Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-03-13
Ex.Goveruor Mcconnell Alleges It
Exists In the Schools,
CONGRESS TO INVESTIGATE.
Goth Houses Have Adopted Hesoiu-
lions for That Purpose Gross
Debauching IL Charged

Spokane, wash. March l2,--A special
TO The Spokesman-R Review from Wash
lngton says! Indian Inspector W. j,
Mcconnell, former governor Of Idaho
and formerly United States senator, Is
here, alleging gross immortality In In
dian schools. Congress win investigate
these charges. Both houses have adopt
ed resolutions providing for an lnvestl-
cation of Indian affairs
Senator Turner has presented vari-
Gus reports and letters obtained by In
spector Mcconnell and by him laid be-
fore the secretary Of the interior The
documents contain sensational alil-
davit by w. w. Dunbar, late Of Mohaye
county, Arizona concerning II p,
Ewing, former superintendentof schools
and Indian agent on the Hualapoi res
eryatlon In Arizona. 1t charges the ior'
mer agent with gross debauchery OF IN
dian girls. He says;
II was present when Indian lnspec-
tor Mcconnell came to make an lhNcS-
tigation of charges preferred agalhst
Henry T.. Ewing Industrial teacher ana
acting superintendent OF schools, as
well as agent of the Hualapai Indians,
the charge being that Of deDauchlng
schoolgirls and other female INDIANS
under his charge,
oThe first witness called was a
schoolgirl one Of the number whohl II
was charged he had debauched She
was a very unwilling witness, but mai
~ admitted that Ewing had had llllcll
intercourse with her and had been nv
ing with her for between two ana three
years. II was also proved by other WI
nesses, who testified they had seen
ttem I'm bed together.
"It Yves brought out during the IN
vestlgation that he had bought ner
from her father some three years be
fore. paying for her with Navajo
blanket one Winchester rifle and 20,
The girl, at the time she was mus
sold. was under the age Of IA years. IL
was my intention to bring proceedings
AGAINST MIN for having intercourse WIN
y female child under the age OF IL
| Years but | deslsted from such by re-
Guest of my superior, | being acting
|
| n was clearly proven By competent tes-
| timonv that he had debauched other
schoolgirls The investigation was ialr'
iy and impartiaily conducted ana every
opportunity given Mr.. Ewing 70 Drlns
witnesses In his behalf. and he failed 10
deny the charges or to cross-eSahilhe
| the witnesses.
"Mr. Ewing is an unmarried man,
have frequently seen Mr. Ewing laKlhe
schoolglrls--and more particularly tne
one whom II Is alleged he bought-lhtV
his house In the evening, ana l nave
seen them coming out In the morning
He employed no housekeeper or serV'
ants. and consequently they must naV'
remained alone with him over nlght
Before the examination was competed
Mr. Ewing rendered 10 Mr. McCohheu
his resignation, and no more Witnesses
were examined. The investigation helC
by Inspector Mcconnell was the thirC
OF similar character against Mr., EW
ing. and es | then believed and stu be-
lleve, Mr.. Ewing inundated the wit
nesses who were called In this case.
"In another report removal OF I. w
Snyder, industrial teacher az the Wine
River boarding school Is urged, II II
charged that he married Viola Here
ford, an Indian employe, last october
after seducing her, and they now have
promising child nearly or quite
months old 40,
Several pages Of documents are hlleC
with verbatim testimony of indian glrl
al boarding school, revealing gross I'M
moralIties between themselves and In
dian boys In the senate document IN
grector Mcconnell declares there Il
fiightful mortality in the lndial
schools.
"In his report to the secretary of tn
interior. which is embodied in this sen
ate document, Inspector Mcconnell IN
cludes report from the physician a
Fort Totten Indian school, declarinl
that 10 per cent of all children at th'
school are afflicted with contagious dis
eases. Inspector Mcconnell protests
against the practice at various schools
OF permitting consumptive0 TO sleep II
the same rooms, and often In the SAM
bade with other puDilS'