The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-07
INDIANS COON UITNESSES.
Judge Shiras Says They Are Generally More
Truthful Than Whites. .

fTom ne th'cfpo Hfrorf.
DFs MONIES. Dec. 20. Indians mike o,o1
witnesses md they stick closer to facts than white
people
This statement was made the Other evening
by Judge q i. Shiras Of the United Stntcs Dis.
trIct Court Of northern Iowa, lie speaks from
experience " trying many cases in which Indian ne
were eta r concerned or appeared as witnesses.
He was appointed during the administration Of
Chester i Arthur and since has been continually
holding court in his own district, and within IN,
Eighth United State, igdicinl disti,t, which com.
priscs thirteen States and three Territories.
Speaking II his interesting G ,%pericncc in com.
ing in contact with tho Indians IN court he :, KS
-" rel men or woman is generally accurate.
certain occasion and he will iry 10 wriirrlc nIt
oI II, but the Indian will come out with n YES
IL ne Wa" "a On" OCCASION n lawyer eSkei a
S1uawhi she understood the nature Of her ohliga
ton IN giving testimony She answered that
she, had taken q 's,rnng word 10 tell tho truth
and she " ,uld do 50 She WIS asked In define
tie dlrcr'ncc between the truth and a lie, where
upon she said The Truth is the truth ami u
We Is lie; they ar" different and You cant make
then alike
indlan named fienty h3rScS. wes be ing tried in
SlpnN Falls for the murder of Col. Casey II the
brought in by the Government vas kmcrican
Hnrse. There had been a Messiah crczr am 1nv
the Indians and a religious phase had been in.
Icctei into the Trial. IN the examination of Amer.
lean Hose hc was asked what he L.ncw ab,u,
religion. There stood near by a small table
which the witness jrcw near him. he placcl
his tingcr ol the centre 81 the table and drew n
circle about II saying, 'Thi, is what the red man
knows about religion; then he drew a Isr,cr
circle SayinF tha, the white man knew thu, mIch
more, Moving ms iinEcr around the outside
ot the larger crclc he said beyond his tho re-
mar knows aS much about the coming Of a Mes.
siah as the white man"
Judge Sh'ras says the Indian makes a good
Juror IN winch $1paC.,E he may sit after fclin.
gushing tnbal relations and complying Win
Government "cvcrdliy laws. lie saws, too thnt
b. mas cone IN contac, with some good lniiau
lawyers. ~
about IT," rcd man having becn generally mis-
treated by the Cow nmcnt Tie fleets show
that they ne the richest people pc capi,a in tIc
whol" county. Thr trnubl" is that tfoy ha,c n
poor lira NJ the value of money. mud ,rrud Il
rck!cs'Iv Indians "ill walk clear acr6,, one
Stat" into anutle' 10 Graw their annuiuns erJ
in twcnty four hours after getting Inc money
my MI lat" GamN'cd crcry cent 81 it away
b"ior" they lcHy" The ylrinit" ard then walk knck
home to . IN" sNm" thing on The next pay day.
1T is astonishing To sec III" methods adoptcd
by an Intelligent rcd man To get away with hi,
mono. NmoHr yticr things h" has a weakness
r. \ cnrtCil KIN OF amusement known a. the
Merry Go Round Recently ono ~ ,hrqr con.
CcrnS got r"r Emission 10 S"tup one IT their machines
on q rr-rtrdt,ol within nv ci,cuit Tn bucks
would gather about III" Contr.vnucn and To the
trr' ~ = - nm t'rnr O-r1n would rilr the whole
blessed dav, They sport ri, tho money ,hcv md
AMI pnwu"d dlF"'"nt articles 10 rot mo.r for tho
am" rmrsrr'"ut
during IT, last few r"qrs the women took
q g-cNi crN1c 'r- v"HrinT thCe" h'Ur hathirr
srii' Trimmed ~ Whit h-aiG The t-edrrt mo
s'i! - have disposed % . large qunu'itr II mis-
'1Cgr'r, III" S1'HW" wearing one ait all tho
tine until ION out Yhcn they would buy