The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-01-08
BUREAU RIGHTS
Indians WRONGS
Reply Made to Charge that
Agents Cannot Cope with
Land Frauds.
RESTITUTION is MADE
Attorney for MeReynolds Shows Sac
cess in Protecting Write Earth
Reservation Tribes.

The history Of the legal action taken
recently to right the wrong done the
Indians Of the White Earth Reservation
of Minnesota by land sharks was given
Yesterday by c. C. Daniels, attorney of
the Department of Justice. in charge Of
the White Earth matters. as an answer
to the statement that the Indian Bureau
appears unable to cope with the condi-
tons on this and other reservations.
Mr.. Daniels points out that in three in
stances the action of the department has
led to restitution being made to the In
dams for land obtained from them. He
further says that a force is now engaged
on the reservation gathering data for
other proceedings that will be brought In
these land cases. and that there is now
p aiding a petition for a publication of
the White Earth rolls. This is only a
part Of the work that is being done by
department for the protection of the
Indians, according to Mr.. Daniels. He
said:
Many Wrongs Rfshted.
Il was placed in charge of White Earth
matters by the Department of Justice
In August. /, Of course, know nothing
OF conditions preceding my connection
with White Earth matters. but since
done toward righting the wrongs of the
Indians on that reservation.
Indictments which had been found in
November, 1911,- charging KoIb and Per-
rault with criminal conspiracy in secur-
ing the lands Of full-blood Indians on
this reservation. were tried at the No
yember term of the United States District
Court, at Fergus Falls. Mimi, and
both defendants convicted Restitution
nv nfg
paid to the superintendent of White
Earth agency $4,000 in cash, and between
500 and 700 acres of land of which the
Indians had been defrauded. reconveyed
to the superintendent for the use and
benefit of the defrauded Indians The
defendants were fined $500 each. Since |
that trial. another Indictment for GRIM |
inal conspiracy in defrauding these In |
dams has been settled. l. S. Waller |
has entered a plea of nolo condere, and |
paid to the Indian agent 5000 in cash. |
'reconveyed to him 1.1e0 acres of land out |
of which the Indians had been defrauded |
and paid a fine of 800.
Preserving Indians Testimony.
THE Court of Appeals in November
last handed down its decision on the 1
blood status Of the Indians as affected |
by the Clapp act, from which appeal !!
has been taken to the Supreme Court. A
force is now on the reservation taking
the dispositions of about forty Indians
who are over seventy-five years of age,
for the purpose Of preserving their testi-i
mony to be used in the various suits now
pending for the recovery CT land that it
is alleged las been wrongfully secured
from full-blood Indians. There Is now
pending in the Court of Appeals a petition
for the publication of White Earth rolls,
and every effort is being made to ex-
pedite a herring of the same, so as to
settle the question of who is entitled to
be on the rolls and share in the property
of the tribe.
Investigation is being made along other
lines by bott the Indian Bureau and the
Department of Justice for the purpose of
protecting the rights o. the Indians III
other respects.
No Cause for Complaint.
That the action taken by the Indian
Bureau and the Department of Justice (;
is not satisfactory to those interested in
the wrongful acquiring of Indian lands
and the despoiling of the Indians. there
is no question, but even these parties have
no complaint to make of the activity Of
the work now being done under the In
dian Bureau and the Department Of I