davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26
THE ROGERS-SCRIMsHER CASE.

EDITOR CHIEFTAIN:-In your is
sue tor Sept. 18th you say: at
now transpires that the seat of
John T. Gunter as senator from
this district is to be contested by
I. F. Thompson. Gunter's ma
jority over Thompson was 343.
The National party seated Jno. 6.
Scrimsher, we believe before the
votes were counted some years
ago, over w. C. Rogers, etc., etc. :"
AS disinterested spectator, and
one who was on the ground and
took notes every day during those
long, dark days, weeks and months
of Cherokee history, allow me a
small space in which to give you
the true history of that outrage on
patient people by unprincipled
schemers In overriding and tram
pling on the will of the people.
Being in the majority, and also
controlling working quorum
without a Downing member pres
ent, they could do what had failed
in the house; and the dirty, under
handed, mean tricks which were
successfully engineered in the SEN
ate make one of the blackest chap
tiers in all Cherokee history. They
utterly ignored justice and right
and in seating John G.. Scrimsher
instead of w. C. Rogers, was the
fitting climax to the long, disgrace
full contest. Rogers went to Tah-
lequah holding the legally certi-
fed and sealed certificate of his
election from the district clerk. 1t
is said that Scrimsher admitted Oh
the streets of Tahlequah that he
was not elected, and yet, after an
unequal contest of fifteen days, by
strict party vote OF 10 to Gone
Downing man absent-Rogers was
thrown overheard, and Scrimsher
seated.
This was three weeks after the
votes had been counted and Mayes
and Smith seated. For the good
name Of our fellow citizens of vi
nita, of Cooweescoowee district,
and of our whole countryit is most
sincerely to be hoped that this
same disgruntled attempt to perpe-
trate such fraud and trampling
on the peoples will.
PRoBoNo PUBLICo.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26
THE EFFECT THE SAME.

Appopos to the discussion of al
lotment We should not fail to take
cognizance of the fact that it were
far more profitable to discuss the
question as to how it shall be
done. If it were possible for the
Cherokee nation to continue to hold
its lands in common In a satisfac-
tory manner it is doubtful if any
considerable portion of the citizens
of the nation would desire allot-
ment. The causes that contribute
TO make allotment absolutely in
evitable have been mentioned so
frequently that it is scarcely neces-
sary to enumerate again. There
are a great number of reasons why
1t has become the well defined
policy of the government to divide
per capita the Indian lands OF the
five tribes of this territory, but the
bare fact that such is the policy of
the United States is sufficient rea-
son why the real parties at inter
est should set about some method
of doing the only thing there is
left for them to do. The Indians
are the sole owners of the land in
this territory. They hold it by a
genuine patent from the United
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26
THE FREEDMAN CASE AGAIN.
Ike Rogers Still Insists on Com
promise, if possible.
CoOdys Bluff. Sept. 2S,

Coodys Bluff. Sept. 2S, ISs5.
To the freemen, i'll answer to
the attorneys:
| notice in THE CHIEFTAIN of
18th that the lawyers of the freed
men advise them to have nothing
to do with the Cherokees in tryin
to settle their matter. | would
like to know who has more right
to settle this question than the
Cherokees and freedmen. They
are the two parties in litigation
and if the Cherokees see fit to
make a proposition to settle and
stop expenses they have a right to
do it. And when your lawyers
tell you to 60 ahead with law
suit rather than to compromise
you can put it in your pipe and
smoke it'' as a pipe of bad tobac-
co. We all know that a contin-
uous law suit is bad on any party,
even if they win. But here's
where the sting is:
If this law suit is stopped where
it is, the lawyers won't get any
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26

and cannot divest them of their
rights IN the Cherokee nation.
There is no power or authority that
can divest minor citizen of this
nation of blood, of his rights of citi-
zenship. 1t is therefore the opin-
ion of the court that such children
of J. B. Johnson and wife as they
might have taken with them, when
they removed to the Usage nation,
and are now minors have not for
feited their rights in this case as
must be done by a person who is
capable of electing as to which Of
these two nations they prefer to
live in. 1t must be done volun-
tarily. And when the chilren in
question reach tn cir majority, they
will then be competent to elect as
to which of these two nations they
prefer to live in; then if they elect
to live in the Usage nation they
will forfeit their rights here.
And as to the rights of such
children as j. B. and Julia M.
Johnson might have had born to
them since the mother has been
recognized as a citizen of the Usage
nation, the court holds are wholly
identical with those of the mother.
They being of Usage blood and
born in the Usage nation are nat
ural born citizens thereof by virtue
of their Usage blood, and have no
rights in the Cherokee nation
whatever, and judgment is hereby
ordered accordingly.
H. L. LANDRUM,
Judge Presiding.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26

