The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-08
ter being almost Indispensable as most
! OF the claimants are Mexicaus.


years. when the Indian was Wild and free
and full of natural cusseduess 1t is an
right for Los friends TO say that he IS
generally driven to acts Of violence against
the whites. but the fact remains hard and
cold that there have been times innumer-
abe when he required no eXtranoous PROV
ocation TO start him on the warpath. The
nervous construction of the red man is of
such a sensitive nature that il impels him
10 break loose about once in so often
otnerwtse he would become SO lazy ana
lndlfferent TO his own Importance that
somebody would have to feed him or he
would starve to death.
one OF The most ancient and interesting
claims Is that of Antonio Sandaval who
was one OF New MeNico's first territorial
governors. Il dates back to 1913 and j.
LOT the loss of several hundred head Of
horses and mules. destruction of ranch
property, etc, by the Navajoes The
testimony was heard by Attorney Stans-
pury a rev weeks ago and the papers are
now in Washington. being reviewed by
me oficials in the department of justice.
The SnndnVnI Raid.
In December, 1913, a band of Navajoes
swooped down on SandavaFs ranch in
Southern New Mexico and made things
exceedingly interesting for its austere
Don and his rauChmen. They surround
w tiiI Iiatt dIb sent messenger TO de-
mand the horses. mules and such other
Things as they could conveniently drive
or carry away. Being game, the Mexl-
cans refused 30 consent to any such prop
osition, and then made ready to resist an
attack The adobe house was closed and
barricaded and every man on the prem
tses received a shooting iron and was told
10 use It. The opportunity to do so. how
ever, did not occur The Indians rode
away from the house and made for n
herd of horses and mules grazing on the
foothills. These they stampeded and lat
er rounded up and drove to the Navaioes'
village. Before doing this they set fire
to the Mexican's outbuildings. Just to
show, probably, that there is no limit to
an Indians cussedness when he Is feeling
well.
Black Record of the Indians
The NavaJoes and Apaches have the
longest and blacklist record of crimes
against the settlers The claims already
presented show that not a year has pass
ed since Sandavars ranch was ra!ded
back in lSiS that one or the other of these
tribes has not violently appropriated
property belonging to the settlers. They
1t is who are causing most of the millions
OF dollars to fall annually from the gov
ernments strong box. This amount, 1t
should be understood. covers only a small
settlers. The rules governing the quality
and quantity of evidence admitted in
claim cases are very stringent. Living wit
nesses of the acts of depredations must
be on hand to support the claimants con-
tention. 1t often occurs that govern
ment attorney refuses to entertain a claim
because there are no bona fide witnesses
to give evidence. Heresay evidence is not
admitted, of course. This lack of wit
nesses is not surprising when it Is known
that the claimants only companions and
acquaintance at the time the Indians
looted his property were ranchmen and
cowboys in his employ. AS his claims
dates back many years and as ranch
men and cowboys are not given to stop
ping on one ranch a protracted period. the
claimant, who may have the most valid
claim on earth, is shut out of court.
COmanches Are Honorable.
From their fighting history one would
expect that the Comanches would figure
conspicuously in these depreciation cases.
But the contrary is true. The Comanches
are the most honorable of all the Ameri-
can tribes in settling fancied or real griev-
ances against the whites They fight in
the open, just as the white man does. I'm
like the Apaches, they do not skulk be-
hind rocks or lie in ambush. They come
out into the open and bravely test their
prowess against their white brothers. Be
ing pastmasters of the horseman's art
they prefer to fight mounted. For this rea-
son they have generally supplied great
er list Of dead than the Apaches or Nava-
joes after a bout with settlers or SOL
diers.
Attorney Stansbury makes his headquar-
ters at Albuquerque. N. NJ. From this
point he travels throughout the territory
in his work of hearing evidence. He has
a test in mir atx -Gxre H.,
Texas. from which state he Travelled
through the greater part of New Mexico
in a blackboard, accompanied by his stem
ographer and interpreter. In some of the
counties he found only Mexicans and for
weeks at a time did not hear an English
word except when spoken by members of
his own party. In July he heard fifteen
cases and not one of them could boast of
an English-speaking witness.
Queer state of Affairs.
In Gaudaloupe county Attorney STAINS
bury found a curious state of affairs,
which shows the cosmopolitan character of
this great republic. rhe records of the
county were kept in Spanish. The only
official was the county clerk, who per-
formed the duties of probate judge, sheriff,
treasurer, etc. He was a Mexican, and
when asked what he did with the public
moneys collected slapped his hand on his
trousers pocket ana WiHke1 the Other eye
The governments attorneys sometimes
have to encounter dangers of which their
professional brothers in the East are for
tunately ignorant. Mr.. Stansbury once
refused 10 hear a Mexican's claim because
the latter had no witnesses. Not being
conversant with legal procedure the Mex
lean believed Mr. Stansbury's refusal was
based on personal grounds, and he swora
revenge on the governments attorney. II
was in one of the back counties of n w
Mexico and, there being no hotel Mr.
Stansbury and his attaches camped by the
blackboard. AS he was returning to camp
after adjourning court the Mexican at
tackled him with knife. 1t happens that
Stausbury is an athlete of the most APP
proved sort, having played with Mchi-
CAMS football team, when he was attend
ing the Wolverine University in 1872
Also that he was a miner in Braidwood
ILL.,, before became a college student These
things are mentioned, as they have an i'm
mediate bearing on the result Of the Mex
leans attack.
When the Mexican lunged the knife at
Stansbury's breast the latter step