The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-13

for the Usage nation. in Oklahoma ter
ritory. Such is the decision of Secretary
| Hitchcock of the interior department.
| Agent Pollock is to be removed, or al
| lowed TO resign, and unless the present
plans are upset, o. a. Mitscher, an at
torney Of Oklahoma City, viii be appoint
| ed as his successor. This, however, has
not been definitely decided upon, as there.
| is a demand from certain quarters which
| exercise great influence. for the appoint
| ment of an officer of the regular army.
Mitscher is by far the strongest civilian
| candidate, being indersed by the entire
Wisconsin delegation. a large majority OF
the members of congress from Ohio, in
Guiding Senator Foraker; Delegate Flynn
of Oklahoma, as well as a large number
of the business men of Oklahoma terri
tory In addition he has the tacit indorse-
ment of Senator Hanna. He is also the
choice of Commissioner of Indian Affairs
Jones In view of his extensive and in
fuential backing his appointment seems
to be almost certain unless it should be
decided that an officer of the regular
army would render the department better
service than civilian in this position
which, it is admitted. requires rugged in
tegrity, strict discipline, mixed with dip
lomacy.
Three months ago charges were fled
against Agent Pollock 1t was asserted
that he was subordinating the interests
of the Indians on the reservation to those
of the cattIemen, who were Illegally pas
turing nearly 10000 head of stock on the
reservation without authority of law and
without compensating the Indians to the
extent of one dollar therefor. It was also
asserted that large pastures on the reser-
walton had been fenced by the cattlemen
with the full knowledge of the agent, and
were being used by the cattemen as vir-
tually their own property. Other charges
of more serious nature, involving brib-
cry, were also preferred against the
agent. About the same time Agent Pol
lock sent a recommendation to the In
dian office for the abolition of the office
of the chief of police of Usage naticn
which was held by Ransom Payne, who
had caused the cattlement some annoy
ance. The recommendation was promptly |
acted upon by the department. before a
full knowledge of the condition existing |
reached here, and Ransom Payne was re-
Iieved from further duty.
LAS soon as this occurred Payne came |
to Washington and laid before the offic- |
ials a fun statement of affairs in the |
Usage nation. Thereupon Special Agent /
Pray. of the Indian service, was dis |
patched to the Usage nation TO make an |
investigation. Later on Special Agent |
Seveley was also ordered to join Pray. A
thorough investigation was made and a !
report sustaining many of the charges
against Pollock was submitted to the
secretary of the interior. About the same
time suits were instituted against cattle
men having herds in the nation, to the
extent of 2S7,0O0 head. The revised stat
utes provide a penalty of 81 per head on
cattle for criminal trespass in Indian
reservations. and the suits instituted
sought to collect this sum from the own
ers of the herds.
Secretary Hitchcock. having already
learned something about the case with
which charges are trumped up in Okla
hana territory against officials. proceed
ed slowly. He personally went over all
the charges, afidavits and special agents
reports. and then. after a consultation
with Commissioner of Indian Affairs
Jones, decided that change in the agent
would greatly improve affairs in the ma
ton. It is expected that the nomination
of a successor to Agent Pollock will go
to the senate within a few days, at least
as soon as a man can be agreed upon"