Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-11-29
OPEN PRISON DOORS
Suggestion That 259 Apache
Indians Be Liberated.
BEHIND BARS AT FORT SILL
Board of Commissioners Makes Sug-
gestion Regarding Remnant of
Geronimo's Band of Braves.

The board Of Indian commissioners ad-
vances the proposition that $50 Apache
Indians, who are prisoners of war on the
Fort Sill military reservation Oklahoma
be set free.
The great part Of them so desiring, it is
proposed by the board that they shall be
transported and given their liberty on the
reservation in New Mexico set apart for
their cousins. the Mescalero Apaches.
who have invited them to join them. AL
lotment Of land to the freed Indians on
the same basis as the resident Indians on
the reservation is proposed.
There are some Indian prisoners who
did not care to emigrate. and would pre-
fer provision for their settlement in the
vicinity of Fort Sill. Their wishes would
be met by the commission with the trans
fer to them of dead Kiowa and Comanche
allotments. This would satisfy the small
err contingent of the prisoners:
Many Suspects Only.
Only six or seven Of these prisoners
had any part in Geronimo's attempt to
upset the government of the great White
Father. Many were merely fellow
tribesmen, who fell under suspicion of
49,
enemy, and were victims of their SYM
patty for a losing cause. The greater
part of them, however, are children of a
new generation, who We're not even born
when Geronimo gave the trained troops
of the United States a gigantic task to
subdue him.
The board of Indian commissioners, re-
porting on the strength of an investiga-
ccin NM or
George Vaux, jr., urges congressional leg
islation to effect the liberty of the pris-
oners on these terms Two-thirds OF the
Indians are anxious to go to the Mes
calero reservation. A small minority in
sists upon right to allotment within the
Fort Sill reservation.
The board of commissioners is in IA
vor Of legislation which would provide
an appropriation of 500 600 for transfer
to New Mexico of the Indians who choose
to go, and their establishment, with equal
rights with the Mescalero Apaches,
ethnologically their relatives. on their
reservation.
Abrogation Of Leases Probable.
Much Of the land at Mescalero is under
lease for grazing purposes, two white
men holding the privilege over 242VJo
acres. The commission believes it would
be necessary to abrogate some or the
existing leases before justice could be
done in the matter of allotment of land
to the newcomers
For those who would remain on the
Fort Sill reservation the commission
ers propose allotment of so acres agri-
cultural land or 100 acres grazing land,
for which an appropriation Of $150UOO is
estimated. Dead Kiowa and Comanche
allotments would satisfy the Indians de-
string to remain near their present
homes, and the commission suggests that
they be set free on acceptance Of allot-
ment.
The great danger to the physical we'll
being Of the Indians from intermarriage
in their present condition as prison.
ers of war is pointed out by the commits
sion. 1t relates that only half dozen
of the prisoners at most were ever hostile
to the United States and that the larger
proportion were born into captivity.