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Show REPORT OF THE 00MMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAlRS. 71 KILLING OF UTES IN COLORADO. On the 24th of October, 1807, when a party of Ute Indians from the Uintah aud Ouray Reservationin Utah were hunting on the north side of Snake River in Colorado, two of them were killed and two were wounded by a squad of game wardens of Colorado. Immediately, tbe newspapers contained the usua1,startling accounts of an Indian out-break; that the Utes mere on the warpath, and settlers in southwestern Colorado were fleeing for their lives,etc. November 1, Capt. W. H. Beck, U. S. A., the acting agent for the Uintah andOuray Agency, who was then in this city, received the fol-lowing telegram from theclerk whom he hadleft in chargeof the agency: Two White River Utes were killed and aquavs wounded in first enaounter, 58 reported; haveheard of the second encounter. Dr. Reamer leftla~teveningto attend the wounded aquews. Indians here me much agitated. I respectfully sai that you request troops be stationed at agency at ome. In accordance with Captain Beck's recommendation the War Depart-ment was requested to direct SIIC~ movement of the troops at Fort Duchesne as would assure protection to the agency, and suppress any hostile demonstration which the White River Utes might attempt to make; which request was complied with. November 3,1897, this office recommended that an inspector be sent to the Uintith and Oursy Agency to ascertain the facts, and Special 111dian Agent E. B. Reynolds was ordered to make such investigation. December 16,1897, he rendered his report, of which the following is a summary: On the 23d of November, at the Uintah Agency, he took the state-mentsof the Indians, and, according to the uncontradicted testimony of Ungut sho one Star, four men and three women mere in camp 3 miles from what is known as Thompsonls ranch, while the rest of their party were out hunting. On the morning of October 26 Star and 80 on a muuche Kent, on their way to Thompson's ranch, met and had a little conversation with two white men, one of whom was armed with a Win-chester rifle and pistol. A short distance farther on they saw a squad of men whom they knew to be game wardens, whereupon they turned back to the camp. So on a munche Kent got away, but Star was cap-tured and disarmed by the wardens, who took him with them to the camp. Upon their arrival at the camp, about 10 8. m., they immedi-ately covered Shinaraff and Coo a mnnche with their rifles, and after-wwds told the Indians that they wished them to go to Thompson7q and endeavored to arrest the men, who resisted md got away. In the afternoon, three or four hours after their. arrival, the wardens wrn-menced firing on the Indians, and, after killing two men and wounding two of the women, left the camp. The Indians who had escaped or were out hunting returned and buried the dead, and all started that evening for the agency, traveling all night. |