Weekly Trinity journal., 1860-10-06
Summary Execution of Indians mt Hum
bOIdf Bay.

@---sT
About two weeks ago the body of James Case
beer, man living in the neigbborhood of Area
ia, on the Bay was found dead. 1t was believed
at the time that he had been murdered by the In
dians, which belief was afterwards confirmed by
the voluntary confession of an Indian known as
Jack" who had been arrested on suspicion
He acknowledged that another Indian, "Big
Jack, with whom be was in company at the
time, went to Casebeer's house while be was at
work in the woods, stole bis gun, and creeping
upon him shot Casebeer through the breast, then
covered him up with brush. One Tewksberry had
the first intimation of bis having been killed by
Indians, from a friendly squaw. Both Indians
were arrested and confined 10 The Humboldt Jail,
a rickety concern, on the 9th ult That same
night, after citizens became aware that the mur-
derer of Casebeer (while quietly at work on his
own premises,) had been arrested, summary pun
ishment was resolved on. The old building was
broken open and both Indians taken to eonve
nient tree and hung. In regard TO the execution
the Times says:
"We sincerely deplore such lawless proceed
ings as were enacted in this place. in The popular
execution of the two Diggers Thursday night
To allow self-convicted murderers-Diggers at
that to lie in Jail till March next, awaiting the
slow proceedings of a trial according TO the forms
OF law, was asking great deal from any CON-
munity-more particularly one situated as we are
in regard 10 Indians. Still we regret such deeds
of violence. They have baneful effect on the
morals OF our own people, and are seized upon
by those at a distance, ignorant of our situation
or the circumstances of the case, and repre- sent
ed greatly to our prejudice"
That is sound, worthy reasoning, and as little
as could possibly be said in reference to the af-
fair. For our part, we consider the punishment
an hundred times more justfable than the sum-
mary and wholesale murder of women and chill
dren which took place at the Bay several months
age. In fact we doubt whether there is COM
munity in the State which would not, under sim
liar circumstances, and with like opportunities
of resoue, have done just as the people of Arcata
did The selfaoknowledged murderer, with no
other excuse than hatred of the whites, was in
their midst, and sooner than give him an oppor-
tunity to escape from bis unsafe place OF con-
fnement, they chose to administer the deserved
punishment at once.
We do not uphold such transactions, as a gen.
eral~ thing, but If there is a community in the
State of California that may be justified in such
proceeding, it is the one where this summary ex-
ecutiOn occurred. II is the duty OF men every
where to protect their lives and property, and
and punish the murderer For near ten years
the people of Humboldt county have suffered
suoh grievances as the one above narrated, and
we cannot wonder that forbearance has ceased to
be virtue. The people who did this deed are
not as guilty as the source from which they rea-
sonably believe they should look for and receive
protection The history of that county since its
first settlement, is continuous recital of massa
ere, pilaged homes, desolated farms and Internal
barbarity and waste at the hands of these same
offenders. Even at this late day. though under
the very nose of the power 10 whom it should
look for protection, Humboldt county is not as
well protected as most of the settlements on the
extreme outskirts of civilization That is a truth
which cannot be denied. Last spring the Indians
of the Bay country were gathered up and taken |
to the Klamath reserve, and now the local paper
announces the return of nearly all again. OF
course the Reservation agent is not to blame ;
like escapades from Government Reserves are |
winked at now q, days. The Times has learned |
that on account of the small appropriation made
by Congress for the Indian service on this coast,
the agent is unable to subsst the Indians there
any longer. Nobody will have the temerity to
urge that the people of Humboldt can reasonably
blame Congress or General Government for so
trifing a matter.
Under these circumstances we see only one
course for the Bay people to pursue, that is to
protect themselves. They alone must be the
avengers If their dwellings are burned over their
heads, or their neighb0rs shot down while en-
gagged in their industrial pursuits. A hard row
the people OF that county have had TO hoe, aud
we cannot see that the end is yet