Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-05
MRS. GREY'S STORY DENIED
CROW CHIEF CONTRADICTS HER
TESTIMONY.
Tells Senate Committee That Rey
nolds Is Best Agent Tribe
Ever Had.

Chief Plenty Coos of the Crow Indian
tribe testified yesterday before the Senate
committee on Indian affairs, and in re-
sponse to questions by Senator Dixon de-
MED many of the statements made by
Mrs. Helen Pierce Grey that the Indians
were ill-treated by Maj. Reynolds, the
government agent. Plenty Coos is a
picturesque character. He is stout and
has broad face scanned with deep lines.
Although he wears civilized clothing he
retains many of the Indian customs to
denote his rank. Two long braids of
raven hair are worn just in front of his
cars and two earrings in each OF his ears,
one large ring in each lobe and a smaller
one above.
Two interpreters were used in the eX-
animation, one repeating the question to
the chief and the other giving the answers
to the committee. Plenty Coos appeared
to be man of Intelligence. He ex-
planned the manner OF his tribe in farm
ing their lands, and told of the relations
OF the tIibe to the agent, Maj. Reynolds.
He expressed the belief that Reynolds
was the best agent the Crows had ever
had, in that he helped the Indians to help
themselves. The chief denied that Rey-
nolds interfered with members of the
tribe In selling their stock and products
tor the best price obtalnaDle. In other
ways he praised Reynolds. but said that
there mad been some complaint by those
indians who did not like To work.
Fought Under Crook.
Senator Dixon brought out the fact that
Plenty Coos was with Gen. Crook in 1876
and fought with him in advance of the
Custer massacre. lie was asked why he
had been named Plenty Coos, and eX-
planned that the name came fr> Al the coo
stick on which deeds Of valor are record
ed by tine cutting of notches, the driving
of the nails or the hanging of scalps. He
explained that he used to live in the CEN
ter of fighting tribes of Indians Of other
nations and that lie amasSed SO many
trophies of battle against hostile bands
that his coo stick would hardly hold them
all. Therefore, he was called Penty Coos
and made the big chief of all the Crows.
Senator Brandegee wanted to know
whether the soaps on his COO stick were
white or Indian. Plenty Coos said that
the sallies of his tribe had been always
against the Arapahoes. Cheyennes, Pie
gans and Sioux and never against the
white men, who had always been the
Crows friends. He declared that his
oats; that he had ceased to war and now
shakes hands with everybody.
Only One Wife Now.
Members of the committee took great
interest in Plenty Coos and his followers,
about a dozen of whom were present
They looked prosperous, and the chief.
through the interpreter. explained that
they were the flower of the tribe. In ex-
planning the holdings of his family, Plenty
Coos excited some curiosity as to the
number of wives he has had. He said
it was unusual for him to talk about any
thing of that kind. but that before he
came fully under the control of the gov
ernment he had married ten women at
various times, and had number of wives
at one time. Now he believed in the
white mans law regarding marriages, he
said, and had only one wife.
The Indians came to Washington for
examination concerning two bills of gen.
eral interest to the Crow reservation and
were only questioned incidentally about
the charges that have been made by Mrs.
Grey.