1878 Delegations
President in 1878:
Rutherford B. Hayes (March 4, 1877 - March 3, 1881)
Commissioner of Indian Affairs in 1877:
Ezra A. Hayt (Sept. 17, 1877 - ca. Jan. 1880)
Jan. 21, 1878, Sun (Balt.) [Cherokee]
Colonel Wm. P. Adair and D. H. Ross, of the Cherokee delegation, have submitted to Congress the objections of the Cherokee nation to the Senate bill enabling Indians to become citizens of the United States. The effect of every such measure, they say, would, in their opinion, be to dismember, demoralize, pauperize and destroy, sooner or later, every Indian nationality within the scope of its operation.
Feb. 16, 1878 Ltr. Hayt, CIA to Sec. of Interior. [Ponca 1877]
Re Ponca deleg. 1877 - see 1877 for text
March 23, 1878, Daily Critic (DC) [Unid., I.T. (Seminole?)]
A Heavy Robbery.
There was a heavy robbery at the Washington House last night. Sometime between 4 and 8:30 o'clock p.m., the room of Mr. John D. Bemo, an Indian, was entered during his absence and robbed of five bags containing silver money to the value of $1,100, amongst which were a few Mexican dollars; the rest were all half dollars. There is no clue whatever as to the thief, for whose detection Mr. Bemo has offered a reward of $800.
March 25, 1878, Boston Journal [Unid., I.T. (Seminole?)]
Hotel thieves last Friday night broke into a room in the Washington House occupied by John D. Bemo, Indian Agent from Indian Territory, opened a hand trunk, taking there from $1500 in silver and gold and made their escape.
March 28, 1878, Daily Critic (D.C.), [Unid., I.T. (Seminole?)
The Washington House Robbery
A very queer story is told about the recent robbery at the Washington House, when the Indian, Bemo, was relieved of $1,100 in silver. It will be remembered that Ezekiel Cade, a sporting character, was arrested on suspicion of having committed the theft, and also about $500 of the money was found at Cade's house. After the arrest this money Bemo identified as his own. The day after the arrest, Tuesday, Cade was committed for a hearing on Saturday next, and was subsequently released on bail. Since his release the Indian has not been seen or heard of, and all search for him by the police has proved fruitless. That he has been spirited away is common rumor, but by whom cannot be learned. The detectives have information that Cade's friends got together and raised $1,100, which was given to Bemo and he was sent off. If he has left the city at all it was not by rail or steamer, for all depots have been closely watched, and it is presumed that he was taken out by carriage into the country somewhere. At all events he cannot be found, and Saturday, when the case is called, there will be no one to prosecute Cade. In the meantime the $500 captured by the detectives is in the hands of the property clerk, and Cade and his friends will not be likely to get it very easily. At any rate, the entire amount is looked upon as nothing when considered that it keeps the guilty parties out of the penitentiary.
March 28, 1878 Sun (Balt.) [Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole]
The Indian Question. We are indebted to Gen. B. F. Overton, chairman of the Chickasaw delegation, which lately met at Washington, and d. H. Harkens, for a copy of the protest of the five civilized nations of the Indian Territory against the propositions in Congress to transfer the management of Indian affairs from the civil to the military arm of the government. The delegations, representing the Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chickasaw and Choctaw nations, met at Washington on the 12th ult., [February] for the special purpose of taking definite action in opposition to this proposition, and Mr. D. H. Ross, as requested by a committee, presented a draft of a communication to Congress, which is now before us, and which was unanimously adopted, which presents a strong array of arguments and facts against transferring the Indians from the civil to the military arm of the government. Without giving a detailed account of the powerful array of reasons which are urged against the proposed change, it is sufficient to say that they deserve the careful consideration of Congress before any change is made in the Indian policy. The evidences of progress, prosperity, education and religion, not alone among the five civilized nations, but among other Indians, which are presented in this pamphlet, are remarkable and impressive. The report shrewdly observes that "to admit that there is more wisdom, integrity and efficiency in your little army of 25,000 souls, rank and file, than in your 40,000,000 of civilians, is a sand and, we think, unjust reflection upon the people of this great government".
April 2, 1878, Daily Critic (D.C.), [Unid., I.T. (Seminole?)
