◆ SpookStack

ie 4 * Be ee ig tt a ue a ee eo. ee ee res wie hacen) ee ak ee me a vee me we a ae eg tite ce gee Rees cle ALOE ded a ee CR alte SE eee Ee TRE i RE a a A eo & 7 United States Departuient of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation "Slashingten 25,28.¢. * July 10, 1953 nm Chsace INDIAN MURDER CASES cf The tnvestigation of the Osage Indian nurders which os “lecourred in the early twenties was one of the most complicatea’ ” ~ a": ‘and difficult investigations evel conducted by the FBI. Just. _prtor to initiation of the FBI's: investigation two dozen Osage Wes, Brier died under euspictous circumstances and the entire Osage 20." Indian tribe, as well as the white citizens of Osage County, (23/7 Oklahoma, were horror-stricken and in fear for thetr lives. —" ’ ithe ard of ih the tribal council passed a resolution requesting ., the aid of the Federal Government tn solwing these murderse « *' wo Pe _ i: ore ‘, The bsage Indian country, lying in the Osage hills sin. 26 ..the northeastern part of Oklahoma, ts a beautiful rolling country 27: "> covered with tably green limestone grass and ts considered by - 28 74, many to be the finest cattle-grazing country in the world. Zt 79°" -'was not always 0. When the Osage tribe was forced to leave ae Xansas and settle in what’ became Osage County, it was considered 3 ‘that they had paid $1,200,000 to buy a poor grave for the tribe.. mi2.. The land was acquired prom the Cherokee Indians on July 9, 1866, by the Cherokee Treaty. The Osage Indian Reservation, which is identical with Osage County, Oklahoma, consists of a million anda half acres Of Indian allotted land. Osage County ts the largest county in « the state and is larger than the entire State of Delaware. It. tt $8 bound on the southwest by the Arkansas River and ertends from ' Tulaa, Oklahoma, on the south to Ponca City on the north, a distance a - Of approrimately sixty miies. It ts also sixty miles in width g& ay tts widest point. ran oe At the time of the murders Osage Tounty and the ae an surrounding territory contained very wild stretches of country; ae! .. thickly wooded with timber unsuited for commercial purposes. This “s area with its almost inaccessible canyons afforded excellent con- — ., Cealment for the many notorious criminals who established their ul . ° hideouts there. At the time of the murders, from i921 to 13523, By 49 hts. gountry was a haven for all types of desperate criminals who» Bi 0 “floc d to the territory from all parts of the country, atercetdd, ; te. arge extent, by the enormous weaith of the Osage Indians. - _ ; —_ Ae / a se {— eae NOT Bei oar: . “ i47 on re ‘ weeny ae eee . Biditrcpeseriy,, rete Seis, Ce er ee wae