States. The government itself
does not question the title to this
land, but the government is bound
by treaties as sacred and binding
as is the title, to protect
the Indian in the ownership
of it; not only against
intrusion from the outside, but
from monopoly from the inside as
well. If the government elects
the non citizen intruder from the
Indian domain and leaves the In
dian monopolists in possession of
vast tracts of land, the common
property of the whole tribe, then
its work is only half done; IN fact
the homeless Indian is in as bad a
fix as if his land was in possession
of non-citizens entirely. 1t is a
question whether the Cherokee
nation, taken as whole, will be
benefited by the removal of the in
truders if the land tenure is left
undisturbed. The primary object
of the removal of the intruders
from the country is that the Chero
KEGS may be placed in possession
of their own property. 1t may be
set down as a fact also that they
(the Cherokees) need the land that
the intruders are in possession of.
Then to carry out the government
idea, the citizens of the nation
should be placed in possession,
not in common ownership but in
dividual ownership. If the gov
ernment removes the 5000 or 10000
persons enumerated as intruders
from this country, it may be pre-
sumed that it does so in good faith
and for the purpose of restoring
the land to those who properly
own it. To carry out this idea of
protection to the Indians, some
plan must be adopted to keep un-
lawful persons off the land, and
the way congress proposes to do
this is to place every Indian citi-
zen in possession Of his or her pro-
portionate share of the land, which
will leave no common domain to
be settled on by claimants to citi-
zenship. In pursuing this course
the United States will not only be
able to protect against intrusion
from the outside but to prevent
monopoly by the greedy and avar-
icious classes of our own citizens.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26

AS the result of number of system
attic trials on a large scale, Mr.. J. f.
Stead stated in n paper before the
British iron and steel institute that
the presence of between ten per cent.
and fifteen per cent. of arsenic in
steel had no material effect upon its
mechanical properties. Its tenacity
was but slightly increased, its elonga-
tion was apparently unaffected, and
the reduction in area of the fractured
test-pieces was practically equal to
that of the same steel without the ar
senical addition. Arsenic, moreover.
had not the slightest tendency to pro.
duce red-shortness, ard arsenical steel
did not appear to be more liable to cor
rosion than the same material without
arsenic. In fact, oxidation was re-
tarded by the presence of small guam
titles of arsenic, although such pres
ence rendered welding more difficult
and materially reduced the electrical
conductivity of the metal -Philadel-
phia Record.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26

If THOSE who are so thoroughly
opposed to a division of land in
this country were to give their rea-
sons, if they have any, why they
are opposed to such a measure, ii
would be interesting to know them.
1t is easy to understand why those
who are in possession of more
land than would be a pro rata
share if a division was had, should
oppose allotment. But to know
why the fellow who is being de-
prived of his rights should oppose
the only measure that can ever re-
store to him his birthright, is DIFF
ficult indeed. 1t is probably a
fact that so far as the full-blood
Indians are concerned, they do
not understand the full scope and
meaning of what the term allot-
ment may mean. There was a
time when the Cherokees had
many hundred acres per head, and
the allotment that was offered
them a decade or two ago meant
160 acres to the head and sale of
the balance to white settlers. AL
lotment does not mean anything
like that now. In the first place
the Cherokees do not own at this
time much more than that amount
and it is not the policy of the gov
ernment to sell or deprive tie In
dians of any of their land, but
rather to protect them in the own
ership of it, and to do this it is
necessary to place them in posses
sion of the land as individual cit
liens. A campaign of education by
the press of the country might be
very proftably carried on along
this line.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26
THE SENATORIAL CONTEST.
A Remarkable Affidavit by Mr.. t. +
Thompson Touching the Election.

