The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1895-08-02
NO MORE EMOTIONS.
THE RESERVATION TROUBLES
IN THURSTON COUNTY.
Secretary Smith Asked to Take a Hand
-Nebraska's Congressional Delegation
States the Condition Of Affairs Found
There-They Recommend that APP
prevail of Beck's Action Be Suspended
for a Time at Least.
Winnebago Land Troubles.

ENDEh NeD., July So.-lH couSHSo-
sional delegation, which is investigat-
ing the troubles in Thurston county,
took its first definite action yesterday.
After a conference the following tele-
gram was prepared and sem TO the Sec
rotary of the interior:
FENDER, Neb, July 25.-Hon. Hoke
Smith, Secretary of the Interior, Wash
ington, d. c.: Investigation nov in
progress leads US to urge you to sus-
pend approval of leases of Winnebago
lands made by Captain Beck, and to
promptly suspend further evictions
until we can communicate with you
further. Evictions will result in ire
mendous loss of crops to innocent set
tiers.
WILLIAM Y. ALLEN,
JOHN NJ. THURsToN,
GEORGE D.. MEIKLEJOHN,
w. E. ANDREWS,
JESSE i. STROBE,
OF the Nebraska Congressional Delega-
tion.
The letter sent by the members of
the congressional delegation to the
secretary of the interior, referred to
in the foregoing dispatch is. in part,
as follows:
Hon. Hoke Smith, Secretary of the
Interior, Washington, d. C.-Dear Sir:
We have the honor to inform you hat
we telegraphed you today asking that
no more leases made by Captain Beck,
agent of the Omaha and Winnebago
Indians, of Indian lands, should be APP
proved until we can communicate with
you further with reference to the mat
ter. We also urged upon you to sus-
pend all further evictions from these
lands in the interests of justice to in
nocent settlers whose crops would be
entirely lost to them by such evictions
and who would otherwise be greatly
damaged thereby. The wheat, oats
and rye crops are now ripe and demand
immediate harvesting. and unless this
is speedily done they will be lost to the
owners. The eviction. therefore, of
settlers who have been suffered to cul-
tivate these lands to this time, without
any serious objections upon the part of
the government, will result in great
damage to them and the loss of their
entire small grain crops.
The difficulties at this agency among
agents and officers of the agency have
been and are of such a character as to
attract wide public attention and to de-
mand some attention upon our part as
representatives in congress from this
state. We have therefore been sitting
together, as a body, for three days.
listening to the statements of the set
tiers, the Indians. the agent and others
concerned at this place and at the
Omaha and Winnebago agencies, TAX
ing the statements in the form of testi-
mony for the purpose Of informing
ourselves of the truth of the matters in
dispute and placing ourselves in a po-
sition to act in~telligently at the ap-
preaching Fif~ty-fourth congress in Sc
curing such legislation as will perlna-
ncntly cure the evils now in existence.
= = Y
In view of the character of the testi-
mony taken by US, we feel constrained
by a high sense Of duty to urge upon
the department the necessity for an
immediate and searching investigation
of the affairs of the Omaha and Win
nebago Indian agency, and we respect
fully request that such investigation be
conducted in as public a ann as the
regulations of your department will
permit and with a view of reporting
all evidence taken to the congress of
the United States. In making the
above recommendations we nave not
intended to reflect in any n upon
the integrity OF good faith of Captain
Beck as agent.
WILLIAM V. ALLEN,
JOHN NJ. T~HURSTON,
JESSE 3. STROBE,
GEORGE D. M%EIKELJOHN.
w. E. ANDREWS.
Of the Nebraska DELEGATION.