The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-12-15
THE U. S. MARSHAL AND HIS DEP-
UTIEs EXONERATED FROM
UGLY CHARGES
OFFICERS DID NO MORE
THAN WAS THEIR DUTYI
INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE FILE
THEIR REPORT WITH SEC
RETARY OF INTERIOR
PRONOUNCE THE CHARGES
WITHOUT FOUNDATION

Must Have Been Made by PersoD.
Ignorant of the Facts - Not n
scintiIIn of Evidence to substan-
tinte AIIegatiOns-If There Have
Been Errors They Are Not
ChargeRbIe to Marshal O,Connor.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14-Shortly at
ter the outbreak Of hostilities with the
Leech Lake Indians, which oc-
Cured In October last, charges were
MADE against United States deputy
marshals in Minnesota of misconduct
In connection with their official duty
In the prosecution of criminal cases
against Indians. United States Dis
tr1ct Attorney Evans Of the Minnesota
district, wrote to the attorney general
vigorously denying the truth of these
charges, and. on behalf of the deputy
marshals, requested an investigation.
On conference with the secretary Of
the department Of the interior, it was
determined by him and the attorney
general that joint Investigation
should be made into these charges by
an officer of the department of the in
terror and an examiner of the depart
ment Of Justice, and, accordingly, Cy-
rus Bede, Indian Inspector, and Will
lam Meyer, an examiner of the depart
ment of justice, were instructed to
proceed to White Earth reservation in
Minnesota, and to other places as
might be necessary, in order to exam
inc into the matters alleged and to de-
termine what truth might be in the
charges preferred.
THE CHARGES.
Briefly stated these charges were as
follows:
First-That two years ago deputy marshals
dragged Bug-ah- -meh-g shig an Indian, to
Duluth, 200 miles from his home to testify
in a murder case. which he knew nothing
about, and then sent him adrift and made
him walk home.
Second-That Indians are frequently arrest.
ed on trivial causes. often for no cause at
all, and taken to Duluth and Minneapolis for
trial, and then turned adrift without means
of getting home.
Third-That there Is a definite arrangement
between the United States marshal and some
boarding houses, where the courts are located I
by which the deputies are to bring large dele
cations Of Indians as witnesses In whisky
and other cases. thus occurring fees for the
deputies and money for the boarding places
Fourth-That at Brainerd, Mimi, while Com
missioner of Indian Affairs William A. Jones
was on his way north. he met a party Of
200 Indians 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 others.
Inspector Bede and Examiner Meyer
have filed their report with the secre-
tary of the interior and the attorney
general.
THE FINDINGS.
They entirely exonerate the deputy
from all charges of miscon-
duct and agree, with the exception OF
one matter, which Is explained in their
report, that the charges were entirely
without foundation. The findings ara
as follows:
"As to the first charge: The charge has
not been sustained.
"As to the third charge: So far as coll
lusion on the part of the marshal or deputy
marShals is implied the charge is not sus-
taired.
LAS to the fourth charge: The implied
charge that unnecessary witnesses were taken
to the October. 1895. term of court at Du-
luth. is not sustained"
The conclusions reached as to the
second charge do not agree. The ex-
aminer finds as to the second charge:
First-That Indians are frequently arrested
on trivial causes is not sustained; second,
that the charge that Indians are often ar
rested for no cause at al, is not sustained.
There is not scintil.a of evidence and there
are facts which would justify this charge,
and It could only have been made by some
one who Is wholly ignorant of the require
ments Of law as to the issuance of warrants
Of arrest; third. that Indian prisoners are
frequently left without means of returning
home is true. but no blame or responsibility
can justly legally be attached to deputy
marshals this account. because there is
no fund available from which they could pay
such expenses.
The inspector finds:
The second charge far as arrests on
trivial causes and sometimes for no real
cause. is sustained The Indians may or may
not have been taken to Duluth or Minneapolis
in every case; but they are often, if not
generally, taken to Detroit first which is an
equal hardship to the Leech Lake and Bear
Island Indians to go to Duluth, Mime
nIo