The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-04-26


T. Shelton, agent of the Navajo In
E dams at Shiprock. n. NJ. at any
w, time Of the day or cyening the
chances are he will find one or
Two blUe-clad Indian policemen on
hand. They represent the central
dstail" OF the reservation police force
There are eight or ten others scat
cred among the hills and mesas and
this little band has driven the outlaws
md whisky sellers out of "A territory
IF 5000 square miles in extent
The Navajo Indian police arc hard
riders, game fighters and above all
things else, faithful TO their agent,
whom they regard as a sort Of walking
edition Of U..le Sam himself. says a
writer in the Los Angeles Times. They
care little about the muniiiCent salary
of $50 a month the government pays
them for their services. 1t Is for
"NOn-ton.ni-nez" (the tall captain), as
they term MIR. Shelton. that they face
more dangers than fall TO the lot of
the average city policeman, 20 say
nothing Of hardships TO which the com.
fortably housed metropolitan officer is
total stranger
There Is a certain element Of pride
In wearing the government uniforms
also and in the authority il gives the
wearer among his tribesmen-to say
nothing Of the delights of life in tho
saddle which appeal 10 any Of these
horsemen of the desert
than a dozen men to keep order and
enforce the laws In a range of terri
t""v as extensive as a New England
- but the police under Agent Shell
ton have done II for eight years. Only
once was IT necessary to call upon the
soldiers for assistance and that was in
subduing an Indian outlaw. By-a-lil-e.
who had gathered a number Of sup
porters and was bent on leading
Robin Hood existence I'm the most in
accessible part Of the reservation.
When By-a-lille was finally captured
the Indian police were in the van and
bore the brunt OF the fire which the
outlaw and his retainers directed at
the representatives OF law and order
Choosing Candidates for the Police.
I'm choosing candidates for the In.
dian police influential men among the
indians are picked Following the ex.
ample Of those who selected frontier
marshals from among the gunner"
In early days MIR shelton has I'm sew.
eral instances picked as policemen In
dans who have been known as bad"
Some OF the most valuable members
Of the force have been engaged I'm
ugly outbreaks in the past. but the
agent has been justified in his shrewd
choice, for the donning OF the Official
blue has in every case served TO elm.
mate the "broncho" I'm the redsklns q
disposition
One OF the most Jealous members Of
the force today was n leader I'm an out
break in what is known as the -Four
Corners Country" where the states OF
Colorado. Utah, Arizona and New
Mexico meet Some "bronCho" indians
got into difficulty with a trader. who
quickly rallied dozen or more COW.
boys TO his support Shots were ex-
changed and the cowboys were com
PEELED TO stand at bay in the hills.
where IL seemed probable that they
would be massacred unless they Sc.
cured aid The trader volunteered TO
attempt to get through the cncircling
lines OF Indians and said he would
hoist white handkerchief on a near.
by hill II he cot through
When the handkerchief luttered on
/ the hill the Indians saw it and real.
! ized what It meant Two OF them
struck the trail OF the trader and start.
ed in hot pursuit. one of the Indians
is now policeman lie tells today
how he pursued the trader with mur.
der In his heart and felt strong enough
10 Kill all the white men in the world
But the trader halted Just after round
ing the brow OF the hill and when the
Indians came upon him he had them
covered with a rife and ordered them
TO throw up their hands
When ! looked into the barrel oI
that gun" said the policeman laugh
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