The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-25

Especial to The Herald)
Washington, Dec 24-The report of
Special Agent Elisha B. Reynolds on
the recent conflict between Indians and
game Wardens in ROutt county has
reached Washington. as expected. 1t
is a complete vindication of Warden
Wilcox and his men. Mr.. Reynolds,
after taking the testimony Of six In
dams and the u wardens who were in
the unfortunate affair, says:
L am fully convinced, after having
examined the case fully; after taking
the testimony of both parties: after
meeting the men face to face and read
ing their characters and noting their
demeanor while being questioned, that
the Indians fired the first shot"
He further states that no blame
whatever can by any possibility be at
tached to the Wardens. He says that
the testimony all goes to show that
they acted with great moderation; that
but six of the II engaged in the melee,
and it must have come like a clap of
thunder from a clear sky. In his re-
marks upon Warden Wilcox PERSONAL
", he says:
In Mr.. Wilcox 1 was agreeably sur
prised. From newspaper reports 1 had
expected to find a rough, hOt-headed,
foul-mouthed, staggering, unreasOning
man. On the contrary, i found him to
be cool, smooth in manner. quiet in his
demeanor, without the slightest sign of
braggadOciO, and man who is able
to talk clearly and intelligently He
is also man not given to drink"
AS to Mr.. WilcoNs party, he says
they are men of honest character
WHAT WILCOX DID.
He found from the evidence that Will
cox believed there We're about 200 In
dams in Colorado: that they were feel
Ing ugly, and that alone he could not
hope to persuade them to cease their
hunt. He, therefore, returned to May
bell and wrote for six assistants to
come down from Craig. When these
men came, heat their head with Mr..
Thompson and Mr.. Templeton. who
were not acting in the capacity of
wardens and were unarmed. and sew
eraI others from the vicinity of Lily
Park, went to the Indian camp. In
all there were y Wardens, not counting
thompson and TempletOn. The party
remained in the camp from about IL
a. m until p. m, trying to persuade
the UteS to cease their hunting and go
home. Finally, growing weary, they
tried to arrest the Utes, when one of
them fired a shot at AL Shaw. which
would have resulted fatally had not
III . I'll DCCit UCh dSlue Dy one OF
the other wardens.
Then the shooting became general.
and when the smoke had cleared away
II was found that several Indians had
been killed. and Shaw lay stretched
senseless on the ground. Here the
WardenS story varies from that of the
Indians. The former declare that there
were six Indians shot down, while the
latter say there were but two bucks
Killed and two squaws wounded. Mr..
Reynolds is inclined to believe the In
dlans on this point, and it can safely
be assumed that ne is. correct.
The Indians started for Utah as soon
as they could get away after the fight.
The wardens found ample evidences in
the camp that the laws had and We're
being broken. The only criticism of
Warden WilcOx's action is that he did
not give the Indians three days time
after warning them to go back to their
reservation
In concluding, Mr.. Reynolds extends
his thanks to the Indian agent. Captain
Beck, for his efficient aid in the investi-
cation.