Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1895-08-28
Masked Men on the Nez Perce
Reservation Get Rich Booty.
THEY WAITED FOR THEIR PREY
Over 100000 paid 20 the indians at
the Agency In the Last
Two Days.

received their money at the agency
were held up at a point near Cold
Springs by three masked men. presum-
ably whites. and robbed OF $500 In
gold.
Cold Springs IL in a sparsely settled
country on the reservation. about 30
miles southeast of Lewiston. and 1t is
thought that the robbers were In rem
devious waiting for the luckiess In
dians TO pass.
The bandits were armed with dou-
ble-barreled shotguns. and besides the
money secured took everything of
value the Indians possessed. The
chances of capturing the robbers are
small, as the agents Jurisdiction ex-
tends only to the limits of the reserva-
tion. and the plunderers are far away
by this time.
The Kamiahs have failed to report as
yet. Indian police have been sent af-
ter them by Agent Fisher, but their
settlement is fully 100 miles from the
agency and difficult OF access, SO word
will not be had from there before Mon
day.
FIGHT FOR DEPOSITS.
The banks are having a three corner
ed fight to obtain the money OF the In
who has been acting as interpreter.
referee and general advisor OF a GER
tain clique of the better Informed Neg
Perces. is out for "the stuff" TO use a
slang phrase. He is not satisfied with
the per cent commission promised by
the Lewiston banks for business d.
verted to those institutions. He first
acted as an agent for the Lewiston Ma
tional bank. it being understood he was
well paid for his trouble. Better terms
We're offered by the First National OF
Lewiston. and he next advised the In
dians TO deposit their money there
Now Ross Brown, a Moscow banker.
Is on the scene. Reuben evidently re-
ceived a still more fiattering offer, and
his last move has been to advise the
Indians to patronize the Moscow banks
On three different occasions Reuben
has made speeches to the Indians, and
each time has advised them to deposit
their money in different banks. The
Nez Perces are beginning TO see
through his scheme, and his influence
is waning.
Agent Fisher today took a hand In
the bank dispute. He recommended
the Lewiston banks as safe places to
deposit money. but told the bucks they
could Investigate for themselves.
MORE MONEY PAID OUT.
Yesterday and today 100000 more
was paid out In drafts. making an out
put OF over half OF the funds received
as the first installment.
Fully 100 Nez Perces have visited
Lewiston In the last two days. and they
are scattering their money everywhere
They are purchasing wagons, buggies
nacks, harness and American horses
Although there are thousands OF ca.
yuses on the reservation the Indians
banker after white mems animals. and
are getting the best money can buy
The stores are doing rushing business
and present a Fourth of July appear.
ance. Trinkets and bright oolored ar
ticles of every description find ready
sale. and there Is no haggling about
the price.
One of the interesting and ludicrous
sights of today was family OF buck
squaw and children In a carriage newly
purchased. The squaw put In the after
noon buying provisions, while her lieRe
lord Improved his opportunity by buy
ing full grown jag. The squaw went
after her better half, loaded him ON the
back seat and up Main street the war-
on proceeded. the buck yelling like
cailiope all the way.
WHISKY AND FIGHTS.
Yesterday there were n number OF
drunken Indians on the streets. not n
Few OF whom were quarrelsome. A
Nez Perce known as Titus made
gun play. which only escaped being IA
tai by the uncertainty OF his aim. He
was mounted and talking to a rroup
OF Indians on the street. Suddenly he
pulled his revolver and fired two shots
IN rapid succession at the man nearest
him, Then he urged his horse into a
gailop and disappeared down the road.
Three OF the bucks standing near rush
ed into store. purchased revolyers
and took the same road as the first In.
dian. II they find him there may be an
Indian funeral
OTHER INCIDENTS.
The two Lewiston banks have enough
money on hand to cash All the drafts
OF this Issue. and are prepared 10 nav
all demands. For some time thev havs
been receiving the money in $50 .ooo
lots.
Tomorrow Is trading day. and =
great business win be done In ali
branches OF trade.
Blanket" Indians are becoming ouite
swell In their apparel. velvet vests he
ing the latest fad. They also gather An
whatever knick knacks pleasing 10
fancy.
The honesty of the tribe is becoming
a matter Of comment. One white man
who has been on the reservation for
several years says they have been pay
Ing him amounts which he had long age
forgotten.
The barbecue by the citizens OF Lew
tston has been definitely decided upon.
and win be an affair long 10 be remem-
bered.
The Indians look forward with an.
ticipation to the big feed
People are coming IN crowds TO Lew
iston. Every hotel 10 full. and accom-
modations are becoming restricted
Stages and steamers are loaded every
trip.
There is little or no gambling done
In town By the Indians. but the whites