The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-11
sLAYERS OF GAME WARDEN WET
EEL ARE PROTECTED BY THE
INDIANS.
BELTRAMI COUNTY EXCITED.
WHITES FEAR THAT TROUBLE
MAY COME UP AT SHORT
NOTICE.
May Prove the Starting Point OF a
Serious Insurrection OF the
Red Race.

There may yet be serious trouble In
the northern part of the state, growing
out of the recent slaughter of Deputy
| State Game Warden Charles WetZel,
near Bemidji, by law-breaking IN
dams, if the information brought to
st. Paul yesterday by Executive Agent
Sam Fullerton, of the state game and
fish commission, is to be relied on.
Mr.. Fullerton is just back from the
scene of the recent difficulty, having
been present at the burial of WetZel
Sunday Lass. The dead warden was
slain, after a hand-to-hand combat
with two Indians and a squaw, nearly,
if not quite, two weeks ago, but his
body was not found for several days,
and when it was discovered trail of
blood could be traced for several rods
from where his hat was found to where
the dead man was finally located.
showing that he had made a hard fight
for his life. There were seventeen stab
wounds in the dead whites body, as
we'll as signs that he had been club
bed, and this evidence of brutal slaugh-
ter has stirred the white inhabitants
about the new town Of Bemidji to
fever heat.
Two of WetzeTs assailants are too
i'll to be arrested, Wetzel, during the
combat, having shot them. The story
Of the bucks is that the squaw was
also shot, killed and buried, and there
was some talk of having the Beltrami
county coroner dig up the body, which
has not been seen by the white author
tiles, to be sure that the story was
not ruse Of the Indians to save the
woman punishment. Agent Fullerton,
one of whose deputies the dead white
warden was, counselled with the COR
oner and other county authorities, how
ever, and it was finally decided that,
with the present state of feeling in
the vicinity Of the slaughter it would
be indiscreet to violate the Woman's
grave. I'VE will go into it," however,
said Mr.. Fullerton yesterday, eff it is
necessary. The killing of Wetzel was
nothing more nor less than cold blood
ed murder, and the coroner of Beltrami
county, like the people who live there,
are determined that the slayers Of
Wetzel shall be punished. The Indians
will not make any trouble. If 1t has
come to point where these Indians
can come off the reservation and rob
and murder at their hearts content,
then the whites should leave this coun-
try to them. Let the federal govern
ment keep these men on their reser-
Vations. L want to say that so far as
[ am concerned, and l know that the
Beltrami authorities share these senti-
ments. the men who assisted in the
killing of Mr.. Wetzel will be arrested
for murder just as soon as they are
able to be moved. If they die of the
wounds this sturdy fighter administer
may seem cold blooded to- you, but if
you could see the place where the
murder occurred and look at the signs
of violence thereabout, you would feel
just as the people of Beltrami county
do, and demand retributive Justice"
Turtle lake, near where the murder
of Wetzel occurred, is about twelve
miles north of Benidji, but the murder
was several miles back from the lake.
The country has been settling up rap
idly lately, and with the recent county
organization, the whites are determined
that the Indians shall meet justice.
At the same time, if the white au-
thorities should determine to dig up
the body Of the alleged murdered
squaw murderer, there is little doubt
that the Indians in the vicinity would
go on the war path, and the indica-
lions are that lively skirmish may
be precipitated in Beltrami county at
any time. The Indians have openly
declared their intention of fighting the
arrest of the two men who killed Wet
Eel, but the whites believe they will
not oppose this when the time comes
that the men are we'll enough to be
moved.