, 1873-06-13
THE. INDIANS.
Gen. Davis Views on. the nlodoc
B Question. ~ =:
His Address 10 Capt. Jack on Sentencing
Him to Be Hung. . -.
Invasion Of Sonora, Mexico, by
Bands; Of ApacAcs.


and trlcd six doao1tors.:: The decision will DO
rendered Id few dhys. .. /
Gen. Davis In conversation with spoofal
correspondent Of tho Bulletin, Juno II, gave tue
following statement :
Whom / arrived In the fold, found tho
troops engaged in war with band Of Indian
outlaws, murderors, wards OF tho General
Government who had revoltod againHt It's au-
thority, and were fighting. moroilessly, neither
giving nor expecting quarter. thon Thought
tho captives takan In future should DO executed
upon tho spot, aa tho hu1oat and spoed-
lest method Of settling tho Modoo
problem, whon captured while fighting agatnat
tho military forces Of tho United Bsasos and, aa
separate nation or tribe, WAS disposed to doal
with them accordingly. Since tho capture, I have
ascortained that tho authorities Of jackson
County, Oregon, had found indictments against
certain merabers Of tho band, but have not
doomed 1t proper to turn them over to the civil
courts. because thoy woro waging war against
tao Government ut tho tirno tho muir
ders upon which tho indictments arc
based and were found worc committed;
also, for tho reason that, after their capture,
| they were prisoners Of tho Government, aud not
directly au1onablc to tho civil laws.
During my command torc, have noticed that
Of Of property property Or inde1aniaoation for loss, los inTa-
riably appoal to tho authority OF tho tnitod
| States, but nov that tho war Ia over, and tho
nuarauders are capsiyes, both tho public md
local authorities want to tako tho punishment
threats Of the people, and tho recent bloody net
in this noighborhood, when four old defonco1eBs
captiyes Cd route from Fairchi1d'a Ranch to camp
wero murdered By tho civilians, Indicato that
t trial by civil law would bo 0 uaoloes FARGO.
The people have made up their minds that tho
| prisoners nre guilty. It ia suggested TINT o
| military a2mrafaaion will be ordered to try tho
criminals. t tho idea Il carried out tho oflcora
and mon who nayo had no immediate connection
with the Moaoo difficulty. Such commission
would probably try each caso separate, and ro-
soy nothing Of tho cxpenso involved in such
proceeding. There will be an immense expense to
tho Government, bogldos everybody, civil aa woll
as military, knows that tho Indians aro guilty Of
hanged. I thought to avold. UNNECESSARY ex-
pel,so and the farce Of q trial by doing tho
work myself. Owing to tho dilatory manner in
| which the Modocs wore troated by those In
charge In tho beginning Of these difflou1tlos, tho
Indians obtained fearful advantage oyor us,
ana slaughtered 80 many people thas tho oout,-
| try was aBtonished and even shocked, and now
foar they viii got tho advantage In the closing
tho minds Of tho citizons Of tho
frontier Justice has already beon gory
tardy coming, and ls approaching from go many
direrout directions in such questionable shape
soonirements Of tho caso. ''''''' ~ ''' WV
Tho Indians do not recognize tho juriadlotion
! Of civil or military courts, because they arc In
capable Of oomprohonding their workings. ThoRo
court. souri, Thoy havo boon intorrogated Ton On that
subject. They would regard court trial, with
it's tochnicalltes and testimony, ae a
kind Of jugsloEy' and, IL, Il convicted ed
5o tna doa co9u nos Z
mitted dooda that merit death. II faeR tho 1oal
They boloye tho military have IT., tho power and
Fe affess 50 occurred g ii orogon and 6aforn and
arc badly mi1od.
Ny proposed GouTe Tend sote tho quo.st1on =;
a3t es'I hoouo eS o + waa ~ thn * haat ~ waT ~
on .caonnt o h, "1 nrosnoota o'es of "ay ~
mon, women, md children, guilty aud innooent,
aan+ha tn:nnmo - : had nrncnrad Inmhcr' ohaina'
rope. snd tao4le. end sd ot IL pa5apletnalia q
ana haa tSe o
laiatton ~ Of ohargos, which woro road to Jaoh
~ uxApouAnFEns Dsp4nrs,rsr OF oo1umpa,}
rn,r r.pr 41n cn, tiis I,nns 1874
snc. TIM ,hta 1,a,1 eat ua eaer to tfnv,1
through Or seS d1 @ no n1 M cp u mns
tSc Modnss hnyn heen Known AZ bsnd Of orotioss
tt S , aoo irr 1us rha h;etar, ~ vnur tr,ha H.
nTna ,s, ~ 1de " i'm htta gnsn Evan nno;s
o,q 1ndan T ma;ohhora van nrn fnoWn "a Ioninecr,
8 oua t AZ WIZ ~ son ,,nrdsns ~ cnn,.
ttd H vour neonn w3th,n tho iimtts Of te preSant
Ha r. a a ahf yf, u % no .ton sr tho oave ~
nvcr a1tv Vcttma ~ Modes harhsrttv. Iii murtlared
~ uam- jnnnassa rnrastora IN =. hrS}s mnnnnr The1
ny YOU aa Sb;dre
aaain ani.x thrnnoh thn no,nfrv IN nnhSin hiS
way For those many crimoa no adequate :punish.
meat las ever been visited upon tho guilty