New-York tribune., 1903-03-06
INDIAN TRUANTS AT BAY.
Teacher Nearly Lost His Life in Trying to
Round Them Up.
IBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE J

Washington, March 5-COmpulsory education
under novel circumstances is described in report
received at the Interior Department to-day from
Clarence r. Burton, In charge of the Moqui Train
ing School, Keams Canyon. Ariz Like a chapter
from the pioneer history Of the country, 1t mar
rates an encounter between the government agents
and q band of Indians early last month. ana
shows the methods which the redskins have been
resorting in times past TO prevent Uncle Sam from
gathering in their children running more or less
naked about the ancient Indian villages. The re-
port says:
Every Moqui child of school age on this rGserya,
hangs tale All of the children Of first and second
mesas have been enrolled for nearly tWo years t Dnf
out against and many OF the children we're not
in In sbe e sgt % gBn eTnry TO
make attempt to get these children en- The troupls
the people would hide their children in in som. some
ons to Vaecnte ali the chill
dren found Who needed it. smallpox is all around
pendr a1S and f3Ss s 6H
fbroGES e nch Of snow and the
10 degrees below We had only proceeded half
5 Snbroken SS q and hidden road; We finally Tssehsd
fered greatly with the cold At daybreak We went
through R f the houses for the children found
them we took them to kita @ near the centpH i OF
man. osr diligent search YES only rewaEdsd BY
tSe tSe fva and started With the Children About
fifty Of the hostiles attacked up and attempted to
take the children away from us. After struggling
with them TIL reached the edge OF the mesa
the trail o ro SFupt m ovs2 to the the sFs }o
death, ordered the police to stand on the mob
Meantime We had got the children started down
the trail to the school One Moqui was knocked
down in the struggle, but no one was hurt In the
The leaders then began to parley. saying that
the missionaries had told them that had
hight to take children without their consent; that
the law did not give us the right: that the mis-
ian Affairs orders concerning the cutting of their
hair and had told them that we had no right to
do It, etc Imagine If Will, our position -imn1e
diately on the edge of lofty precpice. and only
a time feared that il we tried to go down they
would make rush and push us over the precipice
1t vas fifty against seven 0wo having gone on
with the children After considering a moment. I
did 90 and after SOME scufiinE the Indians wa
Vered and fell back to their village. We then
turned and quietly. proceeded down 70 the school
That afternoon I sent the ten children TO Keams
Canyon. and the next day secured twelve extra
Village and arrested seventeen Of the mob and
started them to the canyon. / then had the town
cr1er call from the housetops that II the people
would take Their children down to the day school
would not take any more to Keams Canyon
were taken down voluntarily by the chidren's par
ents, making forty-six children secured They also
promised that their children would attend every
day, ana think that they will:, There are 4sl
cent OF the children OF school age. have the
seventeen prisoners here and win give them a fair
trial Some Of the worst ones should be irnpris-
ened of the reservation. Two Of them are old Of:
corbin many Years ago and taken to AiSatFas Isl
and in the Pacific.