Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1911-12-27
OKLAHOMA COURT WILL
BARE INDIAN ROMANCE

Guthrie. Okla, Dec. 2s.-An In
dian romance, a mothers great love
for her children. the wander,ngs OF
one Of them and his return late in
lie TO have his rights established as
a citizen Of the wealthy Usage tribe
of Indians right that II decided
In his favor will place him on an
equality OF wealth with his more for
tunate klnsmen-all this is 10 be re
hcarsed In the United States Court
here In order that Judge John 4. Cot
teral may determine whether or not
Louis Benjamin lessart Is entitled
10 Indian citizenship.
There Is no more romantic and
interesting story connected with this
romantic and interesting tribe NJ In
dams than that OF Julia Roy. wife
of a OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES nam
ed Clemert Lassart. wandering
trapper and random interpreter for
the Kaw and Usage Indians. also Of
French German English. Spanish
and Italian. These were the parents
whose descendants today make up a
very large part of the mixed blood
population OF the Usage Indian tribe.
Such a character as Clement Les
sart was something OF a scholar for
Kansas City. seventy or eighty yeats
aso. when the family lived In the
west bottoms of that town. While
he trapped game and made eVcur
sions with the various Indian tribes
as interpreter, Julia Roy-Lessart. his
wife and her children lived among
the Kaw Indians. lived In most part
as the Indians lived. her children
playing and assooiating with theirs,
but a woman far superior in many
ways to the others who then mingled
with the Indians.
As long ago as 1880 and 1910,
Saucy Chief saw and remembered
seeing her lie was then an Indian
prince who later succeeded &c the
chleftanship Of the tribe. and when
he died a few years ago he left a
reputation OF having been one OF the
most progressive Of Indians. In the
Kansas City neighborhood. at the
time mentioned. many Indian women
intermarrIed with French or French
Canadian trappcrs and traders. At
that time the Senecas. Osages Wy
andottes. kaws and Quanaws resided
In that locality. and among the trap
pers we're the Clairmont Lessarts,
from Canada and formerly from NJ
satia.
When Clement Lessart died or
mysteriously disappeared, in the ear
~ SOS, all that he left to his widow
was good sized brood of children
and poverty enough to 20 around
There was plenty OF that In the Les
sart family in those DAYS. Now the
name Of Lessart Is even discarded in
many instances and his wife's maiden
name OF Roy adopted by their de.
pendants. In the Usage nation the
many descendants are known as
rule as the Roy family
Mother Followed the Indians.
While the Lessart family was thus
destitute, following the fathers dis
appearance. the Osage Indians left
the Kansas City neighborhood and
located in the Neosho river in the
Then territory OF Kansas With them
the Catholic missionaries and priests
went. and the church founded on thu
Neosho mission for the Indians
Not long after the completion OF the
mission. Julia Roy-Lessart appeared
With her brood Of children and as.
serted her rights and theirs as mem
bers OF the Usage tribe. No one
Knew how the brave woman had
Travelled II was a long distance In
those DAYS from Kansas City to the
Usage mission and there was but n
trail to follow.
The United States agent In charge
OF the Osares had never heard OF
Clement l.essart nor the Roys nor OF
any fair-complexioned Usage with a
brood OF blonde children. So he de-
manded proof that she was OF Usage
blood. The Indian council refused
her claim and even her Indian rela-
slvos denied their relationship. But
she was determined The Usage peo-
pie were then poor. There was moth
ing to indicate that today they would
be the richest people per capita on
the face of the earth and wonder
might he expressed that Julia Roy
was 50 determined TO have citizen.
ship in her tribe. The only reason is
that there was Indian blood In her