The Sacred Buffalo Vision by Robert J. Juneau and Robert C. Juneau pg.54

Agent Steell immediately came under investigation for serious mismanagement of the agency and the Indian’s money, but the examinations were conducted with the agent present during the questioning of the witnesses and they made no serious charges against Steell. The questions put to them were limited to Steell’s dealings with employees but none related to his management of reservation resources or tribal monies. A few agency employees did muster the courage to complain about his “irascible” temperament. Dr. John E. Jenkins, the agency physician had claimed Steell was no longer fit to run the agency, and he was one of the few doctors to enjoy any popularity with the Indians.

According to Dr. Jenkins, Steell began asking for morphine from the doctor within two weeks of the agent’s arrival and by 1891 Steell was under the influence of the drug three-fourths of the time and regularly took a dose of ½ gram to a full gram. Dr. Jenkins testified “When he first came I asked him why he did not use morphine for his headaches. I was told he had acquired the habit formerly and was advised not to give it to him. Believe he needs it all the time as a drunkard needs whiskey.” 

Dr. Jenkins admitted under cross examination that he had been friendly with Steell ever since the agent arrived, but that Steell’s changing temperament culminating in a sharp and abusive argument with the physician had convinced Jenkins that he had to report Steell: “Our relations are not pleasant, but were continuously pleasant until a month ago; during that time thought his habit injurious to the service, sufficiently so to call the attention of the Dept. to them, but did not want to injure him. My desire to protect the agent was stronger than my allegiance to Dept. I regret that I made the charges, not because of developments during the inquiry, but that I would rather have left without trouble.” He related his efforts to provide Steell with substitutes, including nerve tonic (Steell complained of headaches and neuralgia), and claimed Steell never did his paperwork without a dose of morphine, “he wanted to stop, but was confirmed in habit and could not, both will power and physical strength were lacking.”
-The Sacred Buffalo Vision by Robert J. Juneau and Robert C. Juneau
pg.54