Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-10-19
THOSE TAMA INDIANS.

| rectly reported +. +. Faville. United
I! States attorney for the northern dis
| trict of Iowa, he has been talking at
random. The Tribune begins its story
| by the absolutely baseless statement
! that "Three hundred and fortynine
redskins make more trouble for the
| government authorities than half the
entire white and black population of
Iowa" and goes on to quote Attorney
| Faville, in support of the assertion:
I Those Tama Indians certainly are
| the limit remarked F. f. Faville,
/ United States district attorney, in con-
| versation in the federal building today.
They are numbering and stealing down
there all the time, and we cant do a
thing with them"
Two school boys from the Toledo In
| dian school had been before Mr.. Fa-
yilles court. They had been stirring
up mischief in the school Mr.. F'aville
told the Tribune reporter with horror
in his voice:
! In court over at Cedar Rapids last
week we had a couple of Indian boys
who had been stirring up all sorts of
| mischief in the Tama school. They
stole everything they could get their
hands on, even the teachers watch.
They admitted their thefts all right,
but when we got them into court, do
you think they would plead guilty?
Not for moment. We could not get
word out of them; not even a grunt.
The judge tried and l tried to extract
confession from them and finally we
had to give it up. The next day. to our
| surprise, the boys did plead guilty.
They claimed they were too scared the
first time to say anything.
He also quoted the murder case IA
miliar to readers of the T.-R.. where
the girl who claimed to have seen or
known of the crime failed to testify
| as she had talked The alleged MUIR
derer was not convicted.
The Tama Indians unlike the prov
erbial prophets have more honor and
reputation at home than abroad in the
hands of the United States attorney.
In fact here within fifteen miles of
their Reservation" they are consid-
cred quiet and fairly we'll behaved res
idents Every circus and fair and car
nival brings them into Marshallton by
dozens. So far as recalled the worst
Of fhan hoc
been intoxication. possibly an occas-
ional petty theft. They go about quiet
w. cause little trouble and in general
conduct themselves as well as most
white people. At Montour, their near
est town, merchants extend them
credit, one merchant having as high
as $4,000 at time charged against
, Indians. Many of them live in COM
Portable, neatly painted houses and are
good citizens. The school at Tama is
a revelation. The work would do credit
to most white schools in penmanship,
writing, drawing, etc. Many of the In
dams own their own teams, imple-
ments and homes. They drive along
the road quietly. No charges of GRIM
inal assault are lodged against them.
Isolated women do not fear the men
of the Tama Indians. Murder is rare
among them in spite of the assertion
of Attorney Faville, and the white res
idents of any county in the state fur
nish more murder cases than the In
dams of these tribes. With the slnudge
of Buxton on the map of Iowa and
with the prevalence of crime, white
and black, over the state. it is plain
SANDER to say that the Tama Indians
make more trouble than half the re-
mainder of the population.
These Indians are a pretty decent
lot of people. AS Indians they are
exceptional They cling to their old
customs and their old laws to such
degree as they may. Perhaps little
story told by superintendent of the
Indian school may to some degree ex-
pain WHY lie ndu gone lltO Tie COW
barn of wet evening in rubber boots,
at milking time. AS he came in
COW kicked the 10-year- old Indian
milking her, and scattered him and
the milk over the cement floor. No
Indian is permitted to be spoken at
the school and pupils are chided uness
they use English. The boy stood up
and spoke him mind to the COW like
a white man. g."
- you" said he. 81 ought to knock
your head Off" whats that?" broke
out the superintendent, making known
his presence for the first time. "rhat?'
stammered the boy. that's English.'
Mr. Faville's knowledge of the Tama
Indian breaks even with the lads con-
cept!ou of English"
Disturbed the Congregation.
The person who disturbed the con-
grega ton last Sunday by continually
coughing is requested to buy bottle