The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-03-19
SURPRISING STATEMENTS.

Saturday, under a aShlngton
date line, contained an account of
the report of the judiciary com
mittee on the Little jurisdiction
bill. The article in question as
signs as the reason for the favor
able report of the committee the
following:
The report was based on some
sensational testimony which was
given before the committee. This
testimony was in the form of state
ments submitted by agents of the
Wells Fargo, Adams and United
States Express Companies, that it
was their belief that there had been
cOllusiOn between Indian Territory
court officers and the robbers who
had made frequent raids on their
express cars, to shield the robbers
from detection and punishment
They had, they stated, information
which they believed reliable, that
there would be danger to express
trains from robbers in the future,
and owing to the conspiracy which
they were firmly convinced existed
in the Indian Territory to shield
outlaws from punishment, they
would feel compelled to stop doing
business in the Territory unless
they were afforded more adequate
protection than they had reason to
expect from the Indian courts. The
charges of collusion are indefinite.
no names being given or eases
cited. While the bill has been fav-
Orably reported, no action will be
taken on it by the house until after
the Dawes commission bill is dis
posed of, as the Dawes commission
bill provides for the establishment
of federal courts in the Indian
Territory and the complete aboli-
ton of the Indian courts. =
The above is certainly sur
prising statement in the face of
the facts as they exist. We know
whereof we speak when we say
that the territory officers of this
district have never been absent
from duty when called on by the
express companies to afford them
protection when a raid on them
was anticipated. 1t was a mem
Der of the territory force of officers
that put an end to the Dalton gang
by killing its leader; when the
Christian boys wounded Deputy
Jake Hooker, of the Paris force,
at Purcell last summer, Marshal
Stowe furnished. and himself led,
a strong force of brave deputies in
the chase after them. For several
weeks Marshal Stowe kept men on
the night trains at the request of
the railroad company. when that
corporation had reasons for be
llevlng raid on the express was
imminent In fact there has never
been an occasion too dangerous.
nor train rObber too desperate
for the territory officers to tackle,
when in reality there was no incen-
tive other than the protection of
property and and the suppression
OF crimes over which our local
court held no jurisdiction. We
are satisfied that the same conduct
applies to the officers of the cen
trail and northern district. If
there was reliable information in
the possession of the agents of the
express companies, why did not
they particularize! In the face of
the facts there is no wonder that
the charges of cOllusion are indefi-
nite,. no names being given or ca
ses cited, " and it is very surprising
to an intelligent mind that the judi /
ciary committee should have based 1
a favorable report of the bill on
such indefinite statements.
Miss SPRING is having a hard