, 1866-03-09


q l4 Mrs. hay. aud chin M. Marsh s,s
aAnghIer' and Mr.. Gill, taiiIr In the Ipdian
room, Mr. Osborne and wife. O.aoa IL 81
dren all sick, Mrs 0. danreroHsT ~. Snl,- Snn
toFs family at the time consisted Of t,sD,,it.so
persons, viz himself and wife, Mr.. Rorcrs a
Hs1onaryi seven adopted children Of onA - ~
~ oy the name Of Sager, whose parepts'S 'Saa
slsa on the plains in 1874 three adop:.d balf.
Iseo cnlaren, one a daughter of the noun
leer bldger, aud one a daughter Of ]. l..
nesA, snq hat-breed Spanish boy, whose
no'nes naa cast It into pit to perish in revenge
pr having been deserted by her Spanish nus.
| Ana MISS Bewley, pious young lady of "a
fck up stairs her brother and Mr. Sails. both
4 ~! ne s.sS sss Pi2e;FPe2 Mr. enap Of New
lie halt-breed from Maine two half.breed bows
| Of Hudson Bay Co., in the school, and nv own
daughter Eliza, 10 years of age Mr.. Marsh
was running the mill; Mr. Hall was laviuo on
the floor in the cook-room Mr. Saunders teach.
ing the school which was Just taken up for the
afternoon Messrs. Hoffman, Kimball and Can
| acid were dres,ing the beef between the mill
anu olaGkSmItn lhopi Mr.. Rogers upon the river
oank John, Oldest Of the Sager family. stout
young men of II, and the BIidger girl, Law in
tne kitchen sick the Doctor, his wife, Catherine
| o"ger, IL years old, in the sitting room with
three very sick children. The Indians with
weapons concealed under their blankets were
ready at all these points waiting signal from
Joe Lewis, who stood at the south door watch
ing both the Doctor aud those without. Mrs.
osborne, for the first time iu six weeks had ipst
STEPPED upon the hoor aud stood talking with
Mrs. Whitman near the sick children. An In
dian opened the kitchen door and called to the
Doctor for medicine. The Doctor went in and
| sat down by the Indian who kept his attention.
while TamahUs stepped behind the Doctor, drew
a P!pe-tomahawk from under his blanket and
buried 1t IN the DOctor's head. He fell partly
forward, and-a second blow in the bacL of ,br
mead brought him to the floor The Indian had
TO put his foot dpon the Doctors head to tear
the tomahawk out, and said - | have killed nv
iatheT." with the FIRST blow upon the Doctors
headi the terrible work commenced at all poipts
at the same time. John Sager, living sick In the
same room, made some defence but was shot in
several places and his throat cut, and the body
thrown partly across Dr.. Whitman Mrs. Os
boCne says, Immediately after the Doctor went
INTO the kitchen, an Indian opened the door.
spoke in native to Mrs. W, who had only time
to raise her hands and exclaim, g Oh my God!"
when the guns fired, and the crash Of weapops
and the yells commenced. We can describe The
scene at but one point at once. Four Indians
stood around Mr.. Gill, the tailor, in the large
house, weapons concealed, awaiting the signal
Three shots were fred at him, but one took ef-
feet, breaking the back. The sufferer fingered
in great agony, Begging the women to shoot him
in the head, and expired about II O'Clock The
women naturally to the Doctors house
meeting saTages, naked, painted, yelling, laugh
ing, frantic, hewiHg, cutting down their victims
ss hs e6as uAyt 70 move I've Ter Ger bus.GSaa
John was gasPiHg. The Bridges girl was COY.
cred with blood anl seemed dead, but il was
the blood hom DR.. ". Mex. day sas was found
alive. Sails Rud BeN!ey, who lay sick ip next
door, were sgoanins teT.o.y, but next day were
3. q .l#.l Nh all
assist Mrs. Whitman, says the Doctors ribs were
mashed. They dragged Lil into the sitting
room and applied l.s Of hot ashes 10 stop the
blood. Mrs. W. kueeiing over her gaspiEg hu5-
husband, said, 4" Doctor, my dear, DO you know
me?n The dying missionary was to speak 10
more, he only moved his lips. The dear wife
saw her terrible fate. She raised herself and
exclaimed, Oh God, thy will be done! | am
left a widow Oh, may my parents never know
this!" The Indians seem to have left the house. |
The terrible scene without-the roar Of guns, |
the crash of war clubs and tomahawks, the |
groans of the dying, the screams of women, the !
bowling Of dogs, the yells Of the savage de- |
mons, naked, painted with black and white, nat |
unlly attracted the notice of Mrs. Whitman, |
and she stepped to a south window, but instant
ly raised her hands and exclaimed, - Joe, is |
this YOU doing all this7" and the glass rat
tied. She fell the bullet having passed through !
her right breast. She lay some time apparently |
dead, when she revived so as to speak and her
first words before she could raise her head, her |
hearts blood fast running away and minglng |
with the blood of her gasping husband and two /
Others who had been brought in wounded, were
a prayer ooh, my Saviour, take care Of my
children, now to be left second time orphans |
and among Indians" Joe Lewis WAS undoubtI !
edly the one who shot Mrs. Whitman, aud who |
took the lead in this bloody tragedy and but
for him. his teasing the Indians, and his false
represen tatons, the Indians never would have !
killed their best friends and butchered the Amer
leans. He told the writer he was bornin Can
ada and educated in Maine. He was good
scholar and good mechanic, had the appearance |
of an Eastern half-breed, spoke the English as
his native tongue, and was devoted Catholic, !
wearing his cross and counting his beads often.
The emigrants of that year saw him first at Fort
Hall, and Mrs. Lee testifes that he was several
times heard to say, "There will be change in
that country (Walla Walla) when the Fathers
get down" He told the Indians that he was a
Chinook that the Americans had stolen him
when child. He had grown up in America
knew the Americans hated the Indians and in-
tended to exterminate them; would send mis-
sionares frst and then the multitude would
come and take the country. They had better
kill DR.. Whitman and the missionaries, and what
Americans there were they could do it, and he
would help them They would receive plenty
of ammunition from below. After the butchery
be was protected as never an American was
went of with most of the money and valuablss
pIundered from the helpless widows and or
phans, and has been seen at the northeast sta
tions. Fs-
Mr.. Oanfeld, one of the three dressing the
beef, who escaped finally reached my station IN
the country ofthe Nez Perce Indians, says: We
saw multtudes of Indians collecting on foot and
horse, but thought it was on account OF the
beef The first notice was shock like terrlthc
peals of thunder, accompanied by an unearthly
yell of the savages. ! sprang up, but saw our
selves perfectly envelOped by naked Indians.
whose guns seemed blazing in our faces.
turned twice before saw an opening saw Mr..
Kimbal fall; sprang for the opening, and through
the thick smoke, dashing the guns aside with
my hands. AT "a little distance looked back
and saw an Indian taking aim at me, and after
wards found that ball had entered my back
and passed around between the skin and ribs,
where it remains. l passed my family in the
shop, and catching up child, ran into the large
building, up stairs, and into the garret, where
looked down from the window upon the whole
aNmWN