The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-11-08
ARMY OFFICER
SIDES WITH INDIANS
Captain johnson Says Agem
Downs Treatment of Utes
Was Too Harsh.

Omaha, Neh., Nov. 4.-Captain Car
ter L. johnson, who was sent TO inves
tigate the troubles of the runaway
.Utes has made his report to army
headquniters. He is still at their camp
at Thunder Butte creek. eighty miles
west of Gettysburg, S. D. Captain
johnson found the attitude OF the In
dams wholly peaceful. and his report
appears TO indicate the trouble is
rather With Agent Downs. who is in
charge OF the Utes and the Sioux on
the Cheyenne River reservation. Cap
tain Johnson reports the ldiSllS We're
delighted 10 see him.
He had a talk with the Utes in coun-
Gil. ,t'hey told him they We're given
to understand their ratio:2s would be
cut III iialf, entailing great. distress up
on them, particularly upon the women
and children. Agent Downs, they said.
had told them they must send their
children eighty miles away to school,
They had voted to refuse to do SO. but
said they were willing to send their
children TO the agency school at the
subagency where they lived. Cap
tain johnson explained to them their
error in refusing to obey the agents
agreed to obey the regulations which
govern the Sioux.
Ii is alleged Agent Downs is not sat
tsiied with the promise Of the lndians
and insists that harsh treatment be
administered to them. In :hts proi,o-
sitiOn Captain Johnson diSagrecS With
him. and he urges in his report that
at the present status of affairs harsh
or severe measures would not be good
policy.
Major Sibley and his command uf the
Second cavalry had not yet arrived at
Thunder Butte when Captain Johnson
sent his report.
According to Captain Johnson the
Utes are required TO subjist upon what
revenues they may obtain trcm their
holdings and allotments in Utah,
Which they imprudently abandoned Il
year ago. These revenues are meager,
and with the usual imLrovidence OF the
Indian character they are unable to
make ends meet. They realize that
winter is coming on and that tsey are
Ip against 1t hard The matter is
ul 10 tie Indian depsrlrnent, and its
ssolu,ion is one Of the interesting prob
lens of the immediate future, as sonle-
thing Drastic will have to be done ne-
1r:: tBe snow fl.es. The Indians Will
not be fed by the army, as there ~ no
appropriation for the purpose.
Washington. d. c., Nov. 2.-Com-
missioner Leupp. Of the bureau of In
dian affairs. accepts Captain Johnson's
report as reflection on that hlreau.
Citing the fact that the disaffected
Utcs have refused two offers to work
for railroad companies. one Of which
contemplated paying them 81 per day
for labor only fifteen miles from their
present home, he said:
johnson proceeds on the theory
that the way to handle the trouble
some Indians is to set them off and
feed them. That is not the Indian Of
flee theory. This Office believes in ap-
plying the same rule to the Indians
that is applied to poor and ignorant
men OF any race. We believe in find
ing work for them and then permit
ting them to go hungry. il they will not
accept the opportunity of making q
living. These Indians contemptucIsly
refuse to work. saying that the got-
ernment would take care of them. |
am perfectly willing to stand respon-
sible for all the advice have given
in the matter, which has been that we
should treat the Indians kindly, but
insist that they shall cease to be
paupecs when there is work at which
they can earn good wages practically
at their DOORS" N