The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-21
SIMPLY WANT TO
BE LEFT ALONE
Major Mclaughlin Takes Little
Stock in Indian Yarns
From Wyoming.
ARE NOT SEEKING TROUBLE
GOVERNOR BROOKS WORRIED
BY THE SETTLERS.
ARE NOT SEEKING TROUBLE
Special to The Herald.l


Washington, Oct 20.-Major James Nc
Laughlin, who was sent by the interior
department several weeks ago to investi-
gate the causes of disaffection amongst
the Ute Indians who have been causing
apprehension among the white settlers of
wyoming, does not believe that present
movements of Utes need cause any APP
pfehension so far safety of life or
property is concerned q.
ihey are simply seeking a new home,
1eing dissatisfied with the reservation in
Ian, but with the advent of cold wea-
TIER will undoubtedly return of their own
accord to Uintah
Il arrived in Washington" said he "d-
rect from Rock Springs. WyO. where L
deilvered to Captain Hall of the Fifth
United States cavalry forty-six Indians
Whom | induced to return. Up to Mon
gay evening. when ] left them, the In
olans had not committed any depreda-
Mons beyond killing game i'm defiance of
the state laws. Deer and antelope are
plentiful i'm that country. AS for their
stock, they have with them 600 or 200
ponies. which they are feeding from pas
turage of ranges owned by whites. But
mat country is very sparsely settled.
ranches for the most part being fifteen
or twenty miles apart NY first visit
10 the Indians was rather discouraging l
must admit. They are led by Appah a
White River Ute who claims his chief
whole party consisted of hardly 300 bucks,
squaWS and ALL and nearly fifty of these
nave returned. Fighting men in the party
90 not number more than 100, and this
1fcluding boys over IA years of age. The
1noians simply want to be left alone.
NeedIessIy Alarmed.
Il met Governor Brooks at Douglas. I
consider nm very capable man, and
not inclined to give needless alarm but he
mas been worried by ali sorts of remOn-
sudtlOnS which have come TO him as the
Indians have progressed across the state
on see, they started several weeks ago
from the Dfntah reservation in northern
Utah, and by slow degrees have crossed
Wyoming until now they are at Gillette
IN BROOKS county, in the extreme north
eastern corner of the state If they pro-
ceed further north they will soon be in
montana. Perhaps they are heading for
the Crow reservation, or Tongue River
reservation. as it is called, on Lame Deer
creek In their northern march they have
slaughtered game along the way, but
don't think they have committed any
other depredations. They are not salts
fled with the Uintah reservation and
want to find a country where there is
plenty of game and where they will he
unmolested and unhampered by white
mems laws This, of course, they cannot
find
Cold Will Send Them Back.
.'If they do not get into trouble before
colo weather sets in suffering and prjva-
tons which they will be called upon to
endure Will undoubtedly cause them to
return whence they came. This l am
NChlluChl Dt bfOuSnl ABOUT With
out the loss of life. l am sure they will
not fight. and l do not believe they will
steal. They have money with them and
hundreds of ponies which they are pre-
pared to sell or trade for provisions
They are regarded as a nuisance of
course, as any large. well-armed body
of men travelling from one state to an
other would be. so it is no wonder that
Governor Brooks desired TO be rid of
them"
Was No Battle"
When Major McLaughlin's attention
was called TO the dispatch stating that
a battle had occurred between Indians
and some cowboys in which two of the
latter had been killed, he remarked:
Il would not place too much credence
on that report until confirmed officially
II correct. the temper of the Indians has
altered materially since / left them
Without saying so in plain words the
major gave the impression that it was
his opinion. if the reported fracas has
actually occurred. that the COWBOYS were
quite likely to have been the agrees
sors, as he believed that the Utes were
quite ready 10 pay either in money or
ponies for everything they required ex-
cept game. which latter they look upon
as theirs by right of nature
Major Mclaughlin has his doubts about
the advisability of confronting the Utes
with a small body of armed men He
says the Indians now i'm Wyoming are in
a very ugly mood and if force is used
against them they will make trouble I'M
less confronted with an overwhelming
number OF troops. He SAYS each Indian
has his Winchester. besides side arms