The Washington times., 1903-08-06
Chief of Bureau of Ethnol-
ogy EXacts Explanation
OF Alleged Indictment Of
Indians to Perform Rites
Prof. Holmes Confident His
Subordinate Acted Only
as Any Other Investigator
Would Have Done.


their recent sun dance. especially bear
ing on the point of his alleged incite-
ment of the Indians to perform certain
barbarous rites in connection with this
dance.
whether or not this report will be
sent to the acting secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution, Richard Rath-
bun' and in time be made public, depends
entirely upon Mr.. Rathbun. Prof
Holmes intends to talk the matter over
with the acting secretary, and it is
possible that Mr.. Rathbun may ask
MI Mooney to report to him in person
Proper Course of Research.
Prof Holmes said this morning that
ne was confident Mr.. Mooney could show
That he had no connection with melting
the Indians to perform barbarous rites
IN taking snapshots of the Indians. he
said. Mr.. Mooney acted only as any
other investigator would have done.
Re said. however. that he could not
answer for Mr.. Dawson. or say what
part he had had in the affair.
Indian Officials Indignant.
Captain Tonner and the other Indian
officials were highly indignant this
morning over the details OF the sun
dance harbarities as practiced by the
Indians Of the Cheyenne-Arapahoe agen-
cy for the benefit of Prof. Dorsey. of
the Field Columbian Museum, and Mr..
Mooney. OF the Bureau of Ethnology.
ana the more they think OF it the more
wrathy they become. The weII-known
tendency of even the most highly edu-
Gated Indians to revert to a se-ui-bar-
barrie state always causes uneasiness
among the heads of the Indian Office
when they hear that anything is excit-
Ing the red men, and they expect to en-
counter a great deal of restiveness and
uneasiness among the Arapahoes and
Cheyennes as a result of the iu-advised
enthusiasm and enterprise Of the two
scientists.
An Invidious Comparison.
One official this morning compared
reservation of Indians to a peaceful and
sociable tiger in captivity, who is all
right as long as he is not unnecessarily
provoked or does not come into con-
tact with what arouses his latent saw
age instincts, but is a deadly menace
when his wild animal spirit is revived:
and the melting of the Indians to per-
form the ancient sun dance with all its
cruel and inhuman features is expected
to arouse the Indians as the smell Of
fresh blood does the tiger.
1t was said at the Indian once this
morning that If an employe of the Of
fee had done what the two scientists
are alleged to have done and their
names had been so prominently men
toned in the papers the office would un-
dou5tedly take cognizance of the pub
lished reports and institute an investi-
cation. The Indian Office has left the
investigation Of the case to the Bureau
Of Entomology.
Barred From Reservation.
Captain Tonner said this morning that
the only punishment that could be
meted out 10 Prof. Dorsey If the case
were proven would be to absolutely pro
hibit his entrance upon any Indian res
ervation in the future. Mr.. Mooney, it
is thought. could be punished by sever
ing or reducing his position with the
bureau.
intendent Of the Cantonment Indian
School, OF the Indian Territory, there is
no doubt that Prof. Dorsey, Of the Field
Columbian Museum, and Mr.. Mooney,
of the Bureau of Ethnology, paid In
dians at the Cheyenne-Arapahoe Agency
TO undergo the tortures OF the sun dance
IN order that the scientists might obtain
exact information about the way in
which the dance was performed. Mr..
White is now in Washington. in com
pany with Mr.. Seger. the Indian super
intendent, who made the written
charges to the Indian Office against the
two scientists.
Mr.. White accuses the overenthusias-
tic searchers after chronological informa
tion with paying the two Indians who
underwent the torture SIS. although the
money was ostensibly paid for lariat-
Mr.. White gives an interesting descrip-
tion of the torture. He says that a slit
three inches long was made under each
shoulder blade of one of the Indians. y
knife blade was then thrust under the
skin and through the flesh from slit tc|
slit Through the opening thus made
& stick was thrust. a lariat was at
tached to the stick. and to the knot end
OF the rope the head of a COW was at
tached By a single strand.
A Disgusting Exhibition
The Indians were seated 50 as to form
q large horseshoe. The one with the
stick through his back raced madly
around the inside of the horseshoe, drag
ging the cows head on the ground Mr..
seger thinks that the Indian was un-
doubtedly one from his colony, and when
he saw what was TO be done tried to
catch the sufferer, but the Indian was so
bedecked with feathers and paint and
ran so swiftly that he eluded the super
intende2t.
After making the circuit of the horse
shoe, the Indian stopped and the fiesn |
between the slits was cut out to re-
lease the stick The scientists are al |
legged to have bought this piece of flesh i