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Show 70 REPORT OB THE: COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. with premeditation. We tmst that all the means at the disposal of the Indian Righta Association as well aa the means at the disposal of the Government will he employed to bring the assassins to justice. As to the "Bannook war," there is no such thing.- The Bannooks are only a handful, and they hme lived at peace with the whites fir seventeen years. The survivors of them are only anxious to sane their own lives, and well they may be, considering how the vhite man's law is executed in Wyoming. From unofficial sources it is known that the Indians returned to their reservation bcfore the Ui~ited States troops reached the "scene of devastation." As the truth became known, there came a rapid change. of public sentiment in favor of the Indians, who were found to be the wronged parties, and against the lawless whites who had done all t,he killing I that occurred at Jacksous Hole. Instead of the Bannocks declaring war, massacring whites, burning homes, with settlers fleeing for their lives, etc., they have, in the opinion of this office, been made the vic-tims of a planned Indian outbreak by the lawless whites infesting the Jicksons Hole country with the idea of causing their extermination or their removal from that neighborhood. The Bannocks while peace-ably hunting in that country were arrested by whites, who disarmed them and killed or shot several while they were trying to escape. Much to the credit of the ir~censedI ndians, they returned peaceably to their reservation without retaliating in any manner upon the whites. Not a white person was harmed, nor did they indoige in any act of violence toward the settlers. The newspapers throughout the country and many prominent and pl~ilanthropiop ersons have denounced this killing of Indilms by the whites in Jacksons Hole as an out,rage and murder which should not be allowed to go unpunished, and they have urged that a searching official investigation be made by the Government of this entire affair, to the end that the guilty whites may be brought to justice. The Bannocks themselves have repeatedly been promised that their wrongs should be thoroughly investigated and justice done them by t,he Government, aud doubtless these assurances have had much to do in keeping them quiet thus far. There are, however, some of them that - are eager for revenge upon the whites for the killing of their people, as is shown by the following telegram of August 14 from Agent Teter: Certain Indians state they will go to Jacksons Hole for purpose of honting as soon as baying aeilsan is over, claiming they will starve during the coming winter if they do not kill gameat this season for winter subsistence, and that they lmve a right to hunt in Jaoksons Hole. In my opiuion it is absolutely necessary to keep - the Indians on the reservetion even if they aro justified in going to Jeoksons Hole, as they seem determined to have revenge upon settlers. Will go prepared for that porpose, and are discussing plans to that end. The best solntion of this affair I can prevent is to enter into the contract for the big ditoh on the reservation as soon as possible, which will give the Indians eml,loy-ment a d an opportunity to emu money with which to provide for themaelves throngh the winter. The Indians tnnst be givenemployment or inoreasedrations, as |