The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-05-02
NO. 81.
ggisrellaaeu1ls.
PEN PORTRAITS OF THE MODOC
CHIEFS.

PEN PORTRAITS OF THE MODOC
| CHIEFS.
!, A writer for the San Francisco
Chronicle who, seven weeks ago, saw
ard shook hands with the Modoc
chiefs, and on the night Of the 2Stb
of February slept in Jacks cave
lying down behind that trai,orons
villain with feelingot perfect secur-
ity, contributes sketches o; them as
follows:
CAPTAIN JACK.
Captain Jack, the chief Of the tribe
and author OF the villainous plot Is
tu.l- blooded Modoc OF thirty wears
OF age, though he looks much Older
He has good head, though like all
Indians, the forehead is low and le.
treating. His complexion is dark
being bright copper color, and bis
eyes are black, full, and piercing. His
hslr Is long, hanging down to his
shoulders, and his face is entirely des.
ltitute OF beard. His mouth is large,
and its shape indicates firmness and
and determination, though it by no
means denotes cruelty and baseness
traits which Jack seems to possess
above all others. In manner he is
cool, self possessed, and very digni-
fed. He insists upon being treated
with the greatest respect by ell with
whom be comes in contact, and the
CHIEF ruler OF forty millions of peo-
pie could not be greater stickler for
Cfiiciai etiquette thsn this came mis-.
era6le savage. He never smiles.
His greeting o! his visitors on the
occasion OF the visit referred TO. was
a splendid exhibition OF indifference
ana haughtiness, notwithstanding athe
time he was 80 i'll he could not stand
up. Before this act of treachery he
was believed to be the soul of honor
Settlers Ii the neighborhood who mad
many dealings with him ssid that
they never knew Csptain Jack to do
a mean or base set, ncr would ne
knowingly permit sny member OF his
band to do one. II sEy of the ranch.
men ever complained of any act of
peeulstiOn or other annoyance. Jack
was sure TO visit punishment upon the
offender. He was elected chief ofl
the tribe two or three years ago. and
Esquire Steele, of Yreka, acted az
judge OF election--a fact which has
always made Steele jacks fast friend
lie was the last man in The tribe who
II woulc be thought could be guilty
OF so base an sct--an act entirely ont
Of keeping with his past character
JOHN sCHoNCHIN.
John SchOnchin, a brother of "Old
Schonchin," jacks predecessor in the
Office OF chief, is a man about 40
years old. He is a lighter-colored
man than Jack, hCt is a great deal
stouter, being road.shouldered and
quite corpulent. His hair is long and
straight aEd'his eyes small and ex-l
pressionless. His face is pleasing in
expression, and he is much less de-
termined IL look than the YOUNGER
chief SgEnnchir IL u rival to the
plsce occupied by Captain Jack, he
believing that he hes a hereditary
right to the modsc throne. Conse-
quently he and Jack have not been
on the best Of terms, though in their
horrible plot they seemed to have
worked together. He is the man
who shot Meacham and inflicted the
from which the latter ia like
y to die. Schonchin, in all these
peace negotiations, has been more
eIactlng in his demands than even
Jack himself. On the occasion of
'teele's first visit to the Lava Bed he
vas less friendly than any OF the
others. He even went 80 far as to ac- :
,use Steele of wishing to ''talk with ,
iWo tongues and the latter had to ;
make him sharp speech in reply to
prevent recurrence of the insult.
Of this chief, whose death is now
the dispatches say:
"Schonchin's body was found and
lis head taken to camp. He was not
iilled, only wounded by Mescham.
1ut wss killed by q shell. His whole
'ody below the breast was blown
,ut. WatcLnate, another young Mo-
ioc, was also recognized among the
lead. The shell that killed Schon-
,hln and others was picked up by
Natchnate before it exploded,
BOSTON CHARLEY.
The man who shot and Instantly
Killed the Rev. DR.. Thomas, is a
7oung Indian about % years old. He
s practically white, and his complex
on quite clear. Hence the name of
Boston" given him by the Indians.
which signifies "white." He has no
history at all, snd gained no promi-
lence in the tribe until the peace ne
,Otiations began, when he acted as
passenger. He was one Of the young |
avsges who came out to Fairchild's t
Nth Steele aUd party tO talk to Cen C
raj Candy about tie 1st Of March. i
The General treated them all very /
indy, and their return for this is his e
,rutal massacre. "Bosicnn wss be-
ieyed to be one Of the best 6ispo- q
itioned Indians il the tribes He was q
ood-humored, always laughing and 4
alking, and seemed to like the whites O
'etter than the Indians. He was one b
4 those Indicted by the Oregon 4
rand jury for the killing Of the set 8
lers, bat he wss known to have had 0
Othing at ali TO 10 with that matter, U
'eIDg on the west side OF the lake at u
be time. b
HooKA JIa. T.
This is enc OF the worst Indians in C
be whole tribe. He was the leader
t the band who committed the mur- Il
ers in December. He Is young, not b
YER twenty-OB or twenty-five, but il
; large and pOser;ul. lie is not q q
iodoc proper, but belongs to a band p
{ Irdisns known in Si.kiyou ss the C
COmOTwssbes" They are CON- il
osed of remnants OF several tribes, /
nd have loIg been regarded as Il
hleves and murdercrs. Tao Of them Il
re IN the Lava Eed-iIooke Jim ard a
be "DoctoI'--snd even Captain J .ck
Ias said TO be afraid OF them. This Il
indian hes baf fare He. too, vas "
ne Of those who came out with Steele, 81
nd was lie caly ore that the CArOn hi
,Le correspondent feic uressy WITH, ii
hen on one occasion on the route fr
e was left fsr s-find alone with him al
! WAS getting la'e in the afternoon, u
nd the party hG4 got ten miles to Ia
de when they struck tue 'sdivide," il
gap in tie m"In:sia In tie south of Ol
title Klsua,h Lake. There Tss five 70
bites end fourteen Indisns. Steele rs
nd Fairchilds led the party, and as II
ley came ont Of the trail and struck "
le Lost River road, Steele put spurs q,
, bis horse, sad The whole party start it
] for home on a 2all0p, the Indians 50
ding siong heavily armed. with their q,
,slhers ana FOX tails flying like 80 81
any peBDsn,e. They yelled and d.
oEled, snl he psrty came down the d
ope like flying Tam O'Sbauters II
getting wrong with the
HrOnrcle mans saddle, he stopped to 0,
< il, which took nesrly Twelve min ia
les. Hooks Jim sad Curley beaded q
ack, another Indian that it would Il
OF do to trust far, seeing the cor s,
stop, rode on few hun %
red yards and etOpped also. When d
"a laffcr rnnurfrl ha 49,. Il -