The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-08-25
INDIANS RULED BY A WOMAN.

The announcement that George A.
Outcelt, Assistant United States Dis
trict Attorney of Oklahoma, writes
the Guthrie correspondent of the New
York Sun, has been ordered to leave
Mexico, where he was investigating
the conditions of the Kickapoo In
dians, brings into the lirnelight the
most persistent wanderers among all
Indian tribes.
During the Civil War the Kicka-
poos fed to Mexico. Later much
money was expended by the United
States to return them to their reser-
vations in Kansas and Oklahoma.
All but 176 members of the tribe did
return.
The I76 escaped into the mountains
of Mexico and have remained there
ever since, increasing in the mead
time to more than five hundred in
number. Ofthe 4I2 members brought
back to the Oklahoma reservation
there are today but 1874 remaining.
The Kickapoos fought under Te-
cumseh against Gen. William Henry
Harrison at Tippecanoe, and were
prominent as a fighting tribe until
their final defeat by General Zachary
Taylor at Fort Harrison, following
the outbreak of the war with England
in 1872. Originally the Kickapoos
lived in the upper Mississippi River
country and belonged to the Algon
quin family.
Gradually they moved down into
Illinois and roamed over the country
between the Mississippi and Wabash
rivers. In the early history of the
country they were bitter toward the
English and supported the colonists
against England in the war for inde-
pendence. Later they turned against
the colonists and state of war against
the Kickapoos continued until 1892.
1t was in 1871 that they fought un-
der Tecumseh. In 1858 treaties
were made with the Government by
which they gave up their lands in
Illinois and removed to reservation
in Kansas on the Usage River. Rem
nants of the tribe were in Illinois as
late as the 4o's.
Following the removal to Kansas
degree of civilization was established
for few years. Then the predatory
and savage instincts of the Kickapoos
resumed the ascendency and their
warriors went out killing and horse
stealing, making raids on the people
of neighboring states, and at length
turning upon the United States In
dian agents, one of whom they MUIR
dered in 1854.
They were then removed to reser-
vation in northern Kansas, near At
Gibson. Some of them gradually set
tied down on separate holdings and
became farmers and citizens. The
remainder fed to Mexico about the
time the Civil War began and lived
by raids over the frontier for booty.
In 1873 there were only 800 in Kan.
sas, while the number in Mexico had
grown to 1000.
After the majority of the Mexican
Kickapoos were returned to the United
States all that was left were removed
from the frontier by Mexico at the
request of the United States, and set
tied on good lands in the mountains
of the State of Guerrero. They
1onged for their old home around
Santa Rosa, 200 miles to the north,
and gradually drifted back there.
The Mexicans speak highly of the
Kickapoos as Industrious, skillful
hunters, given to cleanliness. While
some of them have become farmers
and experts in stock raising, the great
majority adhere to the old custom of
hunting and fishing. Their dress, as
a rule, is the primitive costume, all
their clothing being made of buck
skin and trimmed with beads, the
squaws being adept with the needle.
At the present time very few Kick
apoos are remaining in Oklahoma.
They have Aocked to their kinsmen
in Mexico whenever an opportunity
has presented itself. Their removal
was first opposed by the Government,
but finally they were allowed to move
when they desired to do so. No In
dian was allowed to take any live
stock or property of any kind which
had been furnished him by the United
States Government.
Their lands in Oklahoma, six miles
south of Shawnee City, are leased
out. The rentals average 500 year
for an average farm of eighty acres.
This fund will support the Indian
and furnish all the luxuries he Ge-
sires. For years the Government has
made an annual appropriation of $S,-
900 for the Kickapoos, this fund being
disbursed by the Indian agent for
agricultural implements, stock and
wearing apparel.
The principal object of the investi-
CATION which is being made by the
United States Government in connec-
ton with the removal of the Kicka-
poos to Mexico is to determine wheth-
er any improper methods were en-
ployed in obtaining the removal OF
the restrictions whereby the Kicka-
DOCS parted with their Oklahoma