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Show 78 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. troubles for the purposes indicated. The Secretary of War, September 7, 1895, stated that the matter had been referred to Brig. Gen. J. J. Coppinger, commanding Department of the Platte, who reported as follows : These Bannocks have an undoubted right to seek their property illegnlly held by white men in Jacksons Hole. If the Bannocks go there without proper gonrd they mnrisk of being again shot at, or agaiu arrested under cover of warrant, by the rustler.. The oommanding officer of the troopsnow at Fort Hall Agency oan furnish the neoessarymen for gnmd or escort. If these Bannocks go to Jacksons IIola they should be placed in charge .of a, discreet md experienced employee of the Indian Bureau; one nccustomed to deal with bath Indians and rustlers; this in order to gusrd against further bloodshed rand oonsequent oomplications. The Secretary of War concurred in the views expressed by Brigadier. General Coppinger, and this officethereforeinstructed Agent Teter, oq September 14,1895, that a party of not to exceed eight Bannocks might be permitted to make the proposed trip to recover their property taken by whites, provided they were accompanied by himself or a trusted and competent agency employee, and by a proper escort of soldiers. Recom-mendation was therefore made that the War Department be requested to issue such orders as might be necessary for the required escort of United States troops. In view of tbe provisions contained in Article I of the treaty of the United States with these Indians, this office, August 27,1895, addressed the lbllowing letter to their agent: Article 1 of the treaty with the Esstern Band of Shoshones and the Bannook trihe of Indians, concluded July 3, 1868 (15 Stats., 673), provides as follows: * " "If bad men among the whites, or among other people suhjeot to the authority of the United States, shall commit anywrong uponthe per8Onor property of the Indiana, the Unitecl States will, upon proof made to the agent and forwarded to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs at Washington City, proceed at once to cause the offender to be arrested and ounishedaooordin-~ t o the laws of the United States, and :~laur eimburao the injured perdm ~ O tPh e 108s ausraincd." ' " I llcaireyou tuuhtnlu, nr theearlieat practicabledate, ennrh~.roof 18 yon !nap beable to of the wrongs committed upon the peT80n8 ant1 property of the Bmncok Indians in the Jacksons Hole country, znd forward the same to this office. ABda- "its of the Indians against whom the offenses were committed and of oyewil~nesses, or per8onE knowing to the facts, will answer the purpose. The agent replied September 3, 1895, transmitting two affidavits from certain of the Indians, which read as follows: COUNTYO F BIXGHAMS, tate of Idaho, 8s: Personally before me appeared Ravenel Macbeth, who, being dnlysworn, deposeth and says that he is emplofed as chief clerk at Fort Hall Agency, Idaho, and while on duty in that coapacity he seoompa,nied U. S. Indian Agent Thomas B. Teter to Maryavale (Jaoksans Hole), UintahCounty, Wyoming, to assist in conducting an investigation relative to the killing of certain Bannock I n d i m by oitizens of the State of Wyoming: that in an official conversation with one Frank H. Rhoads, jus-t. i.re. .o-f -t,h n kraa-oa.i~is ~(Rh~oads~) sa.id- to~ me that before issuine warrants for the &eat ~ of the Bannock Indians who were hunting in Wyoming, he (Rhoads) wrote to Gov-ernor Riohmds. of Wr.o rni.n g-.., req.u esting-. instrnatians and askin.gif he (Rhoads) could depend upon him (Governor Riohards) to protect him (Rhoads) in the event of |