Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-10-05
LAST OF THE MODOCs.
Execution Of Captain Jack, Black Jim,
Boston Charley and SchOnchIn.
Particulars Of the Horrible Affair
StOIcal Indifference Of the
Culprits.

JACKSONVILLE, OREGON, October a.
] Your correspondent left Fort klamath
/ this morning at twenty minutes past
/ ten O'Clock, and by hard-riding arrived
here q few moments ago. The follow
ing is a short report Of the execution OF
| Captain Jack and band. Boston Charley
and Black Jim were led on the scaffold
! first, and Schonchn next. They trod
on it with apparent indifference and
/ iron nerve, having evidently resolved to
die as brave as they have lived. Jack
went easily up the stairway, but looked
wretched and miserable. The manacles
/ had been struck of, but their arms were
securely pinioned with cord. At pre-
ciseiy forty-five minutes to nine IN the
morning the terpreters-Captain o. c.
Applegate and David Hiel explained to
I the cslprits the nature Of the order to
be read to them by the adjutant, and
at ten O'Clock Adjutant Kingsbury
read the order promulgating the sem
bence of the commission, and the Presi-
dents order therein, with the orders
of the secretary of the war de-
partment and commander on the
! the premises. The two Teprieved pris-
| 1ners, Barnacha and Slatux, yet stood on
the ground in front of the scaffold,
shackled and under guard during the
reading. The pinioneG victims were
seated on the platform of the scaffoId,
their feet on the drop, listening anx-
! iously (but of course not understanding
a word of it, to the reading. The read
| ing occupied about ten minutes; then
the adjutalt read the order of commu-
tation in the cases named above, ard
/ the poor fellows were taken back to the
stockade, evidently happy at not ac-
companying the others to the happy
hunting-grounds. The chaplain then
offered an earnest and fervent prayer
for the souls of the culprits, which was
listened to attentively. At fifteen min
utes past ten o'clock the fatal nooses
were placed around their necks, under
the direction Of Captain Hoge. 1t was
necessary to cut of a little of Jacks
long hair, which was in the way. Cap
tain Hoge then bid farewell to the pris-
oners, and the black caps were
then placed over the heads Of
all the doomed eulprits. It must
have been an awful moment. At
twenty minutes past ten they stood on
the drop, and the rope was cut by the
assistant, at a signal made with Cap
tain Hoge's handkerchief. The bodies
swung round and round, Jack and Jim
apparently dying easily, but Boston
and Sehonchin suffering terrible con-
vulsiOns. Boston and Schonchin re-
peatedly drew up their legs, but the two
Others seemed to die almost instantly
At twenty-eight minutes past ten their
pulses were felt by Captain Hoge, and
as write they are swinging ifeless in
the air. As the drop fell with terrible
deadly thug four poor, wretched human
beings fell into eternity, half-smoth-
ed cry of horror went up from the crowd
of over five hundred Klamath Indians
who witnessed the awful spectacle and
walls Of deep and bitter anguish went
up from the stOckade, where the
wives and children Of the poor fell
lows had a fair view of the shocking
scene. The collins, six in number, had
been placed directly in the rear of
the gallows, two of them des-
tined to he unoccupied, and the order
committing the sentence of Barnacha
and Slatux only arrived at half-past ten
o'clock last evening and preparations
had been made for them likewise. An
application was made this morning by
the sheriff of Jackson county for the
custody Of the Indians indicted by the
grand jury, but it was refused by Gene
raj Wharton.