| Cherokee nation, Cooweescoowee district, TO
any lawful officer, greeting:
You are hereby commanded in
the name of the Cherokee nation,
to proceed and serve the attached
notice of contest, of T. f. Thomp-
son against John T. Gunter, for
seat in the senate branch of the
national council; serve them with
in the time and return them with
in the time required by law.
Herein fail not.
Given under my hand and seal
this 14th day of September, 1895.
SEAL JOE NJ. LAHAY,
Clerk Cooweescoowee Dist. ,C.N.
Before me, Joe NJ. Lahay, clerk
OF Cooweescoowee district, c. N,
this day comes T. F. Thompson,
who on oath states that be, 7. F.
Thompson and John Gunter were
candidates for the office of senator
from said district, that is to say a
seat In the senate branch of the
national council in the Cherokee
nation, at the late general election,
held on the fifth day the first Mon
day in August, 1895. That the
clerk of the district aforesaid, after
counting the votes as returned by
the judges and clerks of the sever
al precincts, gave the certificate of
election to the said John Gunter.
That the said 7. F. Thompson
received as he verify believes a
majority of the legal votes cast,
and is entitled to said certificate
of election, and therefore believes
that he has good and sufficient
grounds for contesting the seat of
the said John Gunter and for
grounds for such contest alleges
that there were cast at the late
election in Cooweescoowee district,
aforesaid not less than five hun
dred illegal and fraudulent votes,
a great majority of which were cast
for the said John Gunter.
That bribery and corruption was
openly practiced at all the pre-
cincts to such an extent as to make
the election a shame.
That all the clerks and judges
were not sworn as the law directs.
That the returns were not made
as the law requires and generally
SO shamefully corrupt were the
practices throughout the district at
the several precincts in the district
that the action (eleetion) is not de-
serving recognition.
T. F. THOMPSON.
Subscribed and sworn to before
me this the 14th day of September
A. D., 1895. JOE NJ. LAHAY,
Clerk Cooweescoowee Dist. ,C.N.
[sEALl By FRED MCDANIEL,
Deputy clerk.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26
MEAT AMONG THE DANES.
Regulations Governing the Slaughter and
Sale of Animals.

Sale of Animals.
The cattle, sheep and swine In Den
mark have to undergo a rigid veterinary
examination both before and after
they are slaughtered. Before meat
can be removed from the slaughter
house 1t must be officially stamped as
first or second class food Some uI-
scrupulous butchers tried to efface this
stamp by cutting it out, or chemically
removing 1t, and replacing first" for
second GLASS;" but they were sum-
marily dealt with, and fine of el10
imposed, which has effectually put q
stop to their tricks.
1t is not only in Denmark that they
mark meat, (aithough it is done there
for quality but in Italy, the United
States, the Netherlands, Belgium and
Germany. A select committee in the
house of lords is beginning to see the
advisability of the plan, (which at
present is only used to distinguish the
meat killed for the use of the Jews,)
to enable the buyer to ascertain
whether it is English, foreign or col
onial meat his unscrupulous butcher
passes off as the best English" at the
best English prices Perhaps, in time,
our government will superintend the
slaughter house, and mark the meat
as first or second class, as the Danes
do. This little country is now begin
ming to send us large supplies of butch
ers' meat, and a bill was brought for
ward in November, 1893, by the min
lister of the interior, in the Folk
thing authorizing him to direct Off
cial veterinary inspection to be made
OF all the consignments before they
are packed for England, In order to
secure the export of none but the best
quality. The Danes are very careful
of their food supplies, and proportion
ally successful in their gains--Fort-
nightly Review.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26

One Of our exchanges truly says:
"Alcohol applied to a farmer 8
stomach will remove the boards
from the fence, let the cattle into
his crops, kill his fruit trees, mort
gage his farm and SOW his field
with wild oats and thistles. 1t
will take the paint off his build
ings, break the glass out of his
windows and fill them with rags.
1t will take the gloss from his
clothes and polish from his man.
ners, subdue his reason, arouse his
passions, bring sorrow and dis
grace upon his family and topple
him into a drunkard's grave"
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26
SEASIDE RESORT MAN.
The Girls Got Their Revenge for His
Giving Them the CODY.

