Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-05-21
II MA LAaiC POLIO EIZaZT

~ ONE drops in at the office of ".
T. Shelton, agent of the Navajo III
dams at Shiprock. n. NJ. at any
time of the day or evening the
chances are he 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 sort Of walking
edition of Uncle Sam himself. says a
writer In the Los Angeles Times. They
care little about the muniflcent salary
of $50 month the government pays
them for their services. II Is for
"Non.ton-ni-nez" 1.-THE tall captain). as
they term Mr.. Shelton. that they face
more dangers than fall to the lot CT
the average city policeman. to say
nothing of hardships to which the conf
fortably housed metropolitan officer is
total stranger
There is certain element Of pride
in wearing the government uniforms
also and in the authority 1t 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 4 dozen men to keep order and
enforce the laws In range Of terri
tory rs extensive as a New England
state. but the police under Agent Shell
ton have done it for eight years. Only
cHce was it necessary to call upon the
soldiers for assistance and that was in
subduing an Indian outlaw, By-a-lil-le.
who had gathered number OF sup
porters and was bent on leading a
Robin Hood existence in the most in
accessible part Of the reservation.
When By-a.lil.le 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.
In choosing candidates for the In
dian police influential men among the
indians are picked. Following the en-
ample Of those who selected frontier
marshals from among the gunner"
in early days, Mr.. Shelton has in sew
eral instances picked as policemen In
dams who have been known as bad"
Some OF the most valuable members
OF the force have been engaged in
ugly outbreaks in the past, but the
agent has been justified in his shrewd
choice. for the DOMINIC OF the official
blue has in every case served to elm
mate the "broncho" in the redskins
disposition.
One Of the NEST jealous members of
the force today was 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 "broncho" Indians
got into difficulty with a trader, who
quickly rallied dozen or more cow
boys to his support. Shots We're ex-
changed and the cowboys were COM
PEELED to stand at bay in the hills.
where i; seemed probable that they
would be massacred unless they Sc
cured aid The trader volunteered to
attempt to get through the encircling
lines Of Indians and said he would
hoist white handkerchief on near
by hill II he got through.
When the handkerchief fluttered on
the hill the Indians saw it and real
lied what 1t meant. Two of them
struck the trail OF the trader and start.
ed In hot pursuit. One Of the Indians
is now a 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 rifle and ordered them
10 throw up their hands.
sWhen ] looked :nto the barre! o.
that gum" said the policeman laugh
sngly, II didn't feel strong any more