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Show and while it might be desirable for reasons of state to hold them as prisoners, yet under the circumstances, as known and believed by the people in the vicinity of his agency, such treatment of them was unnecessary and unjust, particularly so as some of them had families to support and could get employment if released at that time. He also stated that they have always been friendly to this Qovernment, self-sustaining, and honorable and truthful to a marked degree, were not criminals and were not aware of having comniitted any offense, and that unless there was more to the recent affair than was apparent in that section of the country, he was of the opinion that they ought at once to be released and allowed to return to thei? homes on parole. The question as to their continned imprisonmellt was submitted to the Department in office letter of June 8 last, and June 10 the Department directed that eleven of the prisoners, who were adjudged to have been the least guilty in the attack on the Mexican village, be released on their solemn promise and agreement to avoid further disturbance and not again to cross the international boundary line; also that the teu sent to the Phcenix school, Arizona, and put to work making bricks, be kept in custody for three months from the date of their capture and then paroled on the same conditions as were the others. Their term of imprisonment expired on July 27, and they have been paroled and allowed to return to their homes. Concerning the four ringleaders, the Department directed that they be held for trial, as recommended by Inspector Nesler, and they are in the custody of the agent. NOIZTHERN CHEYENNE RESERVATION, MONT. The Indian appropriation act approved July 1, 1898, contains the following section providing for an investigation of affairs upon the Tongue River Reservation, in Montana: SEC. 10. That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, directed to send nn inspeetor of his Department to the reservation of the Northern Cheyenne Indians, in the State of Montana, and said agent shall be instruetad to make s full and oom-plete report to the Seoretaxy of the Interior upon the conditions existing upon said reservation, aaid report to he amilable for use on or before the fifteenth day of November, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight. It shall be the duty of the aaid inspeator to asoertein if it is feasible to aecure the removal of said Northern Cheyenne Indians from the present reservation to some portion of the Crow Indian Reservation, in the State of Montana. He shall also ascertain and report in detail the number and names of the white settler8 lagally upon the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, the number of sores of land owned by them, its location, and the value thereof, and of the improvements thereon. Also the number and names of white settlers who are alleged to be illegally settlep npon the reservation, the ciroumstanees attending their settlement thereon, and their looation. He 9hall also enter into negotiation8 vith the white settlers npon said reservation, who have valid titles, for the sale of their land8 and improvement. to the Government; and he is hereby authorized md empowered to make written agree-ments with sooh settlers, which agreements shall not be binding until ratified and approved by the Secretsry of the Interior. He ahdl a180 make reoommend&tions a8 |
