The record-union., 1898-10-06

DuI ms life is not worth a pinch of
snuff now so long as there are any
Bear Island Indians remaining in the
| country
Marshal O'Connor and Deputy Shee-
han behaved with the utmost bravery.
The latter, an old man of 60, but the
| hero of Fort Ridgeley, stood yelling at
the men to- keep their heads down while
himself standing erect and bareheaded.
The young Lieutenant Morrison is a
| plucky one. He had never been under
hre before, but there he stood as steady
as a rock and as cool as an iceberg.
The men behaved splendidly. O'ConnoI
was put ashore in a hostile country,
and travelled for miles over thistles and
through brush to reach the Leech Lake
Agency. All families are being removed
1rom the agency at this time. I am GO
ing back to the point Immediately. Gen.
Bacon is beyond telegraphic communi-
cation, and no boats can reach him
for three hours.
4:IO p. m.-The firing seems to have
| ceased. l leave at once.
Ihe P1llagerS and other neighboring
Indians of the White Earth Reserva-
tlon claim to have many reasons for
thelr present outbreak, although the di-
rect trouble with the Pillagers come
| over the attempt to bring in some of
the Indians to the United States Court
| at Duluth in connection with liquor
! selling cases.
| Their grievances go back through
many years, and there have been legis-
| lative and other attempts to settle
them, one of the latest being the Nell
| son law regarding the sale of timber on
| the Indian lands. However, the In
dians claimed that the method of dis
| posing of this was both cumbersome
| and expensive, and that they were the
sufferers. In regard to serving as wit
nesses in illegal liquor selling cases,
| they claimed that the Deputy Marshalls
| left them to find their own way home
| from Duluth without having paid them
the proper mileage. This is denied by
the deputies.
The leader in the trouble with the
| Pillagers is an old warrior Bog-Ah-
! Mah-Ge- -Shig, not chief, who re-
! Gently returned from court and was
/ soon afterward hunted by the deputies.
| IIC alleged ill-treatment in being turned
! adrift pennless in Duluth and aroused
| the other Indians to protest against
/ the way he claimed to have been
treated. The United States Marshal in
sists that the old mans. story is un-
| founded, but the reds had been stirred
up to such a pitch that trouble appar-
emily became unavoidable, in view OF
| the deeply seated feeling of general ILL
treatment in regard to their timber
| lands and their lands and rights in
general.
OF MORE THAN ORDINARY d.
MENSIONS.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 5.-Oficial dis
patches received here tonight brought
to the authorities the sudden realiZa-
ton of an Indian uprising of more than
ordinary dimensions. The dispatches
! began coming about 6 p. m. two of
them coming to Secretary Bliss, who,
! as head of the Interior Department,
| has charge of Indian affairs, and a
| third to Attorney General Griggs, from
one of the United States Marshals at
| the seat of the uprising. The first dis
patch to Secretary Bliss was as fol-
! lows:
Walker, MISUNDERSTANDING of
the Interior, Washington: The In
dams twenty-five miles from here on
the mainland of North Bear Island
| opened fire on the troops under COM
mand of General Bacon without warn
| ing this morning at 1880. l fear the
army in the field is not strong enough
| to subdue the Bear Island Indians.
| How many are hurt on their side I
! cannot now tell. A large force should
/ be sent here at once. 1t is now war,
and the Government must protect the
! people. l have slight scratch on the
arm and left leg. Please wire me in
structions. TINKER, Inspector"
| Another dispatch from Inspector
| Tinker followed shortly afterward as
! follows:
ITO Secretary of Interior, Washing
! ton: Trouble was caused by Indians
| firing upon troops first. Situation as
| bad as can be; feeling among Indians
hostile, and mean TO fight to end. More
| troops needed at once They cannot
get here too quick. TINKER"
| Major Hopkins went to the War De-
rartment and delivered Secretary
| Alger's message to Adjutant General
| Ccrbin. The latter in the meantime
! had received from the Attorney Cen
eraI q dispach received from the Uni
ted States Marshal as follows:
| Walker, Minn-To the Attorney Cen
/ erat Washington: Have more troops
scnt here Immediately. Battle begun on
! Bear Island. Look for general upris~
! ing of Indians. General Bacon in the
/ field O'CONNOR, Marshal
| The War Department had received no
dispatches from General Bacon or from
any of the military authorities In the
department where the uprising had oc-
Cured This caused some surprise and
doubt, and it left entirely open the
t nf
General Corbin was inclined to be-
! lieve that the reports We're magnified.
General Bacon Isl the commanding Of
ficer of the Department of Dakota, with
! headquarters at ST Paul. and the Third
I Infantry is stationed at Fort Smelling.
| just outside St. Paul, so that, if need
| be this large force could be called to
| General Bacon's assistance.
As commanding officer Of the depart
ment, it was pointed out that General
Bacon has full authority to move all
the forces within his department If he
/ deems such action necessary to meet
an emergency. Aside from the Third In
| fantry, there are cavalry troops within
| easy reach Of St. Paul and the seat of
| the trouble, although ii was the view
/ at the War Department late tonight
/ that General Bacon would not have any
reed for any cavalry, if. indeed, he
reeded any infantry beyond the hun
! dred men now at the front.
| General Corbin inclined to the view
| that a hundred regulars We're more
/ than match for all the Indians which
! could be assembled at the place of the
present trouble. General Bacon will be
given a free hand however, and every
! facility afforded him by the authorities