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Show being made thst smd parties may answer before the proper courts of the nation for any offenses alleged against them. Second. That all armed bodies of lnsn now congregated throughotit the Chootaw Nation shall imnledintely disband and alla.ll not again be gathered together; but that id1 differences, raal or imaginary, which now exist or which ma,? hereafter arise, shall be submitted to and be settled by the courts of the nation, as provided in the oonatitution and laws of the Choctaw Nation, and whose ~leoisions our people shall abide liby. H;bd these stipolations been faithfully adhered to no further serious trouble would probably have occurred. Thirteen of the accused parties surrendered on September 14, and three others surrendered subsequently iu pursuance of agreement; but, althongh the agent reparted, September 14,1892, that armed bodies were disbanding and that there mas every prospect of termination of hostilities, it seems from his telegram to this office ou September 15, as follows, that the Jones nieu refused to accept the agreement: Situation to-day very critical. Two more mensnrrenderecllast night, Beingreli-ably :tdvised at noon to-day that efforts would be made to take prisoners from custody of guarilq I ordered Indian police to gmra and protect them. At 5 o'clock this afternoon 100 Jonasmen, heavily armed, rodewithin hailingdistaneeof prisoners and demanded tlrem. My polioe warned thom that prisoners were in their custody as United States offioers and would not be surrendered. The armed men then rode away to consult with od~i ser sa nd lenders. I have arranged with railway company to convey these men out of Choctaw Nation on any freight train to-ni~hts,h ould dmgw threaton or attempt be made to do these prisoners violouee. Over 200 Jones men now congregated 2 miles nonth in aomma~al Green JfoCurtain. They express dissai,isf&~tiown ith peace agreement mnde last Tuesday and deolaxtrs determination not to sbido by Same. I still hope wise and conservative counsel will restrain fur-ther violence, and hesitate to order military until every civil means in my powor has been exerted and am advised by Assistant Adjt. Gen. MoReever thst commanding 1 officer Port Reno directed to furnish military on my order. Unlesa armed foroes dis-band to-morrow will bo constrained to order military aid. This telegram was reported to the Department by this office on Sep-tember 16,1892, and Agent Bennett mas telegraphed on the same date, as follows: Yautr telegram 16th received and forwardod to Secretary Interior. Asmilitary aid is snfject to your call, office relies upon yonrjudgmnent to invokeit when emergenay shall require its use, if at all. Or1 September 16,1892, Agent Bennet.t telegraphed that Ohoctaw affairs mere temporarily Guieted; that the 16 persons had been surreu-dered to the sheriff of Gaines Ciounty for trial; that all armed bodies were disbanding, though feeling was still intense, and that any violence wonld cause serious outbreak and loss of life. Altl~oughit seems that the people were on the point of collision all the time, it was not found necessary to send troops into thenation prior to tb.e assembling of the council, which occurred October 3,1892. Hom-ever, Governor Jones having on the 19th of September requested Agent Bellnett to be present at the opening of council, he (Bennett) called for troops and they marched from the post of Fort Beno on the latter date, expecting to reach Tushkahomma by October 3. |
