Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1905-11-15
JEMEz PUEBLO OUT OF
BUSINESS; GOVERNOR AND
MEDICINE MAN in JAIL
Indians Monkey With the United States Mail
Heartfess Pale Face Officers Arrest
the Whole Bunch.

There is weeping and waiing and
gnashing of moars in the pictur-
esque Jemez Indian pueblo in the
Jemez mountains. The cause of the
lamentation which is both public ami
private, is found in the work of Dep
uty United States Marshals Harry
Cooper and Fred Fornof, who arriv-
ed in Albuquerque yestefdsX morning
having in custody the gdySfnor OF the
village, the lieutenAt goverenor
thereof, and the cacaiqui or in In
dian, the master of the Estufa, or un-
derground smoke-house, and the most
powerful man in the pueblo.
The Indians, In fact the entire JemeZ
pueblo, is charged with holding up
the United States mails The Indians
are not charged with trying to rob
the mails but merely with holding
them up.
1t all came about in this wise Last
summer while the Indians were hold
ing some dances of especially secret
and sacred nature, the United States
mail wagon from Bernalillo was seen
jogging up the trail. The trail leads
right through the pueblo and the In
dians had visions of a white man see
ing the whole show. 1t wouldn't do
and the governor issued a proclama-
ton ordering his subjects to promptly
arrest and detain the United States
mail carrier until the ceremony should
have been finished. The mail carrier
was detained.
1T is a rather serious matter to de-
tain the United States mail even when
1t is only star route bound for Jemez
Springs I'm New Mexico, but the In
dians didn't know. They are just be-
ginning to find il out and there is deep
sorrow in the experience. The Indians
were indicted by the late United States
grand jury sitting here The jury
didn't know and couldn't find out
the particular Indians who held
UP the mail, but 1t found out that II
was done on orders Of the village gov
etnment, so the jury promptly indicted
the village government
Officers Fornoff and Cooper made
the trip to the pueblo Saturday return
ing yesterday morning. They found
the governor and his associates calm
ly indifferent to warrants and sub
poenas. but when little persuasion
was used the official jaw dropped and
the official household prepared Itself
to move. 1t is just now residing In the
Bernallillo county Jail pending the
sitting the United States court here
next month.
CacaiquI Couldn't Understand.
II Is the custom OF the Indian de-
partment to send representative of
the United States marshals office TO
all of the Indian dances and fiestas to
maintain order. the services Of the Of
ficer often being needed to stop small
disturbances. In this case the officers
who went to Jemez had double mis-
sion. They were to attend the dance
and bring In the village government.
With Superintendent Clinton ]. Gran
dali of the Santa Fe Indian school. the
officers arrived in Jemez Saturday in
time for the famous harvest dance,
one of the most sacred and impressive
of the New Mexico Indians ceremon-
lals. Mr. Fornoff describes Il as one
of the most impressive indian cere-
monies he ever witnessed. II was not
deemed advisable to take any action
before the dance. but Immediately af-
ter the ceremony the governor Of the
village. Jose Ruy China. was asked to
Join the officers In a little trip to Al
buquerque. The governor Is wise and
made no objection. The lieutenant
governor and secretarlo to his excel
lency Santiago Mana was then ap-
preached and also consented without
trouble. when It came to Caeaiqui
Jose Manuel Yeba. the most powerful
man of the village. an old man and for
years the leader and official re-
ligious head Of the pueblo the trouble
commenced. Yeba did not want to
come. His dignity was offended and
he almost declined. but the officers
made their request more urgent and
he finally consented. The old high
priest OF the tribe attempted to carry
his gun with him on the trip but this
was forbidden Tie was ugly all the
way across and is still deeply grieved