The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-10-08
UNCLE SAM OBJECTS
G DRBETT AND FITZSTMMONS
CANNOT FIGHT IN THE IN
DIAN TERRITORY.
INSTRUCTIONS TO THE AGENT

Commissioner Browning Says the
Statutes of the United States are Am.
pie to Cover the Situation and Pre-
vent the Fight--NOr will it Make
ANY Difference if the PugiIists are
Admitted to Citizenship in one of the
Tribss--Aitgeld is Against 1t.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. Com
missioner Browning of the Indian office,
has taken prompt and decisive steps to
prevent the Corbett- Fitzsimmons prize
fight taking place in the Indian Terri
tory. He has prepared letter of in
structions to Agent Wisdom at Musco-
gee, ]. T., directing him to see that the
laws are enforced and to eject forcibly
any intruders who may enter the Indian
| country for the purpose of creating
disturbance or of engaging in anything
| that may be detrimental to the Indians.
The commissioner says that the stat
| utes OF the United States are ample to
cover the situation and to prevent the
| fight The agent will have at his back
| not only the Indian police, but all of the
United States troops necessary to eject
the fighters. The statutes give the
United States power to keep out of the
Indian Territory all persons whose pres
ence would be detrimental to the peace
and prosperity of the Indians. The com
missioner says there is no doubt that the
presence of the prize-fghters and the
gang that would follow them into the
Indian country would be very detrimen-
tai to the Indians, and that it is there
fore the duty of the Indian Office to keep
them out.
He says that the agent at Muscogee
has not got as much authority as the
agents on reservations, but, neverthe-
less, he has enough to prevent the fight
taking place in the territory of the Five
Civilized Tribes. The commissioner il
tends also to notify all governors aud
head men of the Five Oivilizsd Tribes
that they must not ALLOW the fight to take
place and must assist the United States
authorities in preventing it.
Commissioner Browning was asked if
the admission of Corbett, Fitzsimmons
and others connected with the fight to
citizenship in one of the tribes would
make any difference in the authority of
the government, and he said that it
would not change the conditions in the
least. The government has the power
to expel a full blood Indian from the
territory if the peace and good order Of
the Indians require it.
The government will be able to exer-
else a great deal of discretion in the
affair The United States marshals, or
the Indian Agent and his police, backed
by the United States, can remove the
fighters as intruders and keep them out,
and then answer as to violation of the
law afterwards.
1t is not case where the fight might
take place ard the fighters then be called
upon as to whether they have violated
the law. The government will not even
wait for.the affair TO progress that far.
The principals and others connected with
| it will be unceremoniously hustled off
| the Indian land on the ground that they
are intruders whose presence is unde.
sirable. If they make any complaint
about it, the courts will have to deter
mine the rights of the matter and it is
believed the probabilities are that the
power of the Unitef States government
will be broadly interpreted.
Even AItgeld Doesn't wantIt.
SPRINGFIELD, H., Oct. Gov.
Altgeld, when asked what course he
would take in case an attempt was made
to pull off the Corbett- Fitzsimmon fight
on an island in the Illinois River, near
Henry, H., said:
81 do not know where the island is,
nor do / know of any projected prize
fight, but if it is on Illinois soil we will
do all in our power to prevent any prize
fight taking place there. The enforce
ment of the law rests primarily with the
local authorities but if it becomes neces-
sary for the State to take a hand you
may say that | will use every effort to
prevent the fight"
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