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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. LXXXIX Pzyallzrp Ageny, Wash.-I have the honor to report specially concerning the Indian courts among the Indiana of this agenoy. There are seven in all, sod moat of them are quite satisfaotory. In most of them the jadges constitute themselves a court of inquiry. They question the parties and their wituesses, hear what ia to be wid, and then retire for consnltation and decide noon a verdict. which the chief instice an-nanneea. The justice of the peaoeprsctlce act is taken for. guide., as far aa practios-hle. Records are ke-pt by. cler ksof their own a t Puy.a llup-,. Chebalis.Skokomish, and Jamestown, by the teacher at Quinaielt,, and by no one at Nisqnally and Squakaon. The general iofiuenoe of the conrt is good. It would be hard to see how we could get along without them where the schools are. On the otl~ere servations they are uot so importsnt or effective. In faot I have serious do~tbtaa s to the advisability o f continuing the one at Sqnalcatn. Bot even theu they are my main reliance to bring i-n~ t he children of school a r e to the schools. Some allowance ouzht to he made for - the payment of witness fees. Cases are nften lost for want of evidence whioh could he had if i t could be paid for. The qnestion of the ~a l i d i t gof theseaoorts, where the Iidiaos are all Amorioan oitizens, with all the rights, privileges, andimmonities of citi-zens, ia one that ahould be settled in aoms way in order to give the courts tbat re-speot and authority they ahould hare. Could these two matters be attended to it would greatly improve their efficiency. Tula7ip Ageny, Wash.-The judges speak Euglisb, Tear oitizena'dress, and conform to the white man's ways. George Arohelle is an eduoated Indian. They also favor , allotments, education uf their ohildreu, and use their iudnenoe for the best interests of their peoplp. Twenty-six oases in all tried during the rear-10 for drinking whisky, guilty and punished by fines $3 to $20 each and imprisoument in jail 15 to 30 days; 5 for adul-tery, punished by fines $3 to $10 and impriaonalent 15 days; 2 for fighting, fined $2 and jail I week: 1 for disobeying orders of agent, fined $5; 2 for shielding others ac-cused of crime, 5 fine; 1 for thefr, 8.5 fiue; and 5 for disorderly conduct in court room, $3 fine. The court consists of three jndqes, olerk, and prosecuting attorney. The accused is brooght into court by policeman and the charge read aloudby the clerk. The sccused is allowed some one to defend him, sllioh has always been an Indian, wit-nesses are examined for and against him, and the evidence, after being written down by the olerk and passed upon by the judges, is submitted to the agent for final de-oision. The prosecuting attorney closes all eases, but there is always given a fair and impartial trial. For Indians they have done well and will improve with proper instruetion. Cases are generally settled satisfaotoril~to all concerued. The indo-ence of the eonrt is certainly a, benefit to the reservation, and as an agent I would not he without it, after a trial 3f nearly four Fears. In some cases il jury would he en improvement, but with that exception I can not see hut what they are doing as well as could be expeoted under the circunstauces. Shoshone Ageny, Vyo.-Eight persona aere tried by this court for various offenses-intoxication, wife-beating, assault, eto. One case of intaxiortion was punished by oonfinement in tho guardhouse. One osse, charge of wife-beating, disclosed on evidence that the vlfe was the sggresaor, and defendant discharged. Three oases of assanlt sustained and parties offending coofined in the guardhouse from one to sir days. One case of wife.stealiq was not sustained. There were a number of minor cases that were settled by the court, of which no renort was made to this office and in which the partiescanc~rneda cquiesced and abide; the decision of the court. The mode of procedure before the court is orude, but has a nimilsrity to the white men's court, with no attorneys. First the plaintiff and then the defendant is heard, hut at times they get confused. I have kept an outline record of all important oases tried by the court and their finding. The general influence of the oonrt is good on the reservation and a decided relief to the agent in tho settlement of many diffioulties. I t relieves the egeot of many minor affairs, and their decisions are more satisfaotory than if rendered by the agent. |
