NORTH DAKOTA AMBASSADOR SEEKING BONES OF SITTING BULL IS GIVEN COLD SHOULDER BY SOUTH DAKOTA GOV. ANDERSON

According to an Associated Press dispatch from Pierre, S.D., this week, Gov. Anderson was asked to have the remains of Sitting Bull returned back to Fort Yates, but no assurance could be accomplished at this writing.

Nels. G. Johnson, of Bismarck, who said he represented the North Dakota Historical Society, had a 25-minute session with the South Dakota governor and Dr. G. J. Van Houvelen, state health officer. Johnson is a former North Dakota attorney general.

"Did you get permission to take the bones back?" a reporter asked Johnson after he talked with the governor. "I'm afraid that would be wishful thinking if I said I did have," he responded.

Johnson said any statement on their conversation would have to be given by the governor of South Dakota.

"We probably will have further discussions, " Johnson said. "This is an unusual situation."

Dr. Van Heuvelon of Pierre was asked if any prosecution was contemplated. He said that the only violation in South Dakota was burial without a permit which is a misdemeanor.

Sitting Bull's remains recently were taken by a group of Mobridge men, in the darkness without permission of any North Dakota officials and reburied five miles west of Mobridge. The body taken by these Mobridge men had been interred at Fort Yates for 62 years.

Meanwhile, criminal complaints, and criminal warrants are on the desk of State's Attorney Robert A. Feidler at Fort Yates for the arrest of three Mobridge men and several others connected with the crime. The delay on not making service on these parties for their arrest is due to the absence of state officials being in Washington, D.C. at this time, however, the State's Attorney advises that this matter will be taken up shortly now.