Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-10-31
INDIAN FIGHT IN SIGHT.
Indians in Rocky Mountain Regions
 Are Getting Troublesome.

Are Getting Troublesome.
 Washington, Oct 31.-A real In- dian fight-not to dignify 1t as war fare-faces the United States forces in the Rocky mountain region. Just where the trouble may begin and where it will end no man knows; but, in prospect, it IS regarded as more than ordinarily serious. In the pend- ing trouble there are complications which have not entered into previous Indian uprisings and they are of such character as to make the govern ment authorities think hard before | acting.
 | As invariably has been the case l in Indian disturbances, the whites are at fault. Encroachments upon the reservation set apart for the Ute Indians in Utah and continual pes tering" of the Indians by white set tiers have angered the Indians to such an extent that they are ready now to fight. Their story is an old. old one. A reservation was set apart for the Ute Indians that was SUD- posed to be of no account except for Indians. The Indians were compelled to leave fertile lands and take up their abode on this reservation. Much against their will they went to the reservation. That was years ago. They did the best they could. Final i ly their lands were allotted in sev- crafty. Many of the Indians became citizens of the United States, entitled to all the privileges accorded to white citizens. Others continued in their tribal relations and lived as be- l fore on the reservation as wards of the Government.
 l Valuable mineral deposits were discovered on the reservation. The discoveries attracted white settlers. Gradually. but surely. the Indians were pressed upon by the whites, until it was difficult to determine whether 1t was an Indian or white settlement. It became question ot { the survival of the f1ttesr and the whites triumphed Many of the In- dians were worthless and shiftless. They were pressed away iron: the best and most valuable of the lands. 1 As a natural result they were un- l able to eke out an existence. They became dissatisfied and, practically facing starvation decided to jump the reservation and seek home elsewhere. About 250 bucks. with their squaws and papooses, left the | Ute reservation and started north ward. Government agents urged them to return, but they refused to 1 do so. The bucks were we'll armed and most of them were we'll mount ed. They declared they would fight rather than go back to the reserva- tion. The government. ordered de- tachment of troops to round up the Indians and compel them to return to the reservation.
 The Indians now are in Wyoming on their way northward to Montana, where they expect to join some other Indians of another tribe. Just where they are is not known. as the bliz- gard which ragged in.the Rocky noun tain region few days ago has ob- liberated the trail. Additional troops have been ordered out, in anticipa- tion of trouble. What the soldiers will do if they encounter the Indians is exceedingly problematical. War department and other government officials are worried over the situa- tion. Many Indians. as previously stated. are United States citizens and it Is serious question whether they can be forced by the soldiery back to a reservation.
 Major James Mclaughlin. who was sesnt to the Indians as commission CT to induce them to return to Utah, practically failed in his mission, al- though few of the Indians returned to Utah with him.. He declares that the others will fight if the govern ment attempts to force them to go back to Utah and he thinks the con- test will be serious. The Indians are well supplied with provisions, have plenty of money and several hundred head of horses and cattle. They in- formed Major Mclaughlin that if an attempt were made to force them back to Utah there would be blood shed and the officer believes they are in position to make good their threat.
 To the government the proposition is a serious one and no official In Washington yet is prepared to say definitely just what policy will be pursued toward the recalcitrant Utes.