The record-union., 1897-06-30
IDAHO SETTLERS ALARMED.
BANNOCKS BREAK AWAY FROM
FORT HALL RESERVATION.
Governor Steinberg Appealed to
for Protection and Telegraphs
to Washington.

WASHINGTON, June 29.-The Ban
mock Indians have broken away from
the Fort Hall reservation IN ldaho anu
their actions have alarmed the settlers
in the adjacent territory. Governor
Steinberg has been appealed to Tor pro-
lection and he has telegraphed 10
Washington authorities for assistance.
The War Department has been called
upon for troops.
The news of the outbreak OF the In
dams from the reservation came To-
day in dispatches from the Governor OIL
Idaho. He teIegraphed Secretary Bliss
late last night and to-day wired ur-
gent messages to Senator Heltrelo.
Messrs. Heitfeld and Shoup immedl-
ately went to the Interior Department,
where they called attention to the SIT
uation and the dispatches also were
promptly forwarded to the Secretary Oh
War. Secretary Bliss carried the tel
egrams to the Cabinet meeting, where
they were discussed. a formal COM
munication also was made to the Sec
retary of War, asking that orders be
issued for whatever military assist
ance may be necessary to aid the agent,
Lieutenant f. G.. Irwin, L. ). A., IN
preserving order and protecting the
lives and property of the settlers and
to return the Indians to their reserVa-
ton. if they are absent therefrom as
represented.
The agent was notified to make a
further immediate report.
These Indians are the ones who hg-
ured in the Jackson Hole affair some
time ago and hah several skirmishes
with settlers A commission is now
negotiating with them, as well as with
some other tribes for cession of a part
of their reservation to the United
States The commission has worked
for many months, but the Indians gen
orally have been found not to favor the
scheme and the commissions work so
far as it has progressed has not been
successful The Bannocks reservation
is locatede down in the southeast corner
of Idaho, near the Wyoming and Utah
boundary lines.
The request of the Idaho people for
troops to protect them against the
Bannocks did not reach the War De-
partment until rather late in the af-
ternoon. Secretary Alger held con-
sultation with Acting Adjutant-General
Breck and some of the ether officers
who are experienced in just such In
dian troubles as this and the conclu-
sion reached was that the department
should take steps to learn for itself the
exact situation in the Fort Hall coun-
try Accordingly a telegram was sent
to Brigadier- General Coppinger at
Omaha Neb., the headquarters of the
Department of the Platte, in which
the reservation is included, inStructfDS
him to send one or more officers to
the scene of the trouble to ascertain
and report upon the state of affairs
there The department officials have
no doubt that the difficulty will be cas-
lily overcome, believing as they do that
the Indians are not out with any hos
tile purpose, but principally TO gather
some Of the roots that ripen about this
time and which they find. There are
no troops in the immediate vicinity of
the Fort Hall reservation and those
nearest at Fort Douglass outside of
Salt Lake City are not cavalry and are
so unsuited for quick work. The de-
partment has ample force at other
posts to meet any emergency that may
arise.
BOISE 0daho), June 29.-Informa-
ton comes from Camas Prairie to the
effect that the settlers threaten to or
ganize and expel the Indians If they
are not promptly taken care of by the
Government. They are burning fences
and turning their horses into the
fields of grain. The Governor has re-
ceived a message from Secretary Bliss
which says:
II have telegraphed Lieutenant Ir-
win, acting agent at Fort Hail. for
full report by telegraph and also re-
quested the Secretary of War to issue
orders for military assistance to Agent
Irwin to preserve order and protect the
lives and property Of the settlers and
return the Indians to their reservation
if absent therefrom as reported