Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-09-03
FRAUDS ON INDIANS.
A Disinterested Man to Investigate
Conditions In Indian Territory.
aITCHCOCK'S ATTITUDE IN NATTER.
Ehe Indian Land Owners Easily. Made the
Tools Of Designing Mon. Who Have
Combined 20 Get tho Indian Lands
Mt Low PFfnaa.

~ Low Prices.
Washington, Aug 28.--The deter
mination Of Secretary Hitchcock to
send to the Indian territory q man
not connected with the department Of
the interior to investigate conditions
there is understood to be for the pur-
pose Of supplementing the work Of
the secretary himself and of other
representatives Of the department in
that territory. Since early last spring
the secretary has been giving person.
al attention to the situation In the
territory and q number of inspectors
and other officials Of the department
have been engaged in the effort TO
ferret out frauds and protect the in
terests Of the Indians. The following
is an abstract Of an authorized state
ment Of the departments attitude
toward the situation in the Indian ter
ritory as well as an outline of what
is doing there for the protection Of |
the Indians.
The secretary made q tour Of the
territory in May largely for the pur-
pose Of making inquiry regarding re-
ports that had come to him of efforts
to deprive the Indians of their rich
landed inheritance and the result Of
this personal investigation was to
confirm the report that there was
persistent effort to secure the Indian
lands at prices far below their real
value. As consequence of this I'm
quiry he made a radical revision Of
the regulations for the sale Of the al
lotted lands, and the developments
since that change was made indicate
that he has saved the Indians large
percentage over what would have been j,
paid them II the original regulations .
had stood. The new rules require ,,
that all Indian lands which are for ,
sale be advertised and appraised by
official The secretary has :
Cancelled all sales made prior to the
time that the new regulations took eff
feet. The majority Of the indian land
owners are entirely ignorant of busi-
ness methods and are easily made the
tools of designing men, whether lead.
nrs Of their own race or white men.
Secretary Hitchcock discovered that
clerks in the Office Of an Indian agent
lad denied q hearing to the Indians
national attorney, who represented
,ome $4,000 Indians. The secretary
denounced this transac-
ion as an abuse of official authority
md provided for the adequate punish
nent Of the persons engaged in 1t.
1t is estimated that there are now
ully 100000 white people In the terri
Dry, among whom many combinations
ave been made to control the disposal
I the lands. The secretary himself
iscovered that number OF Office
olders, many of them outside Of his
wn department, were stockholders
nd officers in these combines, and he
made known his disap-
roval Of this system. The object In
,nding man from private life to in
lire into conditions is to make the
Ivestigatlon still more searching, still
ore disinterested and to give the
lding more complete credence with
10 public at large. The secretary's
structions to this agent, when Sc
Ired, will be to go into all phases Of
Q question without favoritism on the
lie hand or fear OF public clarnor on
Q other He takes the position that,
lille 1t is necessary and right to pro-