Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-23
OUTRAGES IN THE TERRITORY BAD
FOR THE INDIANS.
EMPHASIZES NEED OF REFORM
ARDMORE COURT HOUSE FIRE TO
BE INVESTIGATED.
Governments Interest Is Sot Pccuni-
AIRY. for 1t Owns No BuiidinE. in
the TcrritOry-Indinn Office
Little Concerned Over
Threats.

Washington. Dec. coo.-(Spccial) At the
department of justice to-day much inter
est was manifested IN the reports OF In
dian outrageS i'll the Indian Territory. y
most peculiar condition of affairs is
brought TO light III this connection. The
United States Will not, iii all probability,
take any action looking toward the protec-
ton OF the court houses in the territory in
case any more of them are threatened by
incendaries. This is because the United
States does not own Il single court house
or building in the territory. The buildings
used as court houses are all rented by the
department of justice from private par
ties, and the court house at Ardmore was
not the property of the government. Hence
il will not incur any expense in protecting
these buildings in any threatened district
The department may possibly, in case at
fairs demand ii, ask for protection OF Its
records, which. in the case of the Ard
more fire were entirely destroyed.
Judge Strong. general agent of the de-
partment of justice. said to-day that there
was no doubt the fire was of incrndary
origin He said that every paper belonging
! to the department had been destroyed, and
| that, while he did not believe the Indians
were responsible. on account OF the lufls-
dction law which goes into effect on the
lst OF January. he thought ii quite posi-
bic. He thought the stories had been eX-
| arEcrated as to the trouble. The depart
ment of Justice had received no information
that any other court houses are in danger
of being fired.
A special agent of the department Will in
vestigate the burning of the records at
Ardmore. Information has reached the de-
partmcnt that parties indicted for various
ofenscs conspired TO burn everything, be-
lieving this would delay the operations of
the law and thus act in their favor rms,
of course is a serious matter and the Sc
cret service may be applied to find out the
facts. Should evidence he secured covering
the incendiary origin of the fire. the irfor-
nation will be placed before a grand jury
and the law. set in operation in the usual
| way.
All this sort of thing will work against
the bands of squaw manipulators who have
operated in that country for years. They
are here. as usual. to protect poor lo,
whom they have been robhing all these
years, and they, hope to continue the snap
is a fact that becomes known to the de-
partment. and cannot be denied. Such
things will be used as evidence against
existing conditions and aid i'll securing
breakup legislation.
At the office of the commissioner of In
dian affairs the interest in the reported
threats of wholesale incendiarism in the
| territory is perfunctory. The commissioner
said they We're wholly the affair of the de-
partment of justice, which would know
how to deal with them. Directly. the In
dian office had no CONCERN with the report
| ed conspiracy. AT army headquarters,
where inquiry was made, no interest what
| ever is manifested in the situation.