The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-13
THE LOST KLAMATH CHIEF.
4 kIDNtPP}D yNDT1N FROM UEI-
CH.in'S SHOW PIRTY.

On " y SNOW P1HII y.
The SEQUEL to the serious Catastrophe thar
Brtcl u Peace Crmmissi0nUr's Enterprise
An Aduit. Ked-~iinncd Charley Hoss.
Early last spring Peace Commissioner
A. Is. Mcrcharp, VINO was almost killed 10y tho
Nodocs. organized company Of klamath and
Modoc indiana to give onie,tnlnmenis In the
Ea-tern States. 1he Indians were selected by
their tribes. and were representative men. The
orator Of the troupe was walaiks Skidat C'thc
left h nded man tlat lives between two
rivcrs.D He was a klamath, descended from a
long line of chiefs; a noted orator, a bravo
leader in war, ana also good farmer aud a
great admircr Of the arts Of civilization. He cx-
erted his powerful influence with his pco, lie to
we n them from their savage condition. Yum
nspoc ia ("thc chief without beads" OF the
poor chicf) also accompanied tho prty. lie
aud Walaks Skidat who called himself David
Ilu were inserarable friends. hayInglbecn to-
eethcr since boyhood. Winema Uhe strong
mindcd woman known as the Interpreter for
tine Modoc commission, and the savior OF Mr..
Mclchau's lifc was the stage interpreter for the
rtrty. She j. married to Frink Riddle also an
actor In the terrible Cauhy tragedy, and her hus-
band assisted MIR Meacham In the management
Of the troupe. Her English name is obey Riddle.
The troupe were engaged on Auril - to attend
a meeting on Indian AFFAIRS at the Cooper lnsti-
tute. and Hill had promised to deliver an ad-
dress describing the wrongs compl lined of by
his and other tribes. The troupe were quar-
tered at the