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Show REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 97 November 29,1894, Captain Williams, U. S. A., acting Indian agent, Navajo Ageucy, advised the offlce that Capt. Frank U. Robinson, of the Second Cavalry, U. S. A,, had reported to him OII the 18th of that month with two troops of his regiment to mist him in restoring order among the Moquis at Oreiba; that he reached Oreiba on the 25th of November where, in the presenceof troops, he delivered a brief address to the entire Indian population assembled there, colu~uending the friendly Indians for the disposition they 11ad shown to abandon the hhbits of savage life, send their children to school, take allotmcnts of land, cultivate the soil, improve their conditiou, and make a start in the direction of civilization; then reciting the acts committed by the hostiles as well as other eEorts made by them to deter the better dis-posed Indialis from their laudable course. As the hostiles refused to make pro~niseo f future good bel~avior,l ~ e then and there arrested and plaoed ur~der guard nineteen Moqui Indians and notified then1 that the authorities would punish them for their depredations, their hostile acts toward the Government, and their refusal to comply with the rules and regulations of the Depart-ment. Recommendation was made that the Secretary of War be requested to designate some military post in which these Indian prisoners should bc held in confinement at hard labor until such time as in the opinion of those in charge of thein they should show that they fully realized the error of their evil ways and should evince i11 an uullmistakable nlanner their determination to cease interference with the plans of the Gov-ernmeut in the civilization and education of its Indian wards. They were received as prisoners at Alcatraz Island, California, January 3, 1895, and were kept in confinement at hard labor until recently. August 7,1895, the War Depa,rtment directed the commanding gen-eral, Department of California, to return these Indian prisoners to their reservation, and to exact from each one of them a promise of good behavior hereafter and a compliance with the rules and regulations of the Interior Department. This promise was put in rnlitir~ga nd fully explained to then1 before their departure, and was theresfter transmitted to the acting Indian agent of the Navajo Agency with request to have the interpreter again explain to them what they had promised. It is to be hoped that the disciplinary measures adopted with respeot to these Indian prisoners will result in good to them and their tribe. It is interesting to note that during the entire time these Indians were confined in prison a11 labor assigned them mas douc willingly and without objection; that they were quiet in their manners, well behaved, did not seem inclined to give any trouble, and, withont exception, were disposed to comply with all orders given them; also they wereill good condition physically. This course led to their earlier return to their reservation than would ot,l~ermishe ave been the case. 5069 1 A 7 |
