The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-17

mitted to the supreme court, instead of
being carried there for approval after
they have been already rendered, and
many people who have had experience
of the law as litigants will be inclined
to look upon the system of White
Calls court as considerably the better
way-for the litigant if not for the
lawyers. The control of the police over
all unlaWfun demonstra tons on the
reservation is most remarkable, and in
no instance has an Indian of mixed
blood successfully defied arrest. The
present force of Indian police does more
to preserve order and ferret out INSIDE
meanors than would a force of white
men five times as large. The reason
is easy to understand. The Indians
know they cannot fool the police, and
stand in both respect and fear of them,
while the police themselves take a
great pride in looking after matters in
their own way and capturing the law
breakers of all color They have no
regular beat, no regular time for being
anywhere and the time they may drop
in upon any given place, so their alb
sence constitutes almost as great a
cause for fear to eVidoers as does their
presence. Some of these days when
correct history of events which led to
a civilization of the Blackfeet is writ
ten it will be found that the Indian po-
lice system is entitled to a leading place
in the recital. Any Indian agent on the
western reservations to day, if he speaks
truth, will say that his Indian police
and the police system do more to keep
down trouble and assist in all reforms
than any other ten things together
which have ever been proposed by
eastern Indian societies or individuals.
The police put fear of the law in the
breast of their red brethren. and
that is the most important point to be
ct. zl,.,.
civilization among people of any color.
No man is so great but that he may
confess to one weakness, and so with
the Blackfeet officers of the law. While
they may have many weaknesses there
is one above all others that has wreck
ed many a man before them. 1t is the
love for the white mans firewater, and
while on the reservation they are strict
in the observance of the rule eXclud-
ing it from the bounds, yet when once
outside the lines il is a hard battle be-
tween their sense of duty and love of
John Barleycorn. On the reserve lit
tie trouble arises from this cause, but
it is when visit is made to Dupuyer,
Cut Bank or Shelby that the Whiskey
goes down and the Indian comes up.
Not long ago Louis Paumbire, lieu
tenant of the police, came to Cut Bank,
outside the reservation, filled up on
bad whiskey and attempted to stop
an engine. His attempt was not sue
cessful, but. he lost leg in the trial.
The death of Cross Guns at Shelby on
the I'd inst. is the latest case in which
the Indians inability to resist temp
tation marked his ruin. Cross Guns
was a son of White Calf chief of the
Blackfeet and lieutenant in the res
ervation police. He was large, hand
some young Indian and very popular,
both on the reserve and off. OF all the
residents on the reservation he was the
most strict when it came to enforcing
the anti-liquor clause, He would not
drink himself nor under any circum-
stances allow his men to do so. A short
time ago he visited Great Falls, and in
speaking of reservation affairs de-
plored the love of his people for fire
water But even Cross Guns was not
without the failing of his race, and for
some unaccountable reason took a
drink at Shelby and with four or five
friends proceeded TO fill up to the limit.
Sitting in a saloon at 3 O'Clock in the
morning, he fell from the chair in
sheer intoxication. In his stupefied con-
dition he imagined some one had done
something to him, and pulled his re-
volver. All his friends ran. He was