1890, Nov - "I was in Buffalo Bill's show before I went to Carver's. I saw him knock down two braves, both of them died on their return to Pine Ridge...

....  The food Buffalo Bill supplied was bad and the braves who ate it were sick. Buffalo Bill was brutal."

1889

Several speeches were given in the early 1900's objecting to exploiting "Show Indians" in the Wild West and Circus circuits. Various reasons were given - from the stereotypical portrayal of indigenous people to physical abuse - but another topic keeps popping up and that is the number of Native performers who are left stranded, all over the world, when a show goes belly-up. Here's some of the articles I found about Native American performers being abandoned - and even beaten by - Wild West proprietors, including the famous William "Buffalo Bill" Cody.

1889 - A Wild West Wreck.
"The circumstances are these: This part of Iroquois hailing from Coughnawaga, Canada, signed a contract at their homes on October 7th with JB Gaylord, manager of the Olympic Hippodrome and American Wild West Company, to exhibit themselves and take part in the mimic battle when the conventional Deadwood state is charged upon by whooping savages and looting "road agents." Each was to receive $25 a month for such services. They were engaged to travel through Australia, after filling a brief engagement in this city. It was stipulated also that on their arrival in Chicago, Gaylord was to give satisfactory security for their return transportation from Australia to their Canadian home.

1889, Nov 10. San Francisco Chronicle 

          Arriving in Chicago, they rested a few days, Gaylord declining to secure their return passage from Australia as previously promised. They were sent to [San Francisco] under the care of [an advance agent,] and arrived on Oct 22nd. Gaylord was to follow them in a few days, but nothing has been seen or heard from him since. This was naturally placed the Indians in the "nine hole" of despair, as they were entirely without means and unable to pay their lodging. [The agent] was obliged to seek other employment, having now abandoned all expectation of the coming of his chief.
          Gustav Walter of the Orpheum Theater aided the Indians by employing them to perform in his Wild West show at Woodward;s Gardens... For these services he paid all their expenses incurred during their two weeks of enforced idleness and hopeless waiting. Yet this generous assistance was only a temporary palliative, leaving the exiled braves to face distress again... penniless and friendless; and were it not for the humane indulgence of.. the Irving House, they would be now on the streets seeking shelter. As it is, they complain of the hardship in procuring sufficient food, and perhaps are really suffering for want of it. The British Benevolent Society has aided them with a few meal tickets for each individual, but of course, it cannot be expected that its limited funds can minister for an indefinite period to all their wants.
          The Indians are all young men, as also is the woman of the company. They are much lighter in complexion than our own aborigines. A few of them speak English indifferently. They all speak the patois of the Canadian voyageur, though when conversing among themselves the Iroquois tongue is used altogether. At home their occupation is that of log-drivers on the Grant river, and that they are longing to return to their people, disgusted with showmen's promises and contracts, is not expressing one of their accumulated distresses."  - Source: 1889, Nov 10. San Francisco Chronicle

1890, March -  The circus proprietors of the United States, and the managers of the various Wild
West aggregations that have become so popular and prosperous during the past few years, have a grievance against the administration. The cause of it is that the Indian Office, backed up by President Harrison, is refusing all applications for the privilege of taking groups of Indians from the reservation in the West to exhibit them in this country and in Europe. As a result of this attitude recently assumed by the department and President, a large number of shows find themselves in an awkward predicament. They have advertised, among their other attractions for the coming seasons, the portrayal of life on the plains with famous Indian warriors, as the chief actors.  Now it has been decided to discontinue the practice of allowing the Indians to leave the reservations, and no exceptions to the rule are to be made in favor of the men who have sent out their flaming show bills. During the past five years the popularity of these border shows has increased to such an extent that the applications for the privilege of borrowing the Indians have become inconveniently numerous. A few days ago the agent of one of the oldest and largest circus companies in the country, who has exhibited Indians during several seasons, came to Washington and spent several days in an attempt to induce the Indian office to stretch the new rules a little in his favor.

