Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-10-16
THE MODOC EXECUTIONS.
Hanging of Capt. Jack and his Fellow
Murderers.

Hanging of Capt. Jack and his FellOW-
Murderers.
[Fort Klamath (Oct. 81 Cor. San Francisco Buletinl
Boston Charley and Black Jim were
led on the scaffold first, and Schonchin
next. They trod it with apparent in
difference and iron nerve, having evl-
IDENTIFY resolved to die as brave as they
have lived.
Capt. Jacks thin lips were tightly
compressed, and bearing himself erect,
without trace of fear, he turned his
deep-set, glittering eyes toward the spot
where the remnant of his people, with
their wives and papooses, stood, with
glance firm and proud, though sad.
He had grown little heshier during his
formed head, firmly poised on hard,
sinewy shoulders, his clear-cut features,
deep-set, piercing black eyes, and COM
manding carriage, even on the scaffold
his appearance was striking.
Boston Charley looked the same 1.-the,
muscular savage, cunning, daring, and
cruel, that he was the morning of the
massacre, when, having breakfasted
with good old Dr. Thomas, he treacher-
ously shot him, and kept firing until
his pistol was empty, though the first
shot was fatal He cast his eyes over
the scene with furtive glances, but
showed no signs of blanching.
Black Jim, who assaulted Mr.. Dyar,
and who was leader of the band that
committed the massacre at Lost River,
Oregon, maintained an air of stolid i'm
FEASIBILITY. Jim was only about 30
years of age, and physically was a
splendid looking fellow, muscular and
trim built.
Schonchin, who shot and mutilated
Meacham, and though over 40 years of
of age and wounded in the first fight,
proved one of the most formidable of the
band, was last on the scafford. He had
evidently made up his mind to die
boldly, and displayed no evidence of t e
least discomposure. Jack walked easily
up the scaffold stairway, but looked
wretched and miserable.
The manacles had been struck off,
but their arms were securely pinloned
with cords.
At precisely 9:45 a. M, the interpret
ers, Capt. o. G. Applegate and David
Hill, explained to the culprits the ma
ture of the order to be read to them by
the Adjutant, and at 10 a. M, Adjutant
Kingsbury read the orders promulgat-
ing the sentence of the commission and
the Presidents order therein, with the
orders of the Secretary of War and the
Department Commander on the prem
ises.
The two reprieved prisoners, Barncho
and Slotuk, yet stood on the ground In
front of the scaffold, shackled and under
guard. During the reading the pinioned
victims were seated on the platform OF
the scaffold, which consisted of uprights
about seven feet high, surmounted by q
cross-beam thirty feet in length. The
platform was set on pine poles, eight
feet below the beam, solid at the back,
and with a hinged drop on which all
were seated, with their feet on the drop,
listening anxiously, but, of course, not
understanding word of it. The read
ing occupied ten minutes.
| Then the Adiutant read the order OF
Communication in the case of Barncho and
| Slotuk, which was issued on the ground
that they were merely acting under
Capt. Jacks orders in what they did.
The poor fellows were taken back to the
stockade, evidently happy at not accom-
panying the others to the happy hunt
ing grounds.
The coffins, six in number, had been
placed directly in the rear of the gal
lows, two of them destined to be un-
occupied, as the order committing the
sentences of Barncho and Slotuk only
arrived at 1870 last evening, and prep
arations had been made for them like
wise.
The chaplain then offered up earnest
and fervent prayer for the souls of the
culprits, which was listened to atten.
lively.
At 1O:15 the fatal nooses were placed
around their necks, under direction OF
Capt. Hoge. 1t was necessary to cut
off little of Jacks long hair, which was
in the way of the rope. Capt. Hoge
then bid farewell to the prisoners, and
the black caps were placed over the
heads of all the culprits. It must have
been an awful moment.
At 1920 they stood on the drop, the
rope was cut by the assistant at sigma
made by Capt. Hoge's handkerchief
The bodies swung round and round
Jack and Jim apparently dying easily
but Boston and Schonchin suffering ter
rible convulsions. Boston and Schon
chin repeatedly drew up their legs, bu
the two others seemed to die almost in
stantly.
AS the drop fell with terribly deadly
thud four poor human beings fell intc
eternity, and half-smothered cry o
horror went up from the crowd of owe
500 klamath Indians who witnessed tn,
awful spectacle. Walls of deep ant
bitter anguish went up from the stock
ade where the wives and children of tn,
poor fellows had a fair view of tn
shocking scene.