The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1910-09-17
FRAUD is SUSPECTED.
Crooked Work is CHARGED by Officials
Regarding Indian Apportionmenf.

The following, taken from last Fri
days issue of the 500 Evening News,
will be Of interest to the red men in
this section:
Hundreds of disappointed Indians are
circulating about the 500 today charg-
ing fraud on the part of those having
in charge the distribution of the funds
for which they have been waiting for
the past 40 years. the last payment
previous to the one Of this week hav-
ing been made in 1870. So strong are
they in their belief that wrong has
been perpetrated that they have re-
tanned the services of E. S. B. Sutton
to look after their interests and pro-
pose to fight the matter to the last
ditch.
Mr. Sutton is convinced of the JUS
tice of their claims and says that he
has documentary evidence showing
that an outrage has been perpetrated.
He says, also, that Chas. H. Dickson,
the disbursing officer, is of the belief
that grave injustice has been done a
large portion of the Indian population
of the county and is in in sympathy
with the movement to have the matter
aired.
Agent Dickson finished paying off
the Indians on the 500 roll yesterday
and is today at Bay Mills. Word was
received from the Bay this morning
that payment there had been suspend
ed for the time being on account of the
trouble that was being made by those
who believed themselves entitled to
share in the funds but whose names
were not on the rolls.
Mr. Sutton names one instance as an
illustration of many others. He says
that two daughters of John Gurnoe.
deceased, survive and that while one
of these received an allotment of the
funds the other was denied pc yment.
Over l., 400 names on the roll made by
Agent Durand, sent here for the spec
ial purpose of making a correct list of
those persons entitled to share in the
funds and who spent much time in the
work, have been marked off by some
person. These persons disbarred are
in most cases, it is claimed, as fully
entitled to their pro rata share of the
money as those whose names have
been retained
Joseph RouIeau, who assisted Mr..
Durand while here, received his money
but the names of his children were
marked off. Mr.. Rouleau says that he
discussed the situation with Mr.. Dick
son. who said Somebody among your
own people has done this. l advise
that you look into it. +"
I Among the names of those checked
off are some of the oldest Indian resi-
dents of this section, are full-blooded
aboriginees and have lived here all Of
their lives. 1t is said that several In
dians residing in Canada, who were
never American residents, drew pay
here yesterday.
The disappointment in some cases is
pitiful. Old men and women have
been waiting around the agents head
quarters ever since his arrival in the
city, fully expecting that they would
be among the first to be paid. When
they found that their names had been
scratched off the rolls they were as
children and tears rolled down the
withered cheeks of some women while
the countenance of the men showed
despair. While the amount each In
dian is entitled to draw is small, it
looked large to most of them and its
loss was most keenly felt, more so
from long years, of anticipation.
Mr.. Sutton says that it is his inten-
tion to probe the matter to the bottom
in an effort to right what he believes
to be great wrong and injustice to
hundreds of the Indian residents of the
county.