The Bemo Robbery. Some of the Inside Workings of the Case.
This is the way it tours out now. John emo, an Indian, the readers of The Critic will remember, was robbed of $1,100 at the Washington House recently. Ezekiel Cade was arrested and is now under bail for being interested in the robbery. Immediately after Cade's arrest Bemo disappeared from town, and it was reported around that a pool had been made up and the money stolen from the Indian had been refunded, and then he was spirited away to keep him from appearing against Cade. This is substantially true. Since Bemo's disappearance every effort possible has been made to find him. To-day at an early hour, by what means is not known, Bemo turned up at Police Headquarters, and has there been all day. In the meantime, probably from information received from him, the detectives, McDevitt and McElfresh, slipped quietly down to the Washington House and arrested the proprietor, Benjamin Beveridge, for being one of the parties concerned in the conspiracy. This was done quietly, for the purpose of throwing the newspapers reporters from the scent, because the officers did not desire having the matter published, as there was another man to be arrested. Beveridge was secretly taken before Judge Snell and was allowed to go at liberty again on $2,000 bonds. Bemo, at a late hour this afternoon, was still at headquarters and when questioned by the reporter, was non-committal. He said that he would not tell why he went away or returned, where he had been or whether the money stolen from him had been returned or not. "You will learn all when the proper time comes," said he.
The reporter then, after much bulldozing, learned that Bemo arrived here this morning from Rockville, Maryland. He had been paid to leave town, and the other man for whom the detectives are looking is Sylvanus Gleason. This is a nice little conspiracy and will doubtless create a lively breeze.
April 3, 1878, Daily Critic (d.C.); [Unid. I.T. (Seminole?)]
The Washington House Robbery.
Shortly after The Critic was published yesterday, Mr. Sylvanus Gleason, became aware of the fact that a warrant was in the hands of the detectives charging him with being interested in the robbery of Bemo, the Indian, at the Washington House. He at once proceeded to Police Headquarters, where he surrendered himself. Later bonds were given and he was released. As the case now stands, Ezekial Cade, Benjamin Beveridge and Gleason are on bail for the robbery and their trials will come off in the Police Court on Friday.
April 3, 1878, Evening Star, [Unid. I.T. (Seminole?)]
Further Proceedings in the Bemo Robbery Case. The detectives yesterday (McDevitt and McElfresh) arrested Sylvanus Gleason on the charge of complicity in the Bemo robbery at the Washington House by aiding others in persuading Bemo to leave the city as as not to be present at the hearing of "Zeke Cade," charged with the grand larceny. He was released last evening by his brother Albert, who became his bondsman for appearance. Beveridge has previously been arrested and held to bail. There is considerable mystery connected with this affair. The case will be heard Saturday.
April 3, 1878, Washington Post. [Unid. I.T. (Seminole?)]
The Bemo Robbery
The Re-appearance of Bemo and Arrest of Beveridge and Gleason.
Ever since the robbery of the Indian, Bemo, at the Washington house the affair has been surrounded with more or less of mystery. The arrest of Ezekial Cade, a recovery of part of the money, the immediate disappearance of Bemo after Cade's arrest, his re-appearance yesterday at police headquarters, the arrest of Benjamin Beveridge, of the Washington house, as a participator with Cade in the robbery, his release on $2,000 bail, the arrest of Sylvanus Gleason for aiding Cade in inducing Bemo to leave town, his release last evening on bail and the refusal of Bemo to tell an open, straight-forward story of his wanderings about Rockville, all combine to make the situation exceedingly interesting and very uncomfortable for several parties. That Bemo was induced to leave Washington there can be no doubt, but as far as the developments go there is no reason to suppose that Mr. Beveridge had anything to do with the robbery in the first instance, yet it may appear that to shield his friend Cade he was privy to Bemo's departure, and in all probability that is all that can be charged to Gleason's participation in the affair. As matters stood last night this is about all that could be accurately learned. Of course the entire business will be quickly explained in the courts.
May 11, 1878, Evening Star, [Unid. I.T. (Seminole?)]
The grand jury yesterday... dismissed Benjamin Beveridge, charged with robbery from Joseph Bemo.