Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1912-06-20

T. Shelton, agent Of the Navajo In
dams at shiprock. N. NJ. at any
time of the day or evening the
chances are be will find one or
two blue-clad Indian policemen on
hand. They represent the central
detail" of the reservation police force
There are eight or ten others scat.
tered among the hills and mesas and
this little band has driven the outlaws
and whisky sellers out Of territory
Of 5000 square miles in extent.
The Navajo Indian police are hard
riders. game fighters and above all
things else. faithful to their agent.
whom they regard as a sort Of walking
edition of Uncle Sam himself. says a
writer in the Los Angeles Times They
care little about the muniticent salary
Of $50 q month the government pays
them for their services. 1t ts for
"Non-ton,ni-nez" 1.-THE tall captain as
they term Mr.. Shelton. that they face
more dangers than fall to the lot OF
the average city policeman. TO say
nothing of hardships to which the com.
fortably7 housed metropolitan officer Is
a total stranger
There Is certain element of pride
in wearing the government uniforms
also and in the authority II gives the
wearer among his tribesmen-to say
nothing Of the delights OF life In the
saddle which appeal to any OF these
horsemen OF the desert
1t would seem impossible for less
than a dozen men to keep order and
enforce the laws In q range Of terri
tory as extensive as Nav England
state. but the police under Agent Shell
ton have done 1t for eight years Only
once was It necessary to call upon the
soldiers for assistance and that was In
suhduing an Indian outlaw. Ry,a lille.
who had gathered number OF sup
porters and was bent on leading
Robin Hood existence in the most In.
accessible part OF the reservation.
When By-a-lilile 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
ths, representatives of law and order.
Choosing Candidates for the Police.
In choosing candidates for the In
dian police Influential men among the
Indiana, are nickel, Following the ,ex.
ample Of those who selected frontier
marshals from among the gunner"
IN early days. Mr.. Shalton has In sew.
eral instances picked as policemen In
dams who have been known as bad"
Some Of the most valuable .memhe
Of the force have been engaged In
ugly outbreaks In the past. but the
agent has been justified In his shrewd
choice. for the donnisg OF the official
blue has In every case served to elm
inste the "bropch0" In the redskin's
disposition.
Ono OF the most zea lous smembers of
the force today swas.a leader in an out.
break In what is known as the -Four
Corners Country" where the states OF
Colorado. Utah. Arizona and New
Mexico meet. Some "hroncho" Indians
got into difficulty with a trader, who
quickly rallied a dozen or more cow
boys TO his support Shots were ex-
changed and the cowboys we're CON-
PEELED to stand at bay In the hills,
where It seemed probable that they
would be massacred unless they Sc
cured aid The trader volunteered to
attempt to- get thFonsh the encirciing
lines Of Indians. and said he would
hoist q white handkerchief on a near.
by hill, II, epgot through
When the handkerchief Huttered on
the hill the Indians saw 1t and real.
ized what 1t meant Two OF them
struck the trail of the trader and start.
ed in hot pursuit. One OF the Indians
10 now q policeman, He tells today
how he pursued the trader with muir
der In his heart and felt strong enough
to 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, rife and .ordered them
to throw up their hands o.
When ] looked into the barrel OF
that gun" said the policeman laugh.
ingly. II didn't feel strong any more.