1890 Buffalo Bill 

          He met with a point blank refusal, and therefore hunted up an influential friend to secure an interview for him with the President. Mr Harrison listened to all the plausible agent and his [endorser] had to say, and then bluntly stated that he was strongly opposed to allowing the Indians to be taken from the reservation for any purpose  whatever. The agent left the White House with the remark that if they could not get Indians from the United States they could get them from Canada, and he would proceed to do so."      ......
          "There are several American shows now exhibiting in Europe with American red men as the chief attraction, and it is said that as soon as the present contracts expire the Indians will be returned to the reservations." ....... - Source: 1890, March 22. Pittsburgh Dispatch.

1890, July 22 - THREE HUNGRY INDIANS.
"With eyes full of tears three native-born Americans stood under the eaves of the Barge Office ... and silently wrung the friendly hands of Gen John R. O'Beirne, Superintendent of Immigration. These gentlemen were Shunka-Ka-Sea (White Horse), Mato-Chenumpa (Bear Pipe) and He-Chunka-Sackta (White Weasel), and when they are at home on the Pine Ridge Reservation, SD, wither they are bound, they are howling swells. They have ridden and yelled and whooped it up for the entertainment of the crowned heads of Europe for the past two years, thereby greatly assisting Buffalo Bill to increase his exchequer immensely.

1890, July 22 The World 

          "These young men came over on the Augusta Victoria from Hamburg, and as they came in the steerage and were seasick and neglected, receiving no social courtesy whatever, they were disgusted quite. As soon as they could make themselves understood they were taken to the office of Gen. O'Beirne, where an interpreter translated their tale.
          "Bear Pipe, who was one of the darling riders in the famous attack on the Deadwood Coach, is a muscular, fine-looking fellow, but a trifle underfed. White Weasel is also a bad Indian, who tried to kill Buffalo Bill for $25 a month and keep.
          "White Horse is the good Indian who saved the great scout's life. The saving business did not agree with him and there is a yearning look on his face whenever he passes a restaurant.
          "White Horse says all the Indians in Buffalo Bill's show are discontented, ill-treatment and anxious to come back home. Food and clothing, they say, are scarce, and Rocky Bear, the chief, and Bronco Bill, the interpreter, are cruel in their treatment of the Indians. When White Horse reaches home he will tell his cousin, Red Cloud, and the probable result will be that Buffalo Bill will be compelled to hire a new lot of Indians.
          "Gen. O'Beirne is taking much interest in the matter. Since the dead of Otakta (Kills Plenty), about the middle of June, he has been in correspondence with Mr Cody. According to the contract on file at Washington, "Cody and Salsbury gave bond April 1, 1890, to pay Otakta $25 per month from the time of leaving the Pine Ridge Agency until the return thereto, and agreed to supply the Indian with proper food and raiment and to pay his traveling and needful incidental expenses; provide all needful medical attendance and medicine, and to do such other acts and things as might be requisite and proper for the health, comfort and welfare of the party of the second part (Kills Plenty) and to return him to the said agency within two years from date of bond, without charge or cost."
          "Now," said Gen O'Beirne, "when Kills Plenty arrived here I saw he was too ill to go home without attendance. I cabled Buffalo Bill, asking him to guarantee expenses. His reply was:

     Yes. Will pay attendant's expenses. Arrange railway fare with Craig, Baltimore and Ohio.     BUFFALO BILL.

          "In the meantime the Indian died, having become so ill as to necessitate his removal to Bellevue Hospital, so I cabled again:

Kills Plenty dead, embalmed and ready to forward. Cable $200 to pay expenses to Kountze Brothers immediately.

          I waited a reasonable time for an answer and wired again:

Why don't you remit to Kountze Brothers? Answer.

