OCR Text |
Show remova,l of intruders, and to report to this office at once whether there existed any further need for troops in the Choctaw Nation. July 7, 1894, the Department replied that it was unfortunate that Governor Jones's letter should be so indefinite as to need construction, and that possibly it was intended merely to give the agent somewl~at moredefinite information as to the wishes of the nation in the matter. Directions were therefore given that the agent be instructed to secure a statement in writing of the desires of the Choctaw aathorities and, if they should prove to be in accorda~lce with the office construction of ChiefJonesls letter, that the work of removal be stopped and Agent Wisdom be required to report as'to the necessity of loagerretaining the troops. July 10, 1894, Agent Wisdom telegraphed that he had held a con-ference at Bouth McAlester, in the Choctaw Nation, with the governor of that nation, and had met Judge Stuart, Marshal McAlester, and other prominent men; that the soldiers having been withdrawn from Erebs a serious outbreak of miners had taken place there. Armed with knives, clubs, and pistols about 600 miners, preceded by about 60 women, had driven small parties of working miners from "strip pits," assaulted the bookkeeper of the Osage Coal and Mining Corn. menaced the miners at Aldersorl, and, without attacking the works there, had scared the men into quitting work; that the situation at Alderson was critical; and that Governor Jones had renewed his request for the removal of the intruding strikers, and that there would seem to be no other a,lternative. This telegram was immediately sub-mitted to the Department. On the same date Agent Wisdom mailed a more detailed account of the trouble at Krebs, aud quoted a letter from Governor Jones asking him to continue the removal of intruders. July 13,1894, this last report of Agent Wisdom was submitted to the Department, with request for 1 instructions as to whether the agent should be directed to continue the remoeal of intruders in the Choctaw Nation, inview of the fact that Governor Jones had withdrawn his letter, which had been construed as a request for the discontinuance of finch removal, and also in view of the reports that the intruders were disposed to'disregard the rights of persons and property in the nation, aud awaited only the withdrawal of troops to engage in riots. To this the Department replied, August 8, 1894, that no general order for removals would be issued, but that a full report from the agent would be required in each case, and that such order would then be made as the facts would seemfo justify j and that the agent should be directed to report explicitly and in detail the causes for removals which had already been made and the manner in which they had been eeected, and also the existing conditionof affairs in the Choctaw Nation. Pursuant to these instructions, I telegraphed Agent Wisdom, August 16, 1894, to transmit at the earlest practicable date a list of intruders |