trial.
There are. however. no officials In the
JQckQon Hole country state ~