"To neither of these did I receive an answer, but the following was sent to the Bellevue Hospital authorities:

Bury Indian. Send bill to Hanover, Germany.  Buffalo Bill

          "Well, now, you may be sure I would not allow that, so I communicated with the Indian Bureau at Washington and received orders to ship Kills Plenty's body home and send the bill to the Department, which would undertake to collect it from Col. Cody. Do you know, if the Indian's body had been buried in Potter's Field what would have been the result? Why, there would have been a general uprising. Indians pay the greatest reverence to their dead.
          "Seeing how Kills Plenty was treated, and afterwards meeting these poor fellows, whose condition was truly pitiable, determined me to lay the whole matter before the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and before I rest tonight I shall write the letter which will put him in possession of all the facts.
          "So it is your opinion that Buffalo Bill has mistreated the Indians?" said the reporter.
          "It is not a matter of opinion. It is a matter of fact. I know Buffalo Bill and esteem him highly, but I cannot pass this by."
          The General then related that he showed the three Indians a picture of Otakta photographed while in the coffin. White Horse took the bit of cardboard in his fingers, looked at it lovingly, then, letting it fall listlessly from his nerveless fingers buried his face in his hands and sobbed like a child. The other two restrained their tears but were visibly affected. The fact that these Indians were able to cry is an evidence that they have been weakened by contact with civilization and the show business." -- Source: 190, July 22. The World.
       
1890, Nov 10 - Ill-Treated Braves
" Two Indian braves who have been whooping up things for the benefits of the European public in general and F C Whitney in particular were steerage passengers on Hamburg steamer Augusta Victoria... Both braves were without a penny, and their entire possessions consisted of rough shirts the worse for the wear and a railroad ticket each to Pine Ridge Agency, Dakota.
          "Painted Horse said they were treated shamefully in the Carver-Whitney show, and he gave an account of their ill treatment to General O'Berne at the Barge office. Through the Rev Father Crafts, who acted as interpreter, substantially Painted House said:

          "There were twenty of us when we left New York, 

besides Black Bears squaw and their three children and one more papoose. During our travels over Europe we were beaten, kicked and shot at. Dr Carver shot at Black Bear, but failed to hit him, though he intended to kill him. Dr Carver fired at me with a revolver in Berlin fifteen days ago, but he missed me. Our money was not paid regularly, and the whites in both shows tried in every way to corrupt the red men. 

          "The Indians got liquor whenever they desired. Three braves were in a dying condition when were left. Boar Necklace, Brave Elk and another squawman were also ill and a papoose died as we were leaving. We received but $5 besides our tickets, and now were have nothing.

1890, Nov 10 San Francisco Chronicle 

          "I was in Buffalo Bill's show before I went to Carver's. I saw him knock down two braves, both of them died on their return to Pine Ridge. The food Buffalo Bill supplied was bad and the braves who ate it were sick. Buffalo Bill was brutal."

          "Agent Marsh corroborated all that Painted Horse said. Both Cody and Whitney, he said, had left white men stranded in various parts of Europe. Some are now in Hamburg penniless. Three young Americans were left without a cent, and others from London and Paris had no means to get home.

          General O'Beirne will go to Philadelphia as soon as the remainder of Buffalo Bill's Indians arrive there on the Belgrade. He will there assist Herbert Welch, secretary of the Indian Rights Association, in investigating the treatment of the braves." - Source 1890, Nov 10 San Francisco Chronicle 

1890, Nov 14 - Were They Ill Treated 

"When the steamer from Belgenland, from Antwep, swung into her dock at pier 47, South Wharves, shortly before 11 o'clock ..  there was quite a little party in attendance waiting to board her. Beside the Custom House officers and a large number of reporters, there was a part of gentlemen who had come prepared to make an investigation of the condition of the Indians who had formed a part of William F. Cody's, better known as Buffalo Bill, Wild West show, which has just closed a tour of Europe.

          This part consisted of Herbert Welsh, secretary of the Indian Rights Association; General James O'Beirne, an attache of the Department of the Interior, who came on from New York under order from Washington' Father Craft, the Indian missionary, and interpreter, George Crager...

        The reports which have been received in this country alleging that the Indians had been badly treated while with the Wild West show by the owners, managers and attaches were the cause of the latter party being in attendance.

