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Show 117 be freed from annoyance and severe tax upon themselves. I have, however, the best possible evidence, short of direct personal knowledge, to believe that some of the leaders of the Mormon Church have, from motives best known to themselves, tried to keep the Indians of this Territory under their control, nor have they been altogether unsuccessful. I have had this evidence to contend with ever since I came to the Territory. Not only has it been exerted upon those Indians outside, to. keep them away, but on those who are located here, to induce them to leave. This I have from the Indians themselves, and I have full confidence in their statements. They have baptized all they could get to submit to their rites. Kanosh'and Captain Joe are members of the Mormon Church, as are also many, if not all, of their bands. Kanosh told me himself that he would come to this agency if Brigham would let him. Another, believed to be reliable, told me that Brigham tried to persuade him not to come to the agency, and to use his influence on others to induce them to leave and stay away, telling him that Washington had nothing to do with them. From what has been stated, the small number of Indians on this reservation, and the lack of more complete success may be, to some extent, accounted for.19 As the federal officials and non-Mormon residents of Utah became more vocal about what they felt was undue Mormon influence with the Indians, the Grand Jury of the 3rd Judicial District asked for an investigation of the situation, stating: The Shoshoni and Bannock Indians settled near Corrinne.. They are the tools of the Mormons.... for the Mormons will take the land once the Indians acquire title to it. They are used to frighten and deter obnoxious white settlers Of) from coming into the valley.^u Secretary of the Interior Carl Schurz wrote to the Attorney !9critchlow to Commissioner, August 25, 1875, in RCIA, 1875, pp. 578-579. 20"Report of the Grand Jury," Third Judicial District, Utah Territory, September 26, 1877, in OIA, Utah, 1877. |