OCR Text |
Show Inspector Tinker were at once directed to investigate the matter, and at the same time the War Department was requested to send troops to Leeoh Lake to preserve the peace and protect life and property. It seems that in April, 1895, Bugonaygeshig, a Pillager Chippewa, whose home was on Bear Island, was arrested by a deputy United States marshal for disposing of whisky to an Indian, but owing to lack of witnesses he was disoharged. In June of the same year he and some other Indians were served with subpcenas to appear as witnesses in a %se against an Indian who had been arrested for assault with intent to kill. The Indians paid no attention to the subpcenas, and writs of attachment were issued against them ?or contempt of court. Bugonay-geshig was placed under arrest at Bear Island, but was rescued by his friends. In October bench warrants were issued for him and twelve other Indians. During the May, 1897, term of court the agent induced nine of the thirteen Indians to go with him to court. They plead guilty to the charge of resisting deputy marshals and were sentenced to thirty days in jail. At the October term another Indian did like-wise and received the same sentence. The other three were Bugonay-geshig, Shobon-daysh-knng, and Wahyahbegunzhebid. September 15,1898, the flrst two while attending the annuity payment at Leech Lake were arrested by a deputy marshal and placed in the agency jail. , When the steamboat arrived to take the party across the lake to the railroad, the prisoners were rescued from the offioers by fifty or sixty of their friends. Warrants were then issued for more than twenty of the Indians who had taken part in the rescue. When the agent andinspector reachedLeechLake September 30,1898, theyfoand the Indians still aroused over the occnrrence of twoweeks pre-vious, and that they had been holding councils and arming themselves and were determined not to surrender the men wanted by the court officials. Runners were immediately sent among the Indians calling them to a oouucil to be held at the agency the following Monday, October 3, with assurances that none who came would be arrested. The same evening an army officer with twenty soldiers arrived at Walker, the railroad station, 6 miles from the agency, and also Deputy Marshal Sheehan, who next day served additional subpcenas, but when requested to desist, did so. But few Indians attended the council, the Indians claiming that those at a distance had been unable to get there owing to high winds whiah made the lake too rough for their canoes; but when, at their request, a steamboat was sent to bring in the Bear Island and Sugar Point Indians, 35 miles distant, those Indians refused to return in it. Meantime General Bacon, Major Wilkinson, and Lieutenant Ross with 80 soldiers had arrived for the purpose of assisting Mr. Sheeban and other deputy marshals to make the arrests, and next morning, October 5, at daylight, they, with the agency police and interpreter, took tugs for Sugar Point. Leaving a detachment to protect the boats, the rest of |