The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-07
COSTLY REDSKIN RAIDS
Millions Paid Out for the Depreda-
tons of the Indian.
Many ittorncya Kept Busy in the
Work of Settling Claims Cases
Tint Stretch Back Into Territorial
Dnys-The Savnjoes and Apacbes
Have Given the Greatest Trouble.

i e.
! From the days when the first settlers
| landed on the shores OF the New World
and began the process Of redeeming IL
from Its natural state Of wildness. the red
| man has given trouble. Though the In
| dian has decreased until now the race is
| little more than a remnant, his barbarity
continues to cost the Government a great
deal OF money per annum.
prominent man from Albuquerque.
N Mex. who was recently In Washington.
| expressed the belief that the expense OF
| keeping the recalcitrant red man down
and paying the bills for his barbarity is rot
generally known among the people OF the
East.
II am told" be said. "that Uncle SIM
spends nearly 100000 each year to make
good for the depredations of the Indians
against white and Mexican settlers of the
| Southwest. These payments are made IN
der the Indian depreciation law. which was
passed by Congress in 1892
Being unfamiliar with the redskin and
immune from his destructive tricks, YOU.
of the East. have scarcely paid any atten-
ton to this law. and there are doubtless
| many who are not even aware OF its ex-
istence. 1t gives the Department of Jus
tiee great amount OF work, however. and
its operation is intended to compensate the
people down in my country who have lost
relatives and had property destroyed when
the bad red men are on the warpath.
Eight assistant United States attorneys
have recently been in my part Of the coun-
try taking evidence in cases of persons who
claim they have suffered pecuniary loss at
the hands Of Indians. Among them were
John Stansbury. OF Chicago and Peoria; Mr..
Meddbury, nephew of United States Senator
Mason. OF Illinois: Mr.. Griggs son CT the
Attorney General OF the United States. and
Mr.. ingalls,, son of former Senator John }.
ingalls,. of Kansas. The salary of an attor-
ney Is $40 day and an allowance Of 81
day for board. Travelling expenses are also
allowed.
THE department at Washington sends
list of persons who have presented claims
against the Government 10 the attorneys.
They in turn notify the claimants that they
will be in their town or its vicinity on .
certain date to take evidence in their cases
and for them or their attorneys to appear
with such witnesses as they may have.
The attorney is assisted by stenographer
and an interpreter, the latter being almost
Indispensable, as most Of the claimants are
Mexicans.
MANY of the claims stretch back fifty
years. 1t is all right for the Indians
friends to say that hs is driven to acts OF
hfrf ha faC
been times innumerabie when he required
no proyocation to start him on the war
path.
Zone Of the most ancient claims is that
of Antonio Sandaval, who was one OF New
Mexico's early territorial governors. 1t
dates back to 1s4S and is for the loss OF
several hundred head OF horses and mules.
destruction of ranch property, etc, by the
Nayajoes. The testimony was heard by
Attorney Stansbury few weeks ago and
the papers have been sent to Washington.
an December 1913, band OF Nava1oes
came down on Sandavafs ranch in south
ern New Mexico. They surrounded ths
place and sent messenger to demand the
horses, mules and such other things as
they could conveniently drive or carry
away The Mexicans refused to consent to
any such proposition. and prepared for .
defence. The adobe house was closed and
barricaded and every man on the premises
received a weapon. The Indians, however,
rode away from the house and made for
herd Of horses and mules grazing on the
foothills. These they stampeded and later
rounded up and drove to the NavajoeS' VII
lage. Before doing this they set fire to
the Mexican's outbuildings.
From their fighting history one would
expect that the Comanches would figure
conspieuously in these depreciation cases.
But the contrary is true. The Conan
ches are the most honorable Of all the
American tribes in settling grievances
against the whites. They fight in the open,
Just as the white man does. Unlike the
Apaches. they do no. skulk behind rocks
or lie in ambush.
Attorney Stansbury makes his head
quarters at Albuquerque. n. NJ. From this
point ne travels throughout the territory in
his work of hearing evidence. He has TAX
en- testimony in ninety-fve counties in
Texas. from which State he travelled
through the greater part Of New Mexico In
q blackboard accompanied by his stenog-
rapher and Interpreter. In July he heard
fifteen cases and not one OF them could
boast of an English-speaking witness
''In Guadalupe county Attorney SLAMS
bury found a curious state OF affairs. The
OF the county were kept in Span
fsh. The only official was the county
clerk. who performed the duties Of probate
judge sheriff. treasurer. etc. He was
Mexican. and when asked what he did
with the public me .eys collected slapped
his hand on his trousers pocket and
THE Navajoes and Apaches have the
longest and blacklist record Of crimes
against the settlers. The claims already
presented show that not year has passed
since Sandaval's ranch was raided back in
1SlS that one or the other Of these tribes
has not violently appropriated property be-
longing to the settlers. They it Is who
are causing most Of the millions OF dollars
to fall annually from the Governments
strong box This amount, it should be TN
derstood. covers only a small part OF the
actual property lost by the settlers. The
rules governing the quality and quantity
of evidence admitted in claim cases are
very stringent. Living witnesses OF the
acts of depredatiOns must be on hand to
support the claimants contention"
The Chinese Way.
From Casters Mlgazinc.)