Bridgeton pioneer., 1914-01-08
BIGGEST OF indian
LAND SCANDALS
Paving the Way-FOr a Sweeping
Inquiry Into Alleged Theft.
WHISKY BAIT OF DESPOILERS

Stolen In One State Alone, Says
United States Commissioner Sells.
Criminal Prosecutions In Fight to
Recover Red Mans 6irthriahts.
On the eve of leaving Washington to
look into the relations of the govern.
ment with the Indians of the west
Commissioner of Indian Affairs Cato
Sells announced his program as fol-
lows:
A series of conferences with those in
control of Indian affairs, at which the
condition of the Indians will be inves-
tigated.
Criminal prosecution of those who
have robbed the red men, the big Of
renders to be called to the attention of
the attorney general, the small offend
ers to be dealt with by local grand
juries.
Compilation Of facts for presentation
to congress, with request for drastic
legislation to safeguard the health and
wealth of the Indian.
Discussion of plans for the control Of
the liquor traffic.
Commissioner Sells plans to recover
from embezzlers the millions of dollars
which he asserts the red men have lost
to land sharps. If he carries out his
program there will be the most sensa-
donai prosecutions, ON a wider scale
and involving more money, than have
ever been known in the history of In
dian prosecutions in the department of
justice.
Whisky the Indians Nemesis.
The value of Indian property is esti-
mated at nearly billion dollars in one
state alone, and as there has been no
report from those in charge Of these es-
tates for years it is expected that the
shakeup may affect a great many i'm
portant persons.
THE investigations" said Commits
sioner Sells, (which am to make will
be largely at Denver, where l am to
meet thirty special officers and clerks,
who will report on what they have
done to suppress the liquor traffic,
$1,000 - WIN Tie EOOL OI
great deal of the misfortune attending
the Indians.
ef'rom there / will go to Muskogee
Okla, where l will have a general con.
ference with the county judges of the
forty counties in which there are In.
dian tribes, with the attorneys of the
tribes, and with number of attor-
neys whom | will appoint These lat
ter are to look into the cases of nu.
merous estates of the richest Indians
In America. which have been dissi.
pated and the heirs impoverished.
I'VE know of cases in which these
estates have been reduced to nothing,
while some responsible persons have
either absconded or cannot be reached
by civil process for the return of the
fortunes they have taken illegally from
the Indian children.
wherever we find that men cannot
be reached by civil process we will
refer the guilty persons to the attor-
ney general for prosecution. Minor
cases We can perhaps handle by ref
erence to the local grand jury.
New Laws to Be Recommended.
"Of course out of all this will come
recommendations for specific legisla-
ton that will make such things impos-
sible in the future, and we expect
congress to pass the legislation.
I'VE propose to make it necessary
that persons having charge Of what
ought to be the vast estates of the
wards of the nation shall make month
ly reports. We shall systematic our
ways Of dealing with the Indians, and
we propose to institute the reforms
Immediately. We shall remove guar
dams Immediately who are unworthy
anG will endeavor to restore In what
ever way possible the property that
has been stolen.
'The regulation of the liquor traffic
lies to great extent at the bottom OF
the morals of the case, and we expect
great and substantial good to come out
OF our general conferences on that
subject at Denver"