The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-09
Claims Against Kiowa and
Commanches Do That
THEIR FORMER RAIDS
Into Texas and Some Tall
Stories Pertaining Thereto.


Oklahoma, who is in Guthrie on business.
thinks the Kiowas and Comanches won't
be much ahead Of the game after the
books are balanced in their account with
their Uncle sam. Mr.. Blackburn has
for several years been a solicitor of
Kiowa and Comanche claims, under the
Indian depreciation act of 1891. To the
credit Of these Indians he says will be
placed the purchase money derived from
their allotted lands when their country
is opened to settlement. On the debit
side stands $5S000.O0O in claims, part Of
which has already been allowed and a
+ very large percentage OF the rest stand
ing a good chance for eventual allwo-
ance. according to Mr. Blackburn.
Mr. Blackburn gives the following his
tory Of these claims:
The claims for $4,000 900 distributed
over eight counties of Texas. and rep
resent the bill presented by settlers for
indemnity for damages sustained at the
hands Of these Indians In the years from
1865 on into the latter '76's Then these
tribes ranged not only the present Kiowa
and Comanche country but northern
Texas and out into New Mexico. The
now populous cities Of northern Texas
were then frontier villages and the dense
" people rural districts were compare
lively wildernesses But in country
like Texas. the fewer the people the
broader and more succulent were the
pastures and the more numerous were
fhe fat beeves and feet horses craved by
the then fierce Kiowas and Comanches.
No instinct Of patriotism inspired the
Kiowas and Comanches. such as actuat-
ed King Philip and Tecumseh, each in
his generation to wage hopeless war
against an alien intruder. but the mere
JOY and profit to be had Of successfully
despoiling the white man Of his four
footed beasts and killing the owner IF /
he got in the way this same killing be- (
ing really incidental to the main trans
action. in the Indian view though it was
likely to be effected under circumstances +
of even moro than ordinarily barbarity.
for that very reason. The indian oF
the warDath, for warfare alone, might .
wreal1 his vengeance never so terribly.
but his utter hatred was less dreadful
than his gleefuI moods The Indian is
Of a humorist, in his way
and when from any cause mtirder and
bloodshed sink from Il serious business
to a mere side issue, as in the long SER
les If depredations under consideration.
he has the disposition to vary the ard
lous toll of cattle and horse stealing
with occasional streaks Of farce-comedy.
which were pleasanter to him in the in
diligence than to even the reader Of later
years in the perusal, to say nothing Of
The miserable victim of his ocular and
fendishness Only those who
know the Indian in his native element.
ind know him in peace and in war. know
lis best and his worst. The Indians
lad. to whoever knows him as he IS
written Of, is so bad that the mere read
r viii not believe he has any good at
u The Indians worst is SO bad that
t can never be told at all-not In print
hat is. So in the case of this long
lrawn out season Of bushwhacking. as
evealed In the testimony taken from
inc to time in the proving Of claims
gainst the Kiowas and Comanches for
amage sustained. many of the stories
would be only as so many Other stories
f indian atrocities. commonplace enough
S compared with other such stories. but
o only because of the vast multitude
f such stories throughout four centuries a,
Z warfare since the first European col
ny was wiped out at la Navfdad in
he Antilles. But this war. If it could
g so called which was all on one side
GEMS to have been replete with instanc-
s Of the coarse deviltry above referred :
D But these stories never got anv
carer to cold type than the typewritten ..
ecord Of the court stenographer
But. however atrocious these outrs pes
laV hava hnar tb-r-
My tend to bolster UP the quantllm Of
amages. for under the act only pronartv
'st can be the subject OF indemnity.
OCCASIONALLY there appears I'm judicial ca n
2city at Gainesville and other northern 4
exas towns an official sent ont bv the
apartment at Washington TO take testi
ony offered In support of claims on !,
e. Cases thus made are passed uDau o
Z the court Of claims at washington. =
I'D if is then IN order for congress- ses Il
on oy session TO appropriate money to -
-tisfy the approved claims amounts =
-us appropriated being chaked mp I,
sainst the land account Of the Kiowas =
81 Comanches. q
Taking the ordinary estimate of 500 Z
iarter-seotions II land which win be %
e for disposition after allotment. and !"
ting IL at 800 per quartsr-section. the e
iowas and Comanches viii have coming 90
$4,000 Set aga INST this the SIS 900 0o1
aims and the minus" nreDeu6or7nes OF
something to make tho stoutest Kfovs lh
the fercest Comanche's heart quail. A'
antins the allowance of even a major "a
T Of them. to
~ incidents OF those years Of border os
rage Mr. blackburn has o great store
previously intimated. many Of these
e Of such nature as 80 al bat ex- ci
de them from even o-al repetition.
e Of those which are printable enc is %
the cautlFre of q woman and her rhuH
hand Of Indians near Gainesville
ring a biinding suowstorm Nea-lv all ~
g n.Eht the marauders batuad with the eu
'rnl, bur fnaily. finding themselves
pelesslr 1ewil5ere6. thsy onea-reF-at ne
3 rate, stopped and hrddie5 to-athsr
The tempest Daylight revealed O. them
at they were near their starring nolut
that they had been travelling arorn5 Fl
Z around te r1vn in cfreIa which
is had chanced, never had tocched .hs
So az che town 4 house was near Ct
ana "a this rhe woman had sscao he
eaSn1vn guided apparently ~ Fl
.ti1ct surer taHn that 81 the savage. e.
= some reason she had ,eft her chl5 s1
tas In9ian camp ana it was never 81
7r5 af ssain us
mother andthls time arousin- i-ci6 M va
zeioped net Ioay ae0 81 che taking = OR
t-mour fn certain ease One claim ~
tesaeYs1g As % RS loss of stccE ~
sea ,hat BE went in ru-sslt 81 q gang ev.
3eh BAD drives Of his horsez Ire pa
lsl r-d long enc ana 1ate nf en-
ernoon 81 found hlm Ear sren sur
s.-.ts-~ r-r - ~ s..7s, s q