Rocky Ford enterprise., 1895-09-19
BANNOCKS ABUSED.
REPORT OF INDIAN RIGHTS
AGENT.
Rev. W. j. Cleveland Who Was Sent Out
by the Society Says That the Jackson's
Hole Men Are to Blame.

by the Society Says That the Jackson's
Hole Mon Are to Blame.
Madison, s. D., Sept. 16.-The Rev.
w. J. Cleveland of Madison, the agent
recently selected by the Indian Rights
association of Philadelphia to investi-
gate for 1t the Bannock Indian out
break of a few weeks ago and report,
fixing the responsibility for the troubles
on the guilty parties, has completed his
work and will file his report in few
days. The document will be substan-
tally as follows:
The Bannock Indians Of the Fort Hall
| agency In Idaho went out last spring,
according to their usual custom from
time immemorial. for their annual hunt
| in the mountains of Wyoming, around
the Jackson's Hole country. They did
| so this year, as they have done since
| 1868 under treaty with the United
States government granting them that
privilege, and with permits from the
agent They were clearly within their
treaty rights in doing so, and, having
none but peaceful intentions, took with
them their wives and children.
During July, after some game had
been secured, they were suddenly, and
without warning, followed up and sew
eral detached parties of them put under
arrest by armed white men from jack
sons Hole. In every case these parties
were deprived of all their possessions,
including their guns, game, extra horses,
ETC., and two parties were successfully
brought before the justice Of the peace
at Jackson's Hole on the charge of vio-
lating the game laws of Wyoming, pro-
nounced guilty and fined beyond their
| ability to pay. They would thus have
been sent to the jail ut Evanston had
not the payment of the fine In one case
by friend and the escape OF the other
party during the night prevented. In
the third case the party was being
marched in for trial under cover of
rifles, when, supposing the Intention of
their captors was to shoot them In cold
blood, they became alarmed and fled
through the thick timber.
They were Immediately fired upon,
with the result that one old man, nearly
blind, was killed, another seriously
wounded and two little children lost In
the brush, falling from their mothers
arms in the excitement. One of these,
about two and one-half years old, was
afterward found by the white settlers,
crying alone In the wood, but by sad
mistake, was sent off to distant reser-
walton far from its own people. The
other must have perished, being a mere
babe.
The people of Jackson's Hole, on their
own admission. elected their present JUS
tice of the peace and constable and
swore in about thirty deputy marshals
with the express intention Of keeping
the Indians out of the mountains this
year. They had special reason for
wishing to do so. Ninc-tenths of the peo-
pie, at least, SO their justice stated, de-
rive their support from game-hunting
tourists, for whom they act as guides at
high rates. These tourists leave thou
sands of dollars in the Hole each year
and are increasing in numbers and eag-
erness to "kill bull elk" and get his
| horns at any cost.
From my observations I am led to
make the following recommendations:
1. The Indians. by treaty provisions
are entitled to full remuneration for the
game and other property unlawfully
taken from them at Jackson's Hole.
9. All persons interested in the arrest
and shooting of these Indians should be
speedily tried and severely punished.
3. The governor of Wyoming and
other high officials of the state are, In
a measure, responsible for what oc-
CURED, and should be dealt with accord
ingly, as being particeps criminis in this
tice of the peace to arrest and punish
the Indians under the laws Of Wyoming
in defiance or regard of the higher law
of the United States as contained in its
treaty with them and to which alone
the Indians are amenable.
4. The efforts of the department Of
the interior to bring these parties to JUS
tice, already begun, should be warmly
seconded, closely watched, and, in or
der to prevent farcical termination,
they should be tried before United
States court, but not in the state of Wy
oming. No jury there could be relied
upon to act without prejudice.
5. Agent Teter should be strongly
supported In his painstaking and fear
less efforts to secure justice for the In
dians, and the attempt Of some now
being made to secure his removal from
office, and to whm his fidelity to duty
in the Jackson Hole affair and the pro-
posed reservation irrigation scheme
| alone render him obnoxious, should be
defeated.
6. The position of the issue clerk at
the Fort Hall agency, recently abolished,
| should be restored and continued, at
least so long as the Indians shall be in
need of increased rations to keep them
from starvation while they suffer the
unjust loss of their hunting privileges.
Z. Inc plan now almost cOnSummat-
ed to put In the hands of the Idaho Ir-
rigation Canal company an expensive
contract for constructing a canal with
funds belonging to the Indians, and af-
terward charging the Indians an annual
rental of several thousand dollars for the
use of the water so supplied, should be
thwarted, and the whole matter of pro-
vidins water given into the hands of the
agent, or other competent superinten-
dent. Neither the agent nor the Indians
have been consulted regarding it. and IL
does not appear to have been advertised
as by law required. The Indians ask:
"Who told them to spend our money
in this way:" and no answH5 is forth
coming.
s. The only real solution of the Jack
sons Hole difficulty. as well as the only
possibility of preserving the large game
for which the Wyoming officials ex-
press so great anxiety, will be found in
adding the Jackson's Hole country to
the National Park and putting 1t under
the same restrictions