Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-26

Inc news that General Scott had &C
compIished the errand which called him
10 the southwest and was on his way
to Salt Lake City with the Piutc Indian
whom the marshars posse had striven
In vain TO capture, surprised no one
who knows the general and his
methods.
What will surprise a great many per-
sons who are unfamiliar with Indian
affairs is the discovery that this whole
performance. which has OF late fur
nished so thrilling a text for the head
line writer's of the sensational press.
Is not an outbreak, or new Indian
war. or anything even remotely SAVIOR
ing Of the dime novel literature OF n
half-century ago. but Il sordid un-
theatrical incident such as occurs every
DAY among white people without unduly
exciting the ncighboring community
an attempt by man charged with
crime 10 escape the process servers
who wish TO throw him into jail pre-
paratory to submitting his case TO the
Judgment Of twelve ostcnsibly unprcJu-
diced critics. who may conclude that no
ought To be hanged.
Rcnson. for Scotrs Success
General SCOTS success with Indians
Wherever he has had occasion to ne
Eotiatc with them is due TO more than
one cause. First, his personality i'm
presses them. He is serious in express
speaks in low voice: that Is the
fashion OF the wise men among the In
dams themselves. He Is direct in APP
preaching u subject, wastes no words.
listens attentivtly Ia whatever any one
else has 10 say and preserves dis
Greet silence till NC has all the evil
dcncc before hun. Then. when answer,
or comment, or argument is demanded.
he tells the plain truth. The Indians
have little use for euphemisms, II
they wish TO know what is the penalty
Of murder, they would rather have the
frank statement that IL is death than
all the roundabout phrases which can
he used to soften tho disagreeable fact
or ~ break the news less abruptly.
Scott Is patient 10 tho point OF tircless-
ness. If the Indians wish to take time
to think q proposition over, he gives
them what they need: then, when that
matter is settled. il Is settled. So
mcthodical is he that in any council
or conference directed by him you could
almost formulate schedule OF it's
stages from beginning to end like that
OF railroad journey. and mark OFT
the intermediate stations as they are
reached and passed.
In the second place. Scott does not
have to depend upon oral questions and
answers in conducting business with
Indians. He is master OF the sign
language, which is common to all the
10 so few whites that when one ad
yances with that art as passport they
are ready, and usually glad, TO treat
with him II is "A form OF introduce
ton which breaks down all the conven-
tional barriers of race. The OF II
throws, as the lawyers would say, the
burden OF proof upon the other side,
for IL is az II the elders OF the tribe
would say: For ordinary white men
we care not; we do not recognize
f.,t. I. r., NJ
sideration. But here is one of our
selves; he speaks our language; he
can think our thoughts, and translate
them through his fingers and hands and
arms. He can understand what we say
in return. The interpreters cannot
make a fool Of him by putting false
words into our mouths when we speak
TO him, or into his mouth when ne
speaks to us Let us listen to him.
Perhaps he brings us n message that
VIII be good for us. If not, we can
throw 1t away, and do as we choose;
but IL ii Is good we can trust him,
for we shall understand just what II
is. the worst OF 1t as well as the best
OF It," In short, SCOTS mastery OF
tho sign language creates atmos-
phere broadly favorable TO his mission
even before he has ANNOUNCED the pur-
pose of his coming.
Known an nrave Man.
Into such an instance as the present
who have lived always in the midst of
the higher civilization find II hard to
comprehend. Scott is q soldier, and
bears his profession written on his
front. There is scarcely an Indian in
the wilder West old or young, who does
not know him by reputation az a brave
man. full OF genuine humanity. BY
that insolublc process Of communica-
ton, that primitive frccmasonry, to
be observed among Indians everywhere,
the moment he invades Il certain dis
trict the red men living thcreabout are
appraised Of his coming as surely as il
they were adopts in wireless tclegraphy.
They know In the Same way of the
coming OF civilian who is likely to
have any business dealings with them
But they have tho sense that tho
civilian can easily he misled-thcy can
make him think that they have left
tho country, and he will SEQ nothing
but deserted tepees. or hogans or
cabins. They cannot. and they are
aware that they cannot, thus deceive
soldier who grew up on tho border
and earned his cpaulettcs in strategy
and lighting there. Moreover, the word
Of soldier weighs n great deal with
them. II they have not passed. In their
social development, the condition IN
which their respect for force liz nara
mount to everything else. they feel that
when the soldier makes n demand and
tells them what will happen IL they
fall to meet II, there is something solid