15 



a just distribution among the Indians was impossible. Agent Saville 

 was placed in his position, to guard the interests of the Indians and 

 of the Government, and it appears that he betrayed both alike. 

 He defrauded the Indians by withholding from them provisions 

 which he charged against the Government as issued to them. 

 For example : In his abstract of Provision Issues for November, 

 1874, which he rendered to the Interior Department, and which 

 is now there on file, he states that, Nov. 8, 1874, he issued to 

 12,351 Indians, fresh beef amounting to 271,248 pounds, or over 

 260 head of cattle, according to the average weight which he 

 allowed the contractor on the last herd received. The truth is 

 that he issued no beef, whatever, to the Indians on that day, nor 

 for several days afterward, as I ascertained from the Agent himself, 

 and others at the Agency. I arrived at the Agency Nov. 9th, 

 and was informed by the Agent that he had been for some time 

 withholding rations from the Indians until they would consent to 

 be counted ; and this fact he communicated officially to the De- 

 partment, and subsequently repeated it to Bishop W. H. Hare, in 

 my presence, in Washington. The first issue after the counting was 

 finished was Nov. 14, and I was then present, and know that for 

 several days previously the Indians had been suffering from want 

 of the very food he claimed in his official report to have issued. 

 In the same manner, his official reports represent other issues that 

 never took place. How he, at the same time, was defrauding the 

 Government, in receipting for beef which he did not receive, is 

 fully shown in Section IV of this statement. 



The incompetence and true character of Agent Saville were w T ell 

 known to the Interior Department before my visit, as is shown by 

 an official report made by United States Indian Inspector J. D. 

 Bevier, Oct. 21, 1874. In this report, the Inspector exposed a 

 fraudulent contract made privately by Agent Saville with his 

 father-in-law, A. R. Appleton, by which the Government would 

 have been largely a loser. Inspector Bevier states, moreover, that 

 while investigating the contract, Agent Saville made false repre- 

 sentations to him, and Mr. Appleton endeavored to bribe him to 



