Willmar tribune., 1910-08-31
LARGE LAND GRAB
PROMINENT MEN OF STATE IN
VOLVED BY WHITE EARTH
RESERVATION PROBE.
80 PER CENT OF LAND INVOLVED
Near "Warpath" Scare When Indians
Gather for Big Pow-Wow to Con-
suit Government
Agent.

White Earth. - The judicial de-
partment of the United States gov
ernment has almost completed it's
investigation of the 1000 alleged
land grabbing cases on the White
Earth Indian reservation and ex-
Judge r. H. Long, of Washington,
made rapid and secret visit to dis
trict attorneys Office with ample evil
dence to begin legal proceedings
against numerous prominent citizens
near the reservation. Eighty per cent
of all the land on the White Earth In
dian Chippewa reservation is in
volved in this scandal.
Hurrying from the nearest and re-
motest parts Of the Chippewa Indian
reservation fully 300 Indians came to
the White Earth agency with the hope
that they would hold council with
ex-Judge E. H. Long and other officials
OF the judicial department from Wash
ington, D. c. But the red men were
doomed to disappointment, as the in
vestigations had advanced to such an
acute stage that it became necessary
for Judge Long to visit and consult
c. c. Houpt, district attorney, in re-
gard to the manner of proceeding and
the time to begin action against the
alleged numerous offenders. This
made is impossible for Judge Long to
be at the council
Wanted to Meet "Big Judge"
These Indians had expressed a de-
sire to meet ex-Judge Long and he
tacitly promised to come in friendly
manner and listen to the Indian ora
tors and chiefs with their complaints
against the white land grabbers and
the ignoble manner that their land
had been transferred from them by
the aid of half.breeds.
Agent Howard expected Judge Long
and had sent messages to the chiefs
and braves telling them of the i'm
pending council of friendly nature
So the Indians came in from far and
near with their complaints. Agent
Howard had big feast ready for the
Great lawyer
Indians Have 4 "War Dance"
When the Indians were informed
that Judge Long would not be pres
ent they were so displeased they i'm
mediately. put on their feathers and
war paint and danced their war and
scalp dances into the small hours of
the night. The famous Squaw dance
was given about 10 o'clock at night
and several of the government Off
cials, agency employees and white
people were given great sight by
the performance of these famous
dances.
How Lands Were Grabbed.
Indians have gone singly and in
groups with their complaints against
prominent white men, residents of
towns near the Indian reservations,
who have taken their lands by trick.
cry Full-blooded Indians who have no
legal right to sell have been persuaded
to sign documents purporting to come
from Indians who were not full-blood.
ed Indians Minors also have been
caught in the various schemes of land
men to sell their lands through their
parents or guardians. Lands worth
from $25 to $100 per acre have been
sold for as little as 500 for 40 acres,
and in some cases old Indians have
signed their rights away to agents for
from $100 to $500 fore lands worth
thousands of dollars.
Several of the Indian employees say
that if certain men at Detroit, Mahno-
men, Ogama, Aubon, White Earth and
other places get their deserts the jails
will have few more inmates this
fall