The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1903-07-16
WONDERFUL INTERVIEW.
Judge dui Says Territory officials
Court Investigation.

OF finlta, Judge oI ms Ohiteu
States court for the northern dis.
trict Of Indian Territory, was here
for a short time today. He form
erly lived a, Colby, Kan, and has
gone out there to spend a week.
lin my judgment the officials
OF the Indian territory are not
afraid Of an investigation by the
Washington. ofiiclsls," said he.
"In fact. they rather court II after
the many insinuations that have
been thrown out concerning their
official dishonesty. Taken as 3
whole the ofiicials in all depart
ments Of the territory are as com.
pelent and honest as those Of the
states. The courts and the Dawes
comm ssion are just as separate as
the supreme court Of Kansas and
the Kansas railroad board. They
are entirely different branches OF
territorial government. inspect
ors at intervals, drop into the
territory and inspect the records
Of each department, aud the fact
that they have found nothing
wrong is a pretty fair Indication
that the officials are honest"
"The four federal judges OF the
Indian territory do more work
than any twenty judges in Kansas.
This lie due 10 the large amount Of
crimes committed there and the
endless number OF civil cases
growing out Of the settling ap Of a
new country.
lone remarkable thing concern
ing crime In the territory 10 that
most of the criminals are young
men" said Judge Gill. "Nineiy
per cent OF them are under %
years Of age. Crime is hereditary
with them At the close OF the
civil war the Indian country be-
came a refuge for the criminal
class. Children OF these criminals
inherited crime.
They never had any educational
advantages and could not equip
themselves for the ordinary duties
OF q citizen. Only very small
per cent Of them can read and
write. Il wasn't hard for them to
steal a living and so they became
criminals. Many women are mix
ed In the orimes, but they are
scarcely ever caught. The men
protect them. Hanging Is about
over 10 the territory. The juries
there have the option Of hanging
a mao or sending him to prison
for life. In recent years they re-
commend life imprisonment and
the courts must follow their recon-
mendations. That is, the court
can not sentence murderer to
death If the jury has found him
guilty with recommendation that
he be not hanged.
Another peculiar thing have
discovered is that there is lese
crime near the Kansas line IN the
territory than elsewhere, y contin-
ued Judge Gill. I'm that division
OF my district which borders on
Kansas | have from one to Eve
criminal cases to Try = term
Further south crime seems TO ia.
creaae The district along the
Arkansas line is the worst. Il Is
a frequent thing to have 100 to 200
criminal cases on the docket there
each term. Il shows that the civ.
liking influences Of the people Of
Kansas have good effect on the
territory.
"The Indian country is badly
handicapped for lack of facilities
to care for the insane. We need
an asylum there the worst way.
We have been send'"s most Of our
insane to Washing l,but the asy.
lum there Is full and don't know
what We are going TO do from now
on. The insane laws are very
lame also. There is no way 10
take a person into custody on The
charge Of insanity. He must be
charged with a crime and thrown
into jail. even thogh be hasn'.