The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-22
The Murder Of Captain Jacks Father and the
Slaughter Of the Elder SchOnchin
Told for the First Time.
The Bloody Reprisal Of the MOdOc
Chief After Twenty Years.
Bids for Millions of Dollars Worth
Of Indian Supplies To Be
Closed To-Day.
No Hope of Capturing Captain
Jack or His Band.


Now that the band OF nifty Modoc warriors have
escaped from the hands OF the seven eight hun
dred men made up from the artillery, infantry and
cavalry OF the United States regular army, citi-
zens are beginning to ask what the views OF the
Peace or Indian Commission may be in regard TO
the policy now to be pursued toward the Oregon
Indians. call was published some days since
in different newspapers from Mr.. George H. Stuart,
the Chairman Of the Executive Committee OF the
Board Of Indian Commissioners, TO have meeting
at the Fifth Avenue Hotel on Monday, April 81.
Now, to make matters clearly understood. we will
here state that the Peace Commission and the
Board Of Indian Commissioners are one and the
same Dody though having dual corporate titles. And
furthermore let 1t be understood that the Peace
or Indian Commission is volunteer body act
ing with discretionary powers under the advisory
authority OF the Secretary OF the Interior at WASH
ington, Mr.. Columbus Delano, who Is also chief Of
the Bureau OF Indian Affairs. And the
names Of the Peace Commission VINO were
to have met yesterday at the Fifth Ave-
nue. Hotel are as follows Felix r. Brunei, George
II. Stuart, OF Philadelphia; Robert Campbell, OF st.
Louis Nathan Bishop, William E. Dodge, OF New
York city; John v. Farwell, John D. Lang and N. ].
Turner. The secretary OF the Indian or Peace Com
mission is Mr.. Thomas X. Gree, whose ONCE is in
washington city in the Bureau OF Indian Affairs.
Owing to the death OF the mother OF the chairman
OF the Commission, Mr. Felix Brunot whose funeral
was to have taken place at Pittsburg, Pa, on Sun
| day, and the non-arriva Of any OF the
members, with the exception OF Mr.. Campbell, Of
st. Louis, there not any session yesterday Of
the Commission, and 1t is not probable that there
| VIII be any before Wednesday, by which time all
| the members will have arrived in this city. 1t is
well that the public should know however, thatit is
this Peace Commission which has the sole and only
power to receive bids and make awards on the mil
lions OF dollars worth OF supplies which are fur
nished TO the Indians Of the United States and
to-day noon all propOsalswi be closed at 40 and AZ
Leonard street in this city, for the immense stores
| The Peace Commission have a vast field before
| them as to how they will award bids where so
1 many hundreds OF thousands OF dollars are at
stake. For the past four or i've days 1t has been
noticeable that space Of nearly two columns has
been occupied In the HERALD with specifications
OF all the articles desired for Indian use, from
million pounds OF beef cattle on the hoof for the
Santee Indians, to the twelve Thousand pounds Of
saeratus demanded by Red Cloud 1t Is a curious
| specification OF items, indeed, and will repay
! perusal. We may discover, on reading the speci-
fications, that the Cheyennes win need 10000
pounds OF brown sugar next year, to put in their
| tay," as Darby McBlart said, while the bowling
Kiowas will not be satisfied with less than 1000
pounds OF plug tobacco; the Blackieet want 1000
pounds OF green coffee, and the Crows need 1000
pounds isalt. For one agency alone, the Whet-
pounds of beef. 100000 pounds OF bacon,
200 600 pounds flour and 200 geo pounds Of sugar
e yas s o e GPe o
/ pounds OF hour, $1,000 pounds OF coffee, 10000
pounds Of brown sugar, and /, strange to say, for
| pounds OF soap. The Yancton Sioux want TO get
| 1000 pounds OF soap and 5000 pounds OF plug
| tobacco, but those who saw the Yancton Sioux in
this city last Summer and conversed with them will
not believe that they desire the soap to wash
themselves, for it is certain that If they at
themselves No
such an unusual one that dphtheria would carry of
| the tribe.
| sioners have been called to meet for HERALD
porter paid visit to the Fifth Avenue Hotel and dis
covered that but two members, the Secretary, Mr..
Thomas K Cree, and Robert Campbell had arrived.
A card was sent to Mr.. Cree. who soon answered
the summons and entered into conversation
with the writer OF which the following ID the SUBJ
stance:-
REPoRrER-Mr. Cree, as you are the Secretary Of
the Peace Commission, which was to have met to-
day, want to know for the benefit OF the public
what the purpose OF the Commission Is in meeting,
and II there VIII be any change in their policy
towards the Modoc savages
Secretary CREE-It is the Board OF Indian Conn.,
mssioners, as well as the Peace Commissioners.
lty the way. saw card from man named Par
dee in regard to the new religion started
among the Oregon and Washington Territory
Relgion,n from Smohsller, great prophet among
the Warm Spring Indians, whs are our
n the Mo s are nos
This religien has taken great hold on the Warm
Spring Indians, and it tends somewhat to Mormon
ism, and that 1t Is degrading to dress like white
men or wear their hair like white men, follow
the pursuits of agriculturists. smoholler, who is
Snake Indian, OF which nation the Warm
Spring Indians, our allies are tribe, has four
or five thousand followers who believe in this new
religion, and his headquarters are at Priests
Rapids. on river In washington Territory. about
one thousand miles from the country OF the Modocs
All along the Pacific ridge there are strewn about
one hundred tribes OF Indians who belong to one
grand nation and speak what is known as the
Chinook language. These tribes are located in
Washington Territory, Oregon and Idaho. Now
| the Modocs are q brave people and are purely a
California tribe, who speak their own dialect.
REPoRTER-Mr. Cree, want to ask one question,
which seems to bother every one. How many
people, men, women and children, are there in the
Secretary CREE-One year ago, when they were
more numerous than they are now, there were,
according to actual count, 25s Modoc Indians all
tod warriors squaws and papooses; s.. nu0,or =,
Modocs could keep the United States at bay, and
ter laughing at their escapey
| persons there were about seventy warriors able
to light and no more. The Lava Beds, whlcn
is a hundres miles ' square, T and 10000 United
States troops could not surround 1t or prevent
e escape Of the seventy VIA I'll fse nasses
and places Of concealment The lava beds nave
never been explored. The Modocs have traversed
them thousands Of times and 1t Is their country.
The lava beds are fall OF streams choking with fsh,
and there are fine grazing tracts IN winch the
M0d0cs have concealed their beef cattle.
REPoRTER-What provocation have the Modocs
| had to make them commit the murders Of Candy
j and Thomas
| Secretary CREE-Captaln Jacks father was one
OF party Of eighteen Modocs who came In under
nag OF truce To the camp OF Captain BENJAMIN
! Wright; SchOnchns father also among the
party, and while the Modocs were all at dinner
| with the whites, they were all treacnerousiy
| murdered by Captain Wright's company, Captain
| Jacks father and Shonchin's father among the
rest This occurred in 1852, over twenty years ago,
and then Captain Jack was q tall lad OF elgnteen
and he was determined to seek vengeance for his
fathers blood. one day Captain wright was
| killed by an unknown Modoc, who was afterwards
| hanged fer the crime, and who confessed that 1t
was he who shot Wright. some OF the Modocs