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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. LXXXVII intelligent Indiaos, who preside with becoming digui t .~an d render impartial judg-ment. The salutary effect produced by the existence of this eonrt is best svideuced by the 'infrequency of ofensea. After a few trials of aflrnders and their judicious punishment by order of the coort there mns a sn~l~lednec line iu the number of cases for trial, and the repugnance to appearing in court as n culprit is w xmernl that it is seldom neckssmv to convene it. An ellieienf i,oIice is erer r e n d to enforce its mandates and the substantial jail hard hr is a sileut terror to would-be eril-doers. It is ap. .pa rent the simple existellee of the court exerts apowerfnl restroinitlgindueoca Putccn, Patonee, avtd Otos Agenog, O%lnkoa~a.--When I took charge of this agency there wan no conrt of Indim offenses, although they had asked the former agent to hare it established. When I informed them of the establishment of said oourt they \\-ere highly pleased. The oourt is composed of the fallowing persons, via: Erave Chief, Si~uC hief, 8ud Eagle Chief. The first two named were appointed December 1, 1889, and have been in continnous service. Engle Chief was appointed May 1, 1890, to fill vacaneg; Brave Chief wears citizens' dress in whole, the other tmo in part only. They do not &peak Englsh, use their infloenoe for the eduostion of the children, live in cornfortable log-houses, and are of good character. The number of individuals tried since the organizatiou of the court is 24. Settlement of sststes, 4; adiostment of debts. 10: burning other people's property, 3; drinking liquor and ~~ -~ being drunk on rbc rcrrrrartou, I : wpurnr;on of nlitrringed. 3. Thocv81rt lllears the3d nodl:ld<deachm outh. A1 ri~eopzningu f the collrt rhe clrrk of the court reads the different cases on file and interprets them to the judges. The ~ ~ ~ - first casais titen rried,illi W ~ I ~ ~ S SlleCitnJ:: SWUIU bofi>rr,giringr hr evidence in tht~rura. \Vl!rt, rha ease inas been l!card each oi rlxc jt~dge:egs iver hin dcg iaiun, rhi rh rao oirho same deoiaion carries. The proceetling-s of the court are amefully taken down by the . clerk ancl are written in a book. When there are no eases to be tried the court frames and makes lays to govern the reservation. The influence of the court is good, and court dar slwavs finds the room crowded with Indians. They see how white men try their criminals, and they thinkit is a, betterway than to settle with clubs andbutoher-knives. They are glad to haves court among them, a8 it is doing good. Thereturned school boys are also glad, for it gives them s. chance to praotieelaw among their own people. The o o ~ rotf Indian offruses sppoiuted a. clerk of their wor t and twosheriffs to execute the law. The judges should be uuiformed and a higher sdary paid to make their position more holiorsble. Silets Agenog, ore go,^.-Dsriag the last fiscal rear we have only had one judge, Charley Depoe, age fifty-six, appointed October 1, 1880, for niue montha at 55 per month. He has given rsrygenernl sat,isfnction, is an honest, upright man. There havebeen 76 eases in all come up in our oourt dnriug the last year, of which 48 are oivil and 25 orimioal, and have been disposed of as follows: In the civil oases, 7 were dismissed, 7 mere compromised, 26 were decided far plaintiff, and 8for defendant. The amouotsinvolvedvnry from one dollar up to$100. The criminal oases mere disposed of as follovs: Two for indecent behavior, foond guilty and senteuoed to jail at hard labor, one for 5 days, and one for 20 days; 2 for fornication, one aoquitted and oue found guilty and sent to jail at hardlabor 5 days; 2 for stealing, one acquitted and one fooud guilty and sent to jail st hard labor 40 days; 1 using profaue language in court, sent to jail at hard labor 3 days; 3 adultery, BU fooud guilty and sentenced, one 15 days, oue 45 days, and one 50 days in jail at hard labor; 4 ~ife.beatiog, one aoquitted, one sent jaii 5 ddyye, one 20 drsya at hard labor, and in the other case both the husbaud and wife were locked np in different cells for one day eaoh; 1 abuse of sick, found guilty and sent to jail 10 days; 2 attempted raps, acquitted; 2 destroying property, aoquitted; 1 abusing atook, acquitted; 5 fighting, convicted, sent from 1 to 7 days'in jail ; 3 drunk and bringing whisky on the reservation, found guilty, and one aenteuoed 5 days and tvo 30 days eaoh in jail at hard labor. Our court is more like a board of arbitration. We select, two policemen in no way related to the litigants and place them on the cave with the judge. The chief of |