red to the Indian Territory, the annuitics due the tribe were of course paid there; and that portion of the tribe which had fled back to Dakotu received nothing. Moreorer, the Indian Burcau isstued an order forbidding any Ponca who should leave the In dian Territory to take with him any kind of property whatsoever, under penalty of being arrested for stealíng. As they could not take their families on the long, hard journey to Dakota without food or means of transportation, this order kept them inprisoned in Indian Territory ns cffectually as a military guard could have done

The Governent cmployés in charge of them reported, mcan while, that thcy had "made up their minds to live and die where they are. * There exists a feeling of contentment in the tribe that will make it very ditticult for any one to inducc them to leave their prescnt home," says a general press despatch, presnmably dictated by the Indian Bureau, and sent throughout the country on July 15th

It scems an insult to people's cominon-senso to supposc that this statement would be believed, close on the lieels of the general order for the arrest of all leeing Poncas who should dare to take with tlem out of the Indian Teitory one dollar's worth of prop erty. A very superfiuous piecce of legislation, surely, for a commu nity so contented" that it would be " difficult for any one to induce them to leave their homes,"

The civalric and disiaterested attorneys who had had the charge of the Ponca casc from the outsct, wore not to be intimi dated by tho threats nor outwitted by the expedients of the Tn dian Burcau. The ingenious devices practised by the Depart- ment of the Interior to hinder the getting service of summons upon tlhe defendants in the suits necessary to recover the Poncas lands, make by themselves a shameful chapter, which will some day be written out. But on the 13th of July the attorneys were able to report to the Omaha Committee as follows:

Omaha, July 13,1S80

To Omaha Ponca Indian Committee

In response to tho inquiry of one of your members as to the condition of the suits instituted by us to liberate Standing Bear and his associate from the eustody of thc military, and to ro-