The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-07-12
KIOWA
Reservation Described as Land
of Barbarism BY Nc
Master.

Oklahoma City, July 12.-Frank Nc
Master, who has made many visits to
the Kiowa. Comanche and Apache In
dian reservations, has just returned
from another prospecting trip, and in
speaking of what he saw, said:
1.-The reservation ahas an area Of
Abs square miles, practically three
million acres. 1t is seventy-five miles
from east TO west and sixty-6ve miles
from north to south. 1t is about the
size of the state of Connecticut, more
than half as large as Massachusetts,
more than twice as large as Delaware
and almost four times the dimensions
of Rhode Island. The Sayer-Jerome-
Wilson commission estimated its area
cess, 1893 acres, of which they placed
$500 acres in the Wichita mountains
and the remainder as above the aver
age for farming and grazing purposes.
This reservation is crossed and re-
crossed from end to end with wire
fences. through which occasional
gates allow the only means of travel,
All these pastures are filed with cat
tie and no improvements other than
fences have been made by the cattle
men This area of territory has not a
wagon road nor bridge in all its ex-
tent. There is nc public postoffice in
its limits. There is a military post
Office at Fort Sill and an Indian agency
postoffice at Anedarko. No white man
is permitted ! q it's boundaries by law.
except by permission of the agent. 1t
is despotic barbarism shut out from
every avenue CT civilization and every
avenue of every facility of progress.
No state or territorial Official can en-
ter it to serve a civil or criminal pro-
cess without an agents permit. No
deputy United States marshal has
been ralloted to its boundaries and
none can draw fees for arrests made
in it.
Because of these conditions noto-
rious renegades seek it as harem of
safety. Pink Hale has one band of
desperadoes south of Mount Sheridon,
and there are others. In one valley,
near the Fort Sill military reservation,
three bodies of men and the body of
one woman were found murdered last
year. There are places where even
the few hardy prospectors will not
penetrate because of the dangers of
assassination. Very recently one of
gulch after two shots had been fred
at him, one of which passed through
his clothing. Ihis reservation is kept
in this condition solely to benefit cattle
men.
The secretary of the interior could
easily have these sllOtments completed
in the time fixed by congress. In the
thirty days since the passage Of the
slloting act he has done nothing. Nc
place in the Philippine islands can
show so much barbarism, a population
so savage as Apaches, nor an area sc
desclate of government. The attorney
general of the United States and the
secretary OF the interior are solely re-
sponsible for the present conditions,
These reservations are attached tc
Canadian county for judicial purposes
but no United States marsha or exec
utive officers can be sent there except
by the orders of the attorney general
of the United States. The Indian pO
lice are the sole peace officer but they
only act by the authority of the Indian
agent, and have no power as either
United States or territorial officials
They can eject from the reservation
but cannot serve warrants nor make
arrests"