The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-07-24
STEALING indian LANDS.
President Mckinley a Party to a
Scheme of Fraud Denounced
by Cleveland.

Washington, July 20.-Undeterred
by the protests that would, in equity
at least, result in delay in doing what
seems likely to be an irreparable
wrong and supported by judicial de-
cision that the courts have no right
to interfere with the political acts Of
the United States Government, Presi-
dent Mckinley has issued his procla-
nation throwing open to entry the
Comanche, Kiowa and Apache reserva-
tion in Oklahoma, despite almost con-
elusive proof that has been submitted
to him, showing that the whole pro-
ject was conceived in fraud and born
in iniquity.
The action of the President is based
on the same Identical bogus treaty
without a word changed-which led
President Cleveland, in 1893, to de-
nounce the fraud, perjury and forge
ries of those who had negotiated 1t
and to announce that the reservation
should not be opened to settlement as
long as he was in the White House.
President Cleveland gave this assnr-
ance to the representatives of the In,
dians, and those at the time included
Professor James Mooney OF the Bureau
of Ethnology and Captain Hugh L.
Scott, Seventh Cavalry, then Lieu
tennt Of that regiment at Fort Sill.
Ind T., and now General Leonard
Woods Adjutant General at Havana.
Lieutenant Scott took a keen interest
in the indians of the reservation,
with whom he had lived, whose Ian
guage he understood, and with. whose
habits and traditions he was intimate
" familiar. That officer discovered
that the three tribes whose lands were
about to be given over to the public
we're the victims of an adroit plot,
which had resulted in the misrepre-
sentation to the majority of them OF
the contents Of document which was
presented for their signature In Octo-
ber. 1892 These Indians were led to
believe that the paper was an agree
ment merely to consider sale of the
reservation on the basis OF 8. 90.
Not only was there a misrepresenta-
ton of the terms of the paper, but
the signature of many of the Indians
were found to be forgeries. a number
of them, including the chief Of the
Kiowas. Lone Wolf, stated that they
had not applied their mark to the pa
per, and that the names of a number
of white men had been added to pad
out the list, among them that of
Thomas F. Woodward, white man,
and official interpreter.
Those who discovered the fraud at
once reported to Washington, and
General Miles became interested in
the matter. The Indian Office refused
to listen to the complaints, while the
Indian committees of both House and
Senate declined to interfere. 1t was
at this time May, 1888 that the In
dins selected a delegation to go to
Washington. and the services OF Lieu
tenant Scott, who was commanding
the Indian troop at the time. were
engaged in behalf of the Indians
making the protest. This protest was
reduced to writing and signed by the
Indians, who believed they were be-
ing cheated out of their rights.
President Cleveland listened to the
protest and was forcible in his COM
ments on the methods pursued to
swindle the three Indian tribes out Of
their possessions. He blocked the
whole scheme for number of years.
Finally last year the land specula-
tors mustered up courage enough to
again attempt the fraud that had been
prevented. They dug up the same
forged document-eight years old-and
introduced it into Congress, where
some one slipped it in as rider of an
entirlv different bill dealing with an
entirely different tribe of Indians, and
secured it's ratification by Congress
without the knowledge of the. Indians
concerned. The records show that no
report on the matter was ever made to
either House, contrary to the lnvaria-
BILE custom in such matters.
Acting under it, the Interior De-
partment has proceeded to allot the
lands and the President has issued his
proclamation for their distribution by
lot. The Indians, finding out too
late what had been done. sent repre-
sentatives here to protest bitterly.
Laughed at by the Indian Bureau,
they went into court where it was
held that no jurisdiction existed,
though, said the judge. 1T is not
to be supposed that so grave wrong
will be done by the Government with
out due deliberation. Scarcely had
the court adjourned when the Presi-
dents proclamation was issued, fixing
the date when one more piece Of
spoilation of our helpless wards will
be consummated. The whole business
reekS of corruption.