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Show 98 REPORT OF THE COMMIBBIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. have. ro e-r s~o- nallv nroceeded to the scene. but could not see the neceasits' for so doing acthe time the informat.idn reached me. I was also pri-oaring to transport some prisoners from Mnscogee to the penitentiary &d h%d all arcingementsmade to leave with thim. - On the night of the 11th telegrams reached me describing scenes of bloodshed and terror because of an aUeged uprising of the Indians, it being positively set forth that the town of Maud, Okla., had been burned and that more than twenty-five men, women,, and children had been murdered by the Seminole Indians. This information was traced directly to the telegraph operator of the Choctaw, Oklahoma and G-nlf Railway at Earlsboro, Okla., who gave them out as facts. " ' ' About noon I received telegra~nsfr om my deputies and other officials then at the scene of the alleged txonble that the reports sent out by the operator at Earlsboro were all fakes and wholly unfounded, but had been circulated for the purpose of creating a sentiment to shield the members of the mob who came from Oklahoma and burned the two Indian boys. Commissioner Fears also wired me that there was no necessity for my going to Wewoka, as all was then being done that was possible to discover the identity of those who composed the mob. Mr. Fears adviscd me that he had issued certain subpcenas and war-rants and that he had no doubt the facts would be developed. That night (12th) I received a telegram from one of my deputies that he had reached Wewoka with one of the parties, and asked instructions as to disposition of prisoner. I directed him to take the prisoner and sub-poena witnesses before Commissioner Fears at Eufaula. That night I left for Boonville, Ma., Columbus, Ohio, and Washington, D. C., with United States prisoners. I am advised, under date of the 16th, that one of my deputies has secured a full list of the names of all persons who were implicated in the burning of the t,wo Indians, together with the names of witnesses to the crime, and that the whole matter has been nresented to the erand iurv. now in session at Vioita. I have thie lrst of names beiore me, Gut ?or obvious reasons deem it proper to omit giving tl~emi u this connection. Threeor fo111.of those on the list wcre residents of the lucliau Territory-,. b ut the ma-i orits-' of the mob was made up of residents of Oklahoma. I desire to assure you that every officer connected with the United States courts in the northern distriet of Indian Territory will use a11 lawful means at his and their commmd to bring the guilty party before the bar of justice. In another communication I will present to you certain suggestions which are, in my opioion, proper for your attention. It may not be out of place for me to advise you at this time of the fact that along the eastern boundary of Oklahoma, within 200 yards, in some cases a mile, from the westlineof the Seminole and Creek nations there have been established a great many whisky joints, from which there are daily sold to these Indians many gallons of thevilest of whisky and of alcohol. Such places are located at Maud,Violet Springs, Earls-boro, Eeokuk Falls, Stroud, etc. Nearly all the crlme along the west-ern portion of my district arises from the presence of these saloons just across the line, and I believe that hlly one-half of the whisky introduced in the northern district comes from Oklahoma. The officers of this district hope to secure the cooperation of the official of Okla-homa in putting a stop to this traffic by the prosecution of those who are engaged therein, and steps in this direction were taken several weeks since. In response to a resolution of the Senate of January 20,1898, asking that the Attorney.General and the Secretary of the Interior inform the |
