The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-27
BLAMES THE WHITES
FOR ALL THE TROUBLE
SAYS THE FEDERAL OFFICIALS
USE THE HEDMEN FOR THEIR
Personal GAIN
ASSERTS THAT INDIANS
DEFEATED SOLDIERS

Remarkable Utterance of the Head
Of the Indian Bureau Bearing
Upon the Recent Chippewa Up
rising Near Walker, Mimi
Commissioner Jones Scouts the
Idea of Trouble with ShOshOnes.
sioner of Indian Affairs William A
Jones, who has been for a week in
Minnesota making negotiations, which
were successful, with the Chippewa In,
dams for the resumption Of peaceful
relations with the government, has re-
turned to Washington and today made
a verbal report to Secretary Bliss upon
his work Commissioner Jones says
that the trouble is attributable to the
methods of the whites in the vicinity,
who are taking advantage of the In
dians
In discussing the outbreak, he said:
1.-THE origin of the whole trouble was
dissatisfaction in handling the Indians.
the immediate cause was irritation at
the frequent arrest of Indians on trivial
ing them down to Duluth and Mime
apolis for trial, 100 miles away from
their agency, and then turning them
adrlft without means of returning
home. I have information that there
IS a definite arrangement between the
United States marshal and some board
ing houses where the courts are 10,
Gated by which the deputies are to
bring down delegations of Indians "a
witnesses in whisky and other cases.
This secures fees for the deputies and
money for the boarding places.
''At Brainerd, Mimi, while was GO
ing north, I met a party of twenty In
dams on their way to court at Duluth,
many Of whom were Of absolutely no
value to the case at issue, but whose
presence as witnesses would inure to
the financial benefit of othersa
THE Indians were prompted to their
outbreaks by the wrongs committed on
them, and chaffed under unfair treat
ment. When I reached there, they
were surly, ugly, defiant, but soon
adopted a conciliatory attitude, and
finally agreed to negotiate for the sur
render Of the men we wanted. All but
two were surrendered. They said they
would not allow two men to bring their
whole tribe into trouble, and insisted
on sending themselves for the men
remaining, Old Bug and his son, to
have them turned over to the marshal
They are still out. The Indians claim
ed to have whipped the soldiers, and
said that not one Of their number re-
ceived scratch. They showed several
g-Jorgenson rifles, taken probably
from where the soldiers had fought,
but they did not understand their use
The Indians will now go back to
their homes and live peacefully, if the
whites will treat them fairly, which is
very likely, as the whites were thor
OUghly impressed by the stand taken
by the Indians. In this respect this
outbreak has taught them a lesson"
Commissioner Jones will recommend
reform in the existing timber methods,
either adopting the system now preva-
lent at Menominee, Wis, Of keeping
the timber profits within the tribe it
self, by having the timber cut by in
diYidual Indians, or by advertising a
certain portion of the reservation each
year to be sold to the highest bidder.
The latter system would include dead
and down timber, and the timber would
have to be cut clean.
Marshal O'Connor, when shown +bo
lbove telegram last evening. said he
Vas certain that Commissioner .Ionea
lad not been correctly quoted. 'Tf ha
has, said the marshal, land shall
Immediately take stems TO accor+oir