St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-05-01
REDS PARTLY RIGHT
Prosecuted by the Govern
ment in Turtle Mountain
Country.
THEY TOOK THE TIMBER
But Seem to Have Had No
Distinct Idea That 1t
Was Wrong.
THEY TOOK THE TIMBER
ONE HOUSE is DESTROYED.
About Half Of the Indians
Involved Are From Across
the Border.

folloa ling dispatch from Deputy Schin-
dler 1t St. Johns this morning:
Be -geen 200 and 300 hostiles are at
l4an:5an preparing to resist. People
are leaving st. Johns through fear
1t you come at all bring assistance
enough to quiet the disturbance and
protect settlers.
1t is stated also that Indians had
burned houses of settlers who had
testified against them, but on run
ming the story down it appears but
one case of that kind has occurred.
Sunday the marshal and deputy had
4 council with Indians who had pre-
viously rescued a half-breed charged
With cutting timber on government
| llnd from arrest and told them that
they had come there to arrest the
parties and that they should surely do
It. Little Shell, chief Of the Turtle
mountain Indians, told them that the
government had never paid the In
dians for their land, and that he had
given permission to cut the timber,
and that he had a right to give that
permission, and that they would not
allow any one to be arrested for
cutting under his order or
WITH HIS PERMISSION.
The marshal reiterated the state
ment that they had come to make
arrests and intended to do it. The
+ Indians asked who they wanted, and,
on being informed, they called the
persons, and when they came in the
marshal read the warrant and un-
dertook to arrest, but the Indians
forcibly resisted. The marshal re-
| turned to Fargo and wired the attor-
ney general for instructions. The
offense is slight at most. The feel
Eng is general among settlers that
the seventy indictments against set
| tiers and others in that region are
more for the purpose of making fees
for officers than for any other pur-
pose The timber is generally poplar,
not fit for anything but fuel, with a
small amount of oak and ash. Under
Sparks regime about the same num-
ber Of indictments were secured and
settlers and Indians taken to Bis
marck charged with timber trespass,
but upon full investigation it was
shown that the cutting was for the
purpose of maintaining settlers in their
settlements on public lands, and all
cases were dismissed. It was shown
that not one settler within thirty miles
of the mountains had failed to take
advantage of the opportunity to Sc
cure timber for fuel, fencing and
building. They exchanged it for flour
to the mills, for wheat to the elevators
and for
GROCERIES AND CLOTHING
at stores, and the timber thus sold
was sold back to settlers. The gov
ernment held that while this was
technical violation of the law, 1T was
contrary to public policy to prose
cute. as the timber thus taken was
essential to the comfort of citizens
and to the maintenance or settle
ments on public land. There is no
probability that anything will come
out of the alleged outbreak Tor the
reason that american citizens as
well as Canadians, half-breeds and
Canadian Indians are being perse-
Fcuted, the citizens believe, unjustly.
There is no feeling between citizens
sand Indians, but toward SCHNEIDER,
the deputy, who has made himself
obnoxious. The Indians think they
have the original title to the land,
and the government has go far recog-
diized their claim as to set aside two
townships in the mountains as a re-
serve, besides granting a large num-
Der of Indian honesteads on otner
portions About one-half of the IN
dams are Canadians, and many have
received land and other rights on
the Canadian side, yet the interior
department has recognized and fed
them for years, and has sent COM
mission to treat with them for ces-
sion of the lands in dispute. While
final examination will show the lands
have been ceded and that these In
dians belong at White Earth, that
point has not been settled by the in
lterior department, and until it is
there is no good reason why the In
sdians should be kept in turmoil, as
thav have fOr, the mast eight wears