OCR Text |
Show THE RESCUE. 153 soldiers appeared, and the Indians bounded away with a terrified yell. Adams experienced some difficulty in bringing his escort together again, but finally succeeded, and they proceeded to the Agency. November 25, 1879, the Secretary of the Interior appointed a Commission, consisting of General Edward Hatch, General Charles Adams and chief Ouray to investigate the recent troubles, and bring the guilty to justice. The meetings of this Commission were held in a log hut at the Uncompahgre Agency. A canvas was drawn across the building to partition off the eating and sleeping apartment from the council chamber, and back of this canvas General Hatch, without the knowledge of the Indians, placed his personal escort of twelve men. Ouray sent a message to the hostiles ordering them to meet the Commission. The ring-leaders all appeared, heavily armed, and with grum and surly countenances, protested their ignorance of everything. At one time the building was surrounded by several hundred Indians in war-paint, and the Commission seemed in imminent danger of being murdered. Even Ouray, at times, assumed a hostile appearance. The finding of this Commission, was, in brief, that for the fight with Major Thornburg the Indians should not be held responsible, but for the massacre, the twelve Indians, headed by Douglass, must be surrendered for trial. The Indians agreed to turn over the twelve thus designated to the Government, with the stipulation that they should have a fair trial by other than a Colorado jury. A bill was introduced into Congress to remove the Utes from Colorado into the Territory of Utah. The Senate refused to pass the bill, or make any treaty with them unless the twelve men were brought to justice with- |