The Girls Got Their Revenge for His
Giving Them the Go-By.
The trouble with the man who comes
down to the seaside resort to spend
Sunday is, as a rule, he is somebody's s
particular property, and can give little
entertainment to the women who have
grown weary of each others society all
the week.
A young, unattached fellow-a gen.
tleman and fairly attractive-can have
a very pleasant time during these
weekly jaunts if he will
He should be able to ride, and row,
and swim, and dance, and If a bit of q
conversational ability be added, he can
cut pretty wide social swath for a
little while.
He needn't be very much in earnest,
and he must be careful not to pay too
much attention to any special fair one.
This Is the difficult part of 1t, of
course.
know of young, unmarried chap
who went IN for the general enter
tainment" caper at summer resort
hotel not very long ago and kept 1t up
very well indeed.
But the charms of a black-haired
village girl with blue eyes were toe
much for him, so he fell desperately in
love and was accepted.
He did not tell the hotel ladies OF
this, however, for. as he confided to me,
he was afraid to do so.
He wasn't so alarmingly beautiful
that he need have worried as to the
result, as l tried to explain to him, bu,
you know how vain men are.
One of the slighted maidens saw him
and his inamorata in the woods, how.
ever. and overheard an appointment
for the following evening in the gloam.
ing.
Back she scurried to the hotel and
told the rest.
The next night, directly after sup
per, eleven stylish girls fled out of the
back door of the hotel and took to the
woods.
Imagine the feelings of the young
man and of his startled village fawn
as the eleven stalked by them and said
in concert and with a brutal, clear
enunciation:
Good evening, Mr.. Jenkins! Your
wife Is at the hotel IN. Y. Recorder.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26
THE COMMISSIONERS CONTEST.

Ii the contest of L. +. Thomp-
son for John Gunter's seat in the
Cherokee senate means anything
it means that terrible state of af-
fairs exists in Cooweescoowee dis
trict. Mr.. Thompson sets forth in
his affidavit that he verify believes
that 500 illegal votes were cast in
this district at the August election.
In other words he believes that
one fourth of the men who voted
in this district had no right to do
so. This is certainly an aw-
full reflection on the officers who
had charge of the election machin-
cry in his district. 1t is not at all
probable that the people of Coo
weescoowee district are any more
corrupt than in other districts; in
deed this district certainly stands
well toward the head in point of
intelligence. honesty and patriot
ism.
The last campaign was a close
and stubbornly fought one, but
certainly not devoid of honor.
Both political parties were san
guine of success and each watched
the other SO thoroughly that fraud
could not have been practiced on
an extensive scale. The Down.
ing party was as much surprised
at the majority rolled up in this
district for its candidates as were
the Nationals, and 1t was not until
the smoke of battle began to roll
away that either party knew on
whose banners victory would
perch.
But the contest is made and Mr..
Gunter's friends and the Downing
party propose that the matter shall
be investigated thoroughly. They
are more than willing that every
scintilla of fraud shall be brought
to light. Every fraudulent vote
can and will be found, and for
whom cast.
Some of the Nationals say apol-
ogetically that they don't expect to
seat T. F. Thompson but only
want to show fraud at the election.
Then if that be the object why not
prosecute the offenders under the
provision of law in such cases. If
that be the object why ask Mr..
Thompson to make the affidavit he
does. setting forth allegations that
cannot be proven, and that no.
body believes?
The election OF John Gunter and
w. G. Rogers to the senate was
the honest expression at the polls
of the very best element in this
country. The men who advocated
the election Of these men would
scorn the idea of obtaining any,
thing by fraud. Let the contest
proceed Let the perpetrator of
fraud be dragged out into the light.
Let the man with a majority be
seated, and if any are foolish
enough to think this contest is a
stepping stone to the counting out
of Sam Mayes for chief, put such
thought away from you, for the
majority must and shall rule, re-
gardless of anything.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26
FL. SMITH Letter.
Buck Gang Convicted - Blackstone
train Robbery Unrayeled.

The trial OF Buz Lucky and jim
Dyer for the Blackstone train rob-
berry resulted in their conviction.
Wade Chambellee was never men
toned by any Of the witnesses and
was acquitted. Nath Reed and
Tom Root, two of the robbers, were
used as witnesses against Dyer and
Lucky and have yet to be tried.
The government officials claim that
Dyer planned all the robberies OF
the Starr and Clancy gangs. Reed
says that Dyer not only planned i
the Blackstone robbery but organ
lied the gang that committed it.
Dyer took no active part in the
robbery and it is for the govern
ment to make their case against
him. Dyer proved a good repu-
tation by a large number of the
leading merchants of Wagner, but
they were unable to testify to any
thing but their dealings with him
and could only weaken the evil
dence against Dyer by impeaching
the witnesses.
The Rufus Buck gang was OF
short life but it had a very afro
cious and fiendish career. At 8
O'Clock Monday morning they
were placed on trial for raping
Mrs. Hassan, near Sapulpa, Aug.
1, and at halt past two verdict of
guilty had been rendered against
them. Three of them are now on
trial for the murder of Deputy
John Garrett, at Okmulgee, July %.
Rufus Watkins, assault; verdict
not guilty.
jim Dyer, Buz Lucky and Wade
Chamberlee, ,robbery;verdict guilty
as to Dyer and Lucky and not
guilty as to Chamberlee.
Harvey Martin, larceny; SEN
tence reduced from two years to
Is months.
C. C. Gabbard, bribery; plea
guilty; 2 years.
Susie Riley, manslaughter; 8
years in Columbus. By the gen.
eral order she would have been
sent to the penitentiary at Leaven-
worth, but Attorney General Har-
mon issued a special order in this
case, at the request of Judge Park
er and District Attorney Reed.
Jerry Williams, incest; , years.
Fred Walker, assault; 3 years.
G. NJ. Goodner, forgery, etc: !:
plea guilty.
Will Mitchell, fraudulently OBJ
tanning letters from the post office;
verdict guilty; = years.
Cornelius Burk, assault;on trial.
Rufus Buck, Maoma July, Lucky
Davis, Sam Sampson and Louis
Davis, rape; verdict guilty. The
jury was out only 3 minutes.
Rufus Buck, Louis Davis and
Lucky Davis, murder; on trial.
Tine Walker, murder; admitted
to bail in sum of So, 600.
Johnson and Dan Pickett, intro
ducing and selling; verdict not
guilty.
Sam Still, assault; pardoned by
President Cleveland and released.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26

NOTICE to white adopted citi-
zens: There is an assessment on
all members of the White Adopted
Citizens association, to defray the
expenses of the delegation elected
to attend the regular session of
council in November. the amount
should be collected by the secre-
taries of local organizations and
forwarded at once to d. NJ. Mars,
secretary and treasurer, at Vinita.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26

THE public debt should he paid
Of course, but now about keeping
it paid. If it was paid in full to-
day it would Immediately begin to
accumulate again. The thing to
do is to devise some method OF
keeping ii paid. If it is necessary
to tax the people to meet the ex-
penses of government. why OF
course that should be done.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26

In THE supreme court of the
District of Columbia an effort is
being made to ascertain what dis
position was made of $4,000
lobby fee in the Choctaw and
Chickasaw s3,OOO,OOO appropria.
ton AS usual with such trans
actions the explanations are about
as clear as mud.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26

Frog Davis before being hanged
requested that his body be taken
in charge by John Taylor and Har-
rison Foreman and buried on BIZ d
creek. This was not done because
the railroad company refused to
carry the corpse on account of the
decomposed condition of the body.
The remains were inferred in the
cemetery near Fort Gibson
Sentinel.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26

The chief and national council
are getting excited about monop-
oily at last. 1t hasn't been many
moons since our delegation in
Washington was declaring in the
very strongest of language that
positively there was no monopoly
in this country.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26

THE resignation of Judge Stuart
has developed a contest between
Judges Springer and Kilgore as to
whom shall be supreme judge, by
presidential appointment.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26

The Washington dispatches in
innate that Judge Stuart's resig-
nation was not altogether of his
own accord. The story of pres
sure is not believed here.
Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-26

IT is a cold day when some In
dian Territory bandit don't get
convicted at Fort Smith. But the
supply has not been exhausted yet
as there are something like score
in Jail waiting their turn.