The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-02

Washington, June 1.-The official re-
port of the troubles among the Chey-
enne Indians in Montana, dated May
! %, reached the Indian bureau today
from Captain Stouch in charge of the
( Tongue River agency. 1t confirms the
/ Washington dispatches of the Asso-
ciated Press yesterday, which attrib-
uted the trouble TO the murder of a
I sheepherder, and indicates that the mo-
tive of the murder was to prevent the
herder from giving testimony as to an
! illegal slaughter of beef which he had
witnessed.
An investigation will be made imme-
diately.
The agent reports that intense ex-
element exists among the settlers and
! that there is a liability to further trou-
bic. He says there are a great many
bloOdthirsty young men among the IN
dams and if the settlers and the young
Indians should meet trouble would be
the result. For the peace and safety
of all concerned he advises the station
ing of two troops of cavalry in the
neighborhood.
A request was made to the adjutant-
general of the military department at
st. Paul for a troop of cavalry to be
stationed at Camp Merritt all the time
I instead of a detachment of infantry,
as now. If a mounted party could be
seen frequently on different parts of
the reservation, il would be OF great
benefit, in the opinion of the agent.
The report says that on May the
agent was informed of the disappear
ance of a sheepherder in the employ of
Mr.. Barringer, whose ranch is on the
Tongue river. A search party was or
ganized by a cousin of the herder on
\ L,
from Fort Keogh and Camp Merritt
and the settlers on the Rosebud and
Tongue River constituted the search
party; on the oath of May, Indian po-
lice were sent to assist and the body
was found three-quarters of a mile
from the camp of the herder and about
three miles north of the reservation.
The murder undoubtedly was commit
ted by the Indians. 1t exasperated the
settlers throughout the country and
they are crying for justice and retri-
button. The murdered man was an
inoffensive hunchback and he had been
an object of sport for the Indians The
carcasses OF the slaughtered beef was
discovered near by.
In this connection it is stated that
only a few cattle belonging to the set
tiers have been killed by the Indians
during the past winter and spring; two
near the agency, few on Tongue river
and two near Stebbins creek: a total
not nearly so large as heretofore.
The interior department will make a
formal request TO the war department
TO station cavalry at the camp and the
agent VIII be instructed to use every
effort to secure the punishment of the
perpetrators of the crime.
Senator Carter has been appealed to
in behalf of the settlers alleged rights,
but he has replied counselling modera-
ton among the whites. County Attor-
ney ]. B. Porter wired the senator from
Miles City that Agent Stouch ought 10
be suspended Immediately for resisting
state officers serving process and in
driving the sheriff from the agency. He
claimed that the situation was serious
and that bloodshed would result. If
the agent is instructed not to resist the
sheriifs posse, he added, conflict will
be avoided. though ne regarded an out
break as certainly imminent.