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Show TSENEQAT GIVEN FREEDOM BY JURY Was the Cause of Indian War In Southeastern Part of Utah. Denver, July 15 Tso Ne Gat, the Piute Indian whose trial for tho murder mur-der of Juan Chacon, a Mexican sheep-herder sheep-herder In the wilderness of southwestern south-western Colorado in March, 1914, stirred nation-wide interest, is free to return to his native desert. A Jury in the federal court for the district of Colorado, after four hours of deliberation, two hours of which was spent in discussing luncheon, returned re-turned a verdict lato today of not guilty. J GENERAL SCOTT GLAD INDIAN GOT JUSTICE Washington, July 15. Brig. Gen Hugh, L. Scott, chief of staff of the United States army, who traversed wild mountain trails in Utah on horseback and Induced Tsc-Ne-Gat to surrender after the Pluto and his little lit-tle band had defied a federal marshal mar-shal and his posse for two weeks, expressed ex-pressed keen gratification tonight at the Indian's acquittal "I am very glad that Tse-Ne-Gat had justice," said General Scott. "I always have contended that he was Innocent." The general added that ho had been pleased with the conduct of authorities au-thorities at Denver, who interested themselves to see that the Indian had a fair trial. General Scott's success In bringing In Tse-Ne-Gat was only one of the many times he ventured out in the wild' country beyond the frontier and Induced a fugitive to return through persuasion and assurances that he would receivo justice. A pathetic feature of tho verdict Is the previously rendered verdict of physicians of St. Anthony's hospital that the young Indian can live but a short while, his lungs and glands being seriously affected with tuberculosis. tuber-culosis. I Cost of Prosecution. The trial of T.se-Ne-Gat, which lasted last-ed ten days and cost the federal government gov-ernment approximately $15,000, was the culmination of a scries of events which included a miniature Indian uprising up-rising In the hills and canyons of southeastern Utah when that region last February was swept by below zero temperature and clad in a mantle man-tle of deep snow. Society Women in Court. Tho announcement of the verdict was followed by a quickly repressed outburst of approval from a picturesque pictures-que array of spectators Society women In dainty apparel sat with beaded and bespangled Indians and Mexicans, tribesmen and neighbors of Tse-Ne-Gat in tho arid regions throughout tho trial. The evidence against Tse-Ne-Gat presented by the government was purely circumstantial and furnished largely by fellow tribesmen, three of whom declared they saw the defendant defend-ant dragging tho body of the murdered murder-ed herder at tho end pf a lariat and later saw him throw it into an ar-royo ar-royo Previously they declared they heard three shots fired. Conflicting statements, however, were brought out by counsel for Tse-Ne-GaL The defendant, testifying in his own behalf, protested Innocence and said to the jury: "I did not kill the Mexican; I could not kill my friend." Beginnlnq of Hostilities. Marshal Aquila Nebeker started from Salt Lake to get Tse-Ne-Gat about February 12. He slipped quietly quiet-ly from Salt Lake and the first Inti matlon that trouble was expected came from Cortez, Colo., February 1G, when the marshal started from there with a posso after tho men wanted. Then there was a long siege of scrappy fighting in which Marshal Nebeker and posses figured. During' the skirmishes Joe Atkins, a rancher of Dolores. Colo., was killed. kill-ed. He was one of Marshal Nebeker's posse. Two others of the posse received re-ceived slight wounds. Alsp there were two Indians killed and several wounded In the fighting. Of the Indians In-dians killed one was named Ute. being one of the young warriors and a brother of Jack" Ute, who was one of those brought to Salt Lake as a prisoner. Tho other was a young Indian girl who got between the firing fir-ing lines and whom each side denied having killed. Surrendered to General Scott The Indian war, which extended more than a month, ended when Gen Hugh L. Scott Induced Tse-Ne-Gat and his tribesmen to surrender. They were placed in the Salt Lake county jail March 24. Four Indians first captured were brought to Salt Lake and placed in the county jail March 5. They were Joe Hammond, John Xoland," Jack Ute and Jack Rabbit Soldier. General Scott and party arrived with four others, who were placed in the county jail March 24. These were Tse-Ne-Gat, Poke, Posey and Anson Posey. Nearly a month later the seven Indians In-dians captured with Tse-Ne-Gat were turned over to F. E. Jenkins, superintendent superin-tendent of the Ute Mountain reservation, reserva-tion, after they had agreed to go with him and cause no more trouble. The last of the Indians, except Tse-Xe-Gat, were released April 10. Charge Against Tse-Ne-Gat. Tse-Ne-Gat was charged with murder mur-der in the first degree for tho alleged killing of Juan Chacon, a Mexican sheep herder on the Uto reservation in March, 1914. The Indian, who was 27 years old when arrested, denied having shot Chacon and he has denied the killing from the first. Ho and the other Indians declared they were afraid they would not receive justice at the hands of the white men and for that reason attempted to avoid arrest. Before leaving Salt Lake the other Indians agreed to live on the reservation, reserva-tion, and to observe the laws laid down to them by Superintendent Jenkins. Jen-kins. They also solemnly agreed not to take up arms against the white men again. |