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Caddo County - Newspapers
submitted by Nancy Charlton

MINCO MINSTREAL
1900


Quite recently a number of men living at Minco were arrested by Jim Deere, 
acting as reservation police, with several other Indians and one white man as 
posse, on a charge of unlawfully cutting and removing timber from the Wichita 
reservation.  The men were taken before the commissioner at Anadarko and held 
to give bond in the sum of $5oo each, to appear for trial at Guthrie.  The 
bonds not being made on time, the men were taken to Guthrie by deputy Heck 
Thomas and placed on jail at that place until approved bonds were made.
    If these men were guilty of cutting green timber, there is no excuse to 
be made for them, as that is not only a plain and well known violation of 
law, but is an ungrateful abuse of the privilege to gather dry and fallen 
timber for fuel.  We do not yet know the truth of the charge in this case, 
and therefore withhold both opinion and comments so far as the present case 
is concerned.  But, we do know that in days that are past our citizens, were 
often arrested on foolish pretexts and made to suffer privations and dignity 
by over zealous deputies, being finally discharged without further penalty,
It was in reference to a case of this kind when the letter below was written 
in answer to an appeal to Marshal Nix for protection, not from bank robbers 
nor horse thieves, but from his own deputies.  The letter was published in 
the Minco Minstrel at that time, and perhaps will bear a repetition,
   Department of Justice
Guthrie O.T Nov 3, 1883

Louis N. Hornbeck  Esq. Minco I.T.

My Dear Sir- The secretary of Gov. Renfro just called on me and showed me a 
letter from you complaining of citizens having been arrested for getting dead 
and down timber fit only for firewood.
  If this is the case it is in defiance of the orders of this office and I am 
confident that when these parties are given a hearing they will be discharged 
before the commissioner
  The United States commissioner s have positive instructions from the u s 
attorney to discharge all parties brought before them charged with using dead 
timber that is only fit for firewood.   Further more, in such cases the 
deputies are not allowed any fees for their work and I cannot see what they 
expect to gain by arresting people for something they cannot secure 
compensation on.
  They furthermore are authorized not to make an arrest for timber cutting of 
any kind unless the defendant is caught in the act or warrant has been 
approved by the United States Attorney or his assistants.
 Now, I would like for you to write me fully regarding the complaint made in 
your letter, giving the names of the defendants arrested, deputies making 
such arrests, disposition that  was made of the cases etc.
 I assure you that it is my desire to have the deputies do their duty, and 
this they shall do and nothing more.
Hoping to hear from you soon, I am yours respectively  E.D. Nix U.S. Marshal