OCR Text |
Show On July 6, 1896, the Attorney-General referred to this Department a letter from the United States attorney for Wyoming, concerning the case of Rwe Horse, with request that the suggestions therein be promptly acted upon, and with the stateluent that he had secured what he started out for, viz, "The release of the poor fellow who stood for the rights of his tribe." The attorney's letter, dated June 29, 1896, reads as follows: I have seen Governor Richards and Mr. Fowler, the attorney-general of the State, withrespect to the Race Horse matter, and they deaire that he be brought into court and turned over to the State authoritiea, in oooardsnee with the mandate of the Stloreme Court of the United States. The"y se"v that as soon as this is done thev will then take him into the district court of Uintn County, Wyo., in which court the informs,tition was origin%ll.llgf iled charging him with killin-g p-a me in violation of the laws of the Statq ind there at one; enter a, noue prosequi in his case, their object being, according to their statement to me, to thoroughly imprese npon the Indians tho fact that they have not the right to hunt game in violation of the laws of the State. Judge Riner seems to be firmly convinced that it is his bounden duty to turn this Indiauover to the State authorities in accordance with the order of the Supreme Court, and if he is not brought here he says that he will certainly issue a bench warrant for hia apprehension. From what I have bean told of the sitllstion at the Bannock Ageney,I feel pretty sure that if the Indian should be arrested under a bench warrant and brought here by the marshal, it wonld cause very serions diffi-culty with tho other Indians upon the agency, and to sroid this and save the Gov-ernment both trouble and expense, the best thing to do would be for the Depsrt-ment of tho Interior to bring this man down and go through the formality desired by the State anthorities. The above correspondence having been referred to this office, I tele-graphed as follows on July 10: To the district attorney: H?TB this clay written Agent Teter to have Ewe Horse in oourt. Please ask Judge Riner to extend time for his appearanoe until agent oan have received my letter and acted opon it. To Governor Richards: Have to-thy written Agent Teter directing him to have RsceHorse in court. Also telegraphed United States attorney to mk extension of time for his appeaxanoe. To Agent Teter : Eore aritttw )uu to-day relarivo to turniug over Rsro Horse to State authorities. Hsvu assunuea frurto C:uvarnor Richanla rhnr 110 will be diecharged hy State rourr. I also wrote Agent Teter as follows: Referring to the msttsr of the arrest and trial of h e ~o r s ea, n Indian of your agency, for violations of the game laws of Wyoming during the year 1895, in which the United States Snpremo Court ha8 held that the Indians do not poasess the right under their treaty of February 24,1869 (15 Stat. L., 673), to hunt on the unocoupiod lands of the United States within the Stab of Wyoming, contrary tothe game laws of that State, I have lo inclose herewith for your information a copy of a letter of July 6, 1896, from the Department of Justice, transmitting a letter to the Attorney- General from the United States attorney for Wyoming, and also copy of aletter of July 1,1896, from the governor of Wyoming to the Secretary of the Interior. You will observe from them letters that Judge Riner, the United States judge, |