The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-11-07
ARMY OFFICER
SIDES WITH INDIANS
Captain johnson Says Agent
Downs Treatment Of Utes
Was Too Harsh.

Omaha Neb., Nov. ~4.-Captain Car
ter p. ohnso who was sent TO inves-
tigate the troubles OF the runaway
Utes, has made his report TO army
headquarters. He is still at their camp
at Thunder Butte creek. eighty miles
west OF Gettysburg, s. d. Captain
johnson found the attitude Of the mi
dams wholly peaceful. and his report
appears to indicate the trouble Is
rather with Agent Downs, who is In
! charge of the Utes nj the Sioux on
the Cheyenne River reservation. CAP
tain johnson reports the Idians were.
delighted to see him.
He had q talk with the Utes In coun-
ell. They told him they We're given
TO understand their rations would be-
cut in half, entailing great distress up,
on them, particularly upon the women
and children. Agent Downs, they-said.l
had told them they must send their
children eighty miles away to schooi
They had voted to refuse to do SO. put
said they were willing to send their
children to the agency school at the
subagency where they lived. Cap1
tain johnson explained to them their
error In refusing to obey the agents
regulations. In council afterward they
agreed to obey the regulations which
govern the Sioux.
1t Is alleged Agent Downs Is not Eat-l
iafied with the promise of the Indians!
and insists that harsh treatment be
administered to them. In ;his propo-i
sition Captain Johnson disagrees with
him. and he urges In his report that
at the present status OF affairs harsh
or severe measures would not be good
policy.
/ CslanNA ~ xxnlrxy had mt vet ARRIVAL rnf
Thunder Butte when Captain johnson
sent his report.
According to Captain Johnson the
Utes are required TO subJist upon what
revenues they may obtain trt IN their
holdings and allotments in Titan,
which they ~imprudently abandoned q
year ago These revenues are meager,
and with the usual improvidence OF the
Indian character they are unable 70
make ends meet. They realize that
winter is coming on aud tha- they are
up against 1t hard The matter vs.
uI to tire Indian department, and its
solution is one of the interesting prob
lens OF the immediate future, as some
thing drastic will have to be done fe-
fore the snow flies. The Indians vii
not be fed by the army, rs there ~ nc
appropriation for the purpose.
washington, D.. c., Nov. Conn
missioner IRupp, OF the bureau of In
4 dian AFFAIRS, accepts Captain JonIlSOh
report as a reflection on that bureau
Citing the fact that the disaffectee
Utes have refused two offers to work
for railroad companies, d Of which
contemplated paying them 81 per day
for labor only fifteen miles from theil
present home, he said:
johnson proceeds on the theor,
that the way to handle h trouble
some Indians is to set them off ant
feed them. That is not the Indian Of
nce theory. This Office believes In ap'
plying the same rule TO the Indians
that Is applied to poor and ignoran
men Of any race. We believe in find
ing work for them and then permit
ting them to go hungry II they will no
accept the opportunity Of making
living. These Indians contemptuousl.
refuse to work. saying that the gov
|, eminent would take car OF them.
am perfectly willing to stand respon
sible for all the advice ] have givel
in the matter, which has oeen that W
should treat the Indians kindly, blu
!, insist that they shall a to b
paupers when there is work at whicl
they can earn good wages practicall
at their doors