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Show 88 REPORT OF THE COXMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. investigate the matter, and on April 22 he was further instructed bg mail as follows : In addition to my telegraphic iuatroctions of April 19, I have to direct that SOU exercise the utmost vigilanoe and watchfulness to prevent the Indians nuder your obarge or within reach along the Mexican border from in any way interfering with or in any manner molesting the peraons or property of the oitizens of Mexico and from going into Mexican territory. It is not improbable that evil-disposed persons, taking advantage of the disturbed conditions in the country, will endeavor to incite the Indiana to acts provocative of ill feeling on the part of our neighbors on the other side of the line. The sffair at El Plomo may possibly have been instigated with that object in vier, and perhaps by Spanish sgmpsth'ieers. There are a large nnmber of nonreservation Papagos living in tbe country south and west of Tucson with whom we have had but little offioial iiaterconrso. How-ever, when they have been vi8ited by agents of this Department they have been found to be tractable and well disposed. I t ia to these Indians especially that your sttention i n directed. I think a friendly isi it to them a t this time wat~ldh ave a goo& effeot, and you are accordipgly directed either to go in person or to send a trusted and intelligent employee of the agency to visit them and report upon their condition, eto. It might be ell to take one or more of the nonreservation Pap* gos with yon, but of this you must be the judge. Should yon discover any feeling of nnrest or unusual excitement among them, wise counsel on your part will donbe less hwe a good effect. Yon will keep this office duly informed of the sitoation along the border and soknowledge the receipt of tbesa imtrootions. The agent reported May 11, 1898, that there had been no trouble since the attack on El Plomo, in which no one was killed or wounded; that the trouble was caused by the Sonora Indians, who returned to Mexico to get their stock which they left tbere when they fled to the American side about a year ago, owing to some trouble; that they did not show fight until they had been fired upon by the Mexicans, who obliged them to flee withont obtaiuing their stock, which is still in possessiou of the Mexicans; aud that he was satisfied there would be no farther trouble or outbreak. Inspector 0. I?. Nesler was also requested by the Department to make an investigation of the matter, and on May 27 he reported that he had in custody twenty-five Papagos who were engaged in the attaok on El Plomo; that four of the Indian ri~lglea(lerws ere, upon his request, held by theunited States commissioner at Tueson for the United States grand jury, which would meet in September, to be tried for violation of United States statute 5286; that he deemed this sufficient pnnivlimeut for them, and had instructed the assistant United States district attor. ney to enter a nolle pros. as soon as they were brought to trial; that the balance of the partry, twenty one in nnmber, had been sent to Saca-ton and turned over to the clerk in charge of Pima Agency, to be con-fined until further orders, and that he hsd assured the Mexican authori-ties that those Iiidians would he properly punished. Special Agent Taggart, in charge of Pima Agency, was asked for a report on tbe status of tliese Indiau prisoners, and June 22 last he replied that the offenseo f the Indians had been somewl~aet xaggerated, |