| OCR Text |
Show COMMISSIONER OF IXDIAN AFFAIRS. 5L sons \vho have succeeded to the original Indian estates, but who, although owners thereof, are not protected by the safegnards that mere thrown about their predecessors in interest. It therefore became necessary to protect this new class of Indian property holders in an entirely new way and to invoke a new machin-ery of law and a different forum, to wit, the probate court, as a - means of continuing the fostering care of the Government over those members of the Indian race who are still dependent. The United States could appear in this fomm only by its attorneys, and hence the establishment of the corps of legal representatives which uniformly and systematically operates, for the benefit of Indian cit.izens, by the authority of the United States and the cooperation of the State of Oklahoma, in the 40 counties embracing the great domain formerly known as the Indian Territcry. It is impossible to state in a brief space all things actually accom-plished by the probate attorneys, but the fact that there are nearly 45,000 pmbate cases now on the dockets of the county courts of eastern Oklahoma affords some measure of the volume of the work. The work during the last fiscal year shows the determined efforts of the probate attorneys to put each on a sound basis and to correct abuses generally. In doing so they have, within the pa& yew, participated in numerous criminal actions and civil suits on behalf of Indian citizens, the civil suits involving property valued a t upward of $474,000, During the year a total of 4,470 citations were issued by the pro-bnte attorneys to delinquent guardians, which resulted in the re-moral or discharge of 1,762 of such guardians nnd the filing of 2,935 new bonds, amounting to $3,331,693. Of the tangible results, most readily appreciable, are the s.ccom-plishment of preventing losses in the amount of $1,514,314 during the last fiscal year that would hnve befa.llen Indians but for the efforts of the prohnte tittorneys, which is exceeded, however, by the amounh conserved for them through bank deposits and inrest-ments aggregating, for the same period, $3,424,226. The scope of the year's work of these attorneys, and the character and quantity thereof, may be caomprehended at a glanee from the following summary of results: Cases pending firat day of year.. ...................................... 47,148 Cases pending last day of year ......................................... 44,766 Regular cwa in which attorney appeared ............................... 18,965 Civil actions instituted.. .............................................. 261 Amount involved in such civil actiona. ................................ $474,162 Civil actions finally determined.. ..................................... 231 Crimind actions instituted.. ........................................... 15 Criminal actions finally determined.. ................................... 25 New hond~fi led.. .................................................... 2.935 |
