The Washington times., 1911-06-18
DR.. Montezuma, Cultured,
Stand by Uncouth, Govern
ment-Reared Cousin.
SHOWS BLIGHT SYSTEM
PUTS ON HIS PEOPLE
Here to Fight Plan to Rob Tribes,
men of Their Rich
Lands.

Monavc Apache, one of the leading
stomach specialists of the United States,
soundly scored the Indian Bureau iE his
hearing before he House Committee on
Expenditures in the Interior Depart
ment
With the assistance of Chairman GrG-
ham, of the committee, DR.. MonteZuma
brought about a striking comparison OF
the advancement of the Indian off the
reservation, with all the rights Of a citi-
zen, and of the non-advancement Of the
Indian of the Same race and family who
had been ward cf the Government
With the skill IF a dramatist, DR.. Mon
tezuma brought his story to fine clt-
max when he stood beside his first
cousin. George Dickens, and asked the
committeeman to form their own judg-
ment on the comparison.
DR.. Montezunna and George are of the
same age, and there is a strong family
resemblance. DIR. Montezuma is clean
cut and fine looking. man Of intelli-
gence and letters. who is consulted by
specialists the world over on intestinal
troubles. He is consulting physician
in Chicago. and an instructor in the
postgraduate course at the Chicago
General Hospital. Students under his
guidance are nracticing physicians. He
is Il member of the University Club OF
Chicago. and of the Chicago Press Club.
Shows Contrast.
On the other hand, George, while a
leader of his tribe, has no more edu-
cation, advancement, or culture, than
the ordinary child of five years. George
has been a Government ward, on a res
ervation While the Doctor is a fluent
talker. and has an excellent command
of English, George knows but a few
words of the language. He has to talk
through an interpreter. He declared in
the committee room that he wished to !
be a free and independent man. but
that he was held a ward and a prison
er of the Government. although he had
rendered signal service with General
Crook in the roundup of Geronimo.
Dr. Montezuma, through his pride and
love of his native race. is in Washing
ton, fighting for the cause of the Mo-
have Appaches. He declared before the
committee, that life on the reservations,
made "beggars, idlers. and gamblers, of
the Indians, stilling all ambition and
self respect.
Those behind the investigation OF
the Indian Office, expect to bring out
sensational evidence at the commit !
tee hearings that will prove that
certain officials of the United States |
Government have benefited their pri- |
Vate income at the expense of the In |!
dians The fight is being made on |
the moving of the Mohave Appaches
from their $4,000 acres on the Verdi |
river at Mcdowell, to a reservation of !
$50 acres on the Salt river. with the |
Pimas. According TO some of the |
testimony already in, and to be in !
troduced, the Indians would be beau |
tifully fleeced by such a move.
Here to Fight Move.
DR.. Montezuma came all the way to |
Washington with an attorney to fight |
the move 1t is alleged that the In |
dians have been deprived by force of |
their first water rights, and their !
lands.
In his testimony before the COM
mittee Dr. Montezuma told the dra-
matte story Of his life. and that of
George Dickens, one of the biggest |
land owners at Mcdowell, on the
sweet water Verdi. He paralleled the |
two to show that the average Indian
was not permitted to become a good .
and useful citizen.
DR.. Montezurna was born on Super
stition mountain, in Arizona, near the
when many of the men of the tribe
went off on a hunt, leaving the sQuaws,
pappOoSeS, old men, and some of the |
men, encamped on the plateau of Su-
perstitiOn mountain. The plateau is
surrounded on every side by preCipitous
declivitieS. During the absence of the
fighting men, the Pimas made a raid
on the camp and wiped II out. There
was no escape, as there was only one
means OF egress. A few of the smaller
children, including the doctor. were
taken prisoners, but the majority were
killed The doctors mother was killed
and scalped, but the mother of George.
seeing 'the slaughter, gathered her
papoose on her back and dashed over
the edge of the precIpice. BY some
means mother and child ESCAPED. The
mother made her way to the camp Of
the fighting men, and led them back to
the scene of the slaughter, but the
ers. The doctor and two sisters were
taken away to southern Arizona.
Bought Him.
1t happened that while the doctor,
then but four years old was being held
a prisoner, Gentle, the artist. founder
of the Art Institute of Chicago, happen
ed upon the Pimas, and bought the lit
tie slave for $50. He took Montezuma
East, and began his education. When
Montezuma was ten, Gentle lost all Of
his money, and the students of the
University of Chicago, who were much
interested in MonteZuma, began to
tutor him. At the age of fourteen, he
formally entered the University of Chi
cago and graduated when he was a Lad
of eighteen, showing remarkable prog
ress. He was one of the youngest grad
yates of the university. Still aided br
the patronage of the other students, he
went through the medical college. He
accepted an appointment at the Carlisle
Indian School. but served only two
years. when he returned TO Chicago to
crafty his ambition to become a spe-
cialist.
In the meantime George, who had re-
turned to his own tribe with his mother
was placed on a reservation at an early
age. From that time he has made but
slight progress in mental development
except in the way of hard common
sense and business acumen He is AS
uncultured as the widest broncho.
The doctor, after his capture and sale
was painstakingly traced East hY
Georges mother. his own mothers sis
ter. George was told of his cousin in
the East, and the doctor was located
through the steadfast remembrance of
his Indian name.
Besides Dr. Montezuma there are five
full-blooded Mohaves appearing before
the committee. They are George Dick
ems, Yuma Frank, the chief; Charles
Dickens, and Thomas Serrama. u