Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1873-04-14
FIRST EDITION..
400 p. M.
M0D0C TREACHERY.
A Terrible Act of Indian Cruelty.
General CANDY and Commissioner
Thomas Murdered.

| terrible story reaches us from the Pacific
coast. On Thursday the Modoc Indians, of Ore
| gon, with whom General Candy and the Govern
ment Commissioner, have been endeavoring to
make terms Of peace, treacherously killed Gen
eral Candy, and Commissioner Thomas and bad
ly wounded Mr.. Meacham.
AN ATTACK WAS MADE
On the troops under command Of Col. Mason
by the Indians, at the same time with the muir
ders. Lieutenant Sherwood, officer of the day
saw white flag outside the picket line, and
went to sec what was wanted Lieut.. Boyle ac-
companying him. They found an Indian boy,
who wanted them to come up in the rocks where
he was, but they would not. Steamboat Frank
arose from the rocks aud called to them to come
but they refused, when the Indians opened fire
on them. "a
On Friday morning, the Indians, some five in
number, met General Canby DIR. Thomas MIR.
meaeham, Mr., Dyer, and two interpreters, by /
previous agreement at point outside the lines. |
The narrative of Mr.. Dyer, who escaped, is as /
followa;
Mr.. Meacham made short speech to the In-
dians, followed by General OAnby and then Dr. |
Thomas. Then Captain Jack made a speech,
asking for Hot Greek and Cotton Wood, places |
now occupied by Fairchild and Doris for q res
eryation Mr. Meacham told Jack that it was
not possible to give him what he asked Schon- |
chen told Meachem to say no more that he
(Meacham) had said enough upon that subject |
and, while Schonchen was speaking, Captain
Jack got up and walked behind the others, turn i
ed back and exclaimed "All ready!" He then
drew his pistol and Snapped a cap at General /
Oanby. He cooked his pistol again and fired. /
General Canby fell dead, shot under the eye
!, Schonchen then shot Meacham in the shoul-
der and head, but he is still alive. Boston Char
ley and another Indian shot ard killed DIR. |
Thomas. Hooken Jim chased Dyer for some
distance, but Dyer turned upon him, with pistol
n hand. and Jim ran. The two Interpreters es-
,aped.
GREAT EXCITEMENT
Prevails on the Pacific Coast General Gillem 1
second in command to General Canby at once |
active operations, with the purpose l
u u 81 SexteTmlnating the Modocs. General Scoheld,
It San FTaucisco, reports to Gen. Sherman that
10 has teegraphed Colonel Gillem to let the | .
punishment OF the Modocs be AZ severe as their :
reaehery has merited, and hopes to hear soon
hat he has made an epd:of them.
The President has unreseryedly Expressed | +
iS sanction OF the severe measures now neces- / l
ary to properly punish the Modoes, and his
lows IN this respect have been fully stated to O
ne authorities acting under the War Depart | D
nent.
GENERAL CANDY \
Vas much respected officer. He was born in / a
-eptucky, graduated at West Point in 1889 and
erved bravely in the War against the Rebellion. j.
10 was very fayorably disposed toward the Indi-
ns, and had labored patiently to arrange terms p
ith them. His death is great public loss
PUBLIC MEETING IN WASHINGTON. y
Last evening, at Washington, a public meet /
lg was held in the Congregational church
:. consider the subject of the Christian u
Olicy OF the government toward the Indians, =
he notice for the meeting issued before in y
Irmation concerning the Modoc massacre was 81
'ceived here. General Howard, addressing the
OF the former manner in which a
ldian affairs were managed, saying that the | o.
adams were plundered on one side aud the gov a.
rnment on the other, but President Grant had |
Ioken uF " the corrupt ring and placed the in
hole Indian question in Christian hands. ia
The peace policy never meant murder and | M
sath. He spoke in eulogy Of the late General
anby, believing him to have been wise and A
lst man.
He chad no apology to make for the Modocs v
no had struck blow at their own existence. ei
he President and the commissioners say "peace |
ofore war" but they believed in punishing |
reakers OF law, whether Indians or white men
WHAT PEACE COMMISSIONER SAYS, n.
William Welsh, of Philadelphia, being inter-
ewed on the subject yesterday, said
1T il, indeed, a very sad affair. General Cam
' telegraphed me the other day stating that he
d not think the Indians would fight, and that
icy were entirely pesoeable The telegram G,
roves to the contrary, though. 1t looks yery ~
uch, indeed as if they had got wrong in some
ay. You must remember that the people of
lat section have threatened to murder these II
idians, and they were afraid they would be be-
Ot be fairly dealt WITH"
WAS there any reason for that 2"
Yes; the Oregon people threatened to kill
lem, and the government had to send word :,
lat these men were to be treated honorably. ID.
his was while the troops were there Gen.
anby had great trouble to protect them against st
10 people, who were very much inoensed OF
sainst them They tried to get them off the tel
and aftar they had committed some -
,predations, they insisted upon the govern n
ent handing them over to their tender mercy
he government claims that the Indians are en- =
rely under its control" -
THE action of Captain jack however, can in
manner be justified" added the reporter
"Oh my, no," returned Mr.. Welsh, lit is
,rfectly outrageous thing. You cannot Justify
~ such action. Unfortunately we have done f.
lat very thing three or four times In the re-
'rt of General Sherman he alluded to just such
nduct on the part of our people,"
(Mr. Welsh here read various extracts from ]
10 official report of General Sherman, showing or
10 views the Indians have of the white people, | ~
eir reasons for lighting and the causes which X
duce them to have such hatred for the domi- -
mt race. He also read an extract from the
'eekly Register, published at Lowell, Nebraska,
wing an account Of the cowardly murder of
rec Indian chiefs who had entered the camp
two white men for food)