                                          GROUND FOR THE INVESTIGATION

          Under the contract which Buffalo Bill was compelled to make before he could get the Indians they were to be well treated and requirements looking to their moral as well as physical welfare were specified.

1890, Nov 14 The Times. 

          Red Feather, an Indian, who had been attached to both Dr. Carver's and Buffalo Bill's shows, who recently landed in New York, made very damaging statements to General O'Beirne.

           He stated that they had been given bad meat and were ill-treated and abused. He charged that they had been given all the whisky they wanted, had been robbed of their pay and had been fired upon with loaded as well as blank cartridges. It was for these reasons that Mr. Welsh, armed with a letter from Acting Secretary of the Interior and O'Bierne, were on hand to meet the Belgenland.

          The bright colored blankets and gaudy apparel of the Indians who were grouped about the decks of the steamer made the sight an unusual one, even for an emigrant steamer. Prominent among the Indians were seen the figures of two white men of the troupe who were easily recognized as Major John M Burke, who is in charge of the Indians, and Jule Keen. Mr Welsh and his party, upon boarding the vessel, began searching for some one in authority over the Indians. Major Burke gathered the newspaper men and a few of the Indians in the second cabin, where he proceeded to give an account of their travels in Europe. The children of the forest bore no outward evidence of having been ill-treated, and appeared happy and contented.

          (Welsh presented Burke with a letter from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, requesting Welsh to make an investigation of the charges. Burke declined to recognize Welsh's authority to examine the Indians. Burke and the Indians then went on with their preparations for leaving the ship.)
          From there Mr Welsh sent the following communication to Major Burke:
          Referring to the wishes of the Interior Department, as indicated in their advices of the Indians arrived on the Belgenland today, I request that you will signify to me your willingness to permit this examination to be made without interference or restraint on your part, in order that I may report to the department the result of such examination.

          In reply Major Burke said that he would simply state that time and circumstances did not admit of an investigation before reaching Washington. (Welsh insisted that Burke should put his reply in writing, but Burke said he didn't have ink or pen. Welsh offered it to him, and Burke refused. A Deputy insisted that the Indians' baggage be examined, which is the only thing done, but accomplished nothing. Welsh, not being able to talk to the Indians, gave up and left.  The Indians were put directly onto coaches and driven to the Academy of Music, where they were entertained before being put on a train.)

                                               WHAT ME WELSH SAYS

          (Welsh returned to the officer of Lawyer Biddle, who assured him that he was correct.  While Welsh was on the ship trying to get access to the Indians, a telegram was sent to his office, from George Chandler, Acting Secretary of the Treasury, which was as follows:)

Complaints having been made that the Indians of 

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show have not received 

fair treatment by said company, have to request that the 

Indians on their arrival in Philadelphia be examined as to 

their physical condition, treatment, etc. The expenses of such examination to be paid by the Indian Officer, Indian Office. 

          (On receipt of this telegram, Welsh sent Burke a letter, stating that he was to cooperate in examining the Indians, and Burke said he was going about his business, they were going to headquarters, they would pay no attention to outsiders, since it was none of Welsh's business. Welsh then sent a letter to Washington:

The impression produced by this interview, both upon my 

own mind and that of the three other gentlemen who 

were present, John O'Beirne, James Emmet Dalton and 

William M Clift, was that Major Burke was resolutely opposed 

to permitting such an examination of the Indians as I 

desired to make, namely one where they should be separated 

from his and from his associates during the examination; 

but that, so far as he felt it safe for him so to do, he 

questioned my right to make such examination or to interfere 

in the matter at all. Both in the previous interview held 

with him in the saloon of the Belgenland, and in that held in the smoking room, his manner was that of a man in great mental excitement, and of one resolutely determined to prevent the investigation, except under conditions determined by him."

Source, 1890, Nov 14 The Times. 

1890, Nov 14  The Salt Lake Herald 

Part 2: 1891 Buffalo Bill is granted permission to take 10 Indians from the Sioux reservation to engage in his Wild West Show. Click here to continue.