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Show Pago 4. After these Indians had been held in the school house for several da. V3 a barb v/ ire stOckade was ouilt near xhe main p a r t ' o f town with two" large hogans inclosea and several t e n t s. The Indians were then moved from the school house xo t h is stockade. This permitted the school to resume i t s work and was much more sanitary for the Indian prisoners. During my v i s i t with the Indians I spoke to xhem about t h e i r present trouble and I advised xhem that they should start sending uheir children to school. I told them that of course I could take forcibly a l l the children they had with them ? nd put ohem in school, DUX I preferea to have the parents send them of t h e i r own free will, and I told them to t a l k tne matter over among themselves and on the following aay I would come to them again. The next day they had picke_ out eighteen children whom they said they wished me to take and ^ ut in school. They r e t a i n e r the smaller children, and in some cases gave two or three children from a family and kept one.. I hired an automobile and with the school car took them immediately to the Ute tiountain school. ' 2he children seemed delighted to go and during xhe journey were in xhe besx of s p i r i t s. During xhe l a s t week of March xhe counxy Attorney secure, sufficient evidence- againsx seven of xhe Indians xo have them committed for t r i a l by t h e United States Commissioner. These seven are being held to await the action 01 xhe local s t a t e court. The charges against them, t o r the most part, are aiding prisoners to escape, r e s i s t i n g o f f i c e r s , and f i r i n g upon o f f i c e r s . I have not been advised at present when t h e i r t r i al w i l l take place but I will see to i t that the court aptoints an axxorney x o d e f e n d Them I t is nox xhe desire of xhe ^ landing people to i n f l i c t severe punishmenx upon any of xhese seven Indians. They do wish, however, xo capture Posey and to senxenee hin as severely as xhe lav/ w i l l permix , as everyone regards hi~ as the ringleader in a l l xhe Indian troubles in ana about Blanding. Polk and his followers did not join in any way in the present trouble. Polk remarked to several of the r^ - r -- - r. ~ - w C " i f you fellows shoot Posey, pretty good a l l r i g h t " . I an convinced, however, that one main reason that prevented Polk and his band from Joining with them was the fact that their saddle horses were- too poor xo carry them xo xhe scene of a c t i o n . Ax xhe present time there are about sixxy i^ n^ women, and children being held in xhe stockade ax Blanding. This . number Includes xhe seven againsx whom charges have oeen filed. The people of Blanding have subscribed provisions and supplies to support these" Indians u n t i l some favorable disposixion can be made of them. Their motives for this acxion are both business and humantarian. Mosx of the Indians are without food or shelter', about one- half of their ' number are barefoot, and the' whites reason that they can feed them cheaper where they are than to have them turned out and pray upon their stock. |