The National tribune., 1901-06-20
THE INDIAN
RESERVATION LANDS
The Kiowas Pushing Their Equity
Suit in the COurts-An Author
lied Delegation Reaches WASH
ingtOn Whites Take the Small
pOX.

| Judge VIM. NJ. Springer is pushing the
| KiOwa land case in the District Suprem,
| Court, and up to the time of going tC
press the matter was under adyisement
The delegation sent forward by the Gen
eral Council of the KiOwas, Comanches
and Apaches which was held at Anadarkc
early last week, has arrived in Washing
ton. They came with memorial to the
President, signed by 45S adult members OF
the tribe, protesting against the action oi
| Congress in taking away their lands uD
! der the pending law without their con
| sent, and in face of their protest, when
the treaty of 1868 distinctly provided that
three-fOurthS must sign their concession tC
convey the title.
Owing to the illness of Mrs Mckinley
| the President did not receive the Indians
and turned them over to Secretary Hitch
| cock. They filed their memorial in writ
ing with the President, and with proper
| affidavitS. showing that they were author
lied to speak for the tribes at Il General
Council, duly called, and that the names
signed to the memorial embraced about
three-fOurthS of the adult members of the
tribes.
On account of the question being raised
as to the authority of Lone Wolf to in
Stitute n suit in equity before the Supreme
Court of the District, Judge Springer,
Counsel for the Indians, amended his bill
on Monday of this week, making the
accredited delegation from the tribes, CON
sisting of nine persons. parties to the suit.
Lone Wolf and others who first came to
Washington to memoralize the President
on this subject We're included in the dele
CATION with formal credentials.
The delegates stated that all the rest
Of the Indians of the tribes would have
signed the memorial. had not the Indian
agent opposed such action, and sent mes
scngers in various directions, after he had
consented to hold the Council, warning the
Indians not to come, and turned many of
them back with instructions to go home.
II is also reported that Ahpeahton, recent
ly Chief of the Tribes, is also coming to
Washington to appear in behalf of the
treaty.
While the Government agent now recog-
nizes AhpeahtOn as Chief the Indians who
are here say that Lone Wolf is now Chief
having been elected on the 18th of April
to succeed AhpeahtOn, the latter having
forfeited the confidence of the allied
tribes by favoring the opening of the
lands under the existing sO-called treaty.
which they complain was never authorized
by the requisite number of the people, and
proposes to pay them less than one-half
the cash value Of their surplus lands.
Lone Wolf is a Baptist preacher; full
blooded Kiowa. speaking but little Eng
lish. but said to be an eloquent preacher
in his own tongue. and is a regularly or
dained Christian minister.
On the other hand Ahpeahton is a
pagan, having no less than three wives,
which. it is said. he keeps diligently en-
plOycd working his extensive farms.
The Indians just up from the reserva-
ton state that the smallpox epidemic is
much abated. and so far as the Indians
are concerned the disease seems to have
run its course. There are numbers of
white people, however, who have con
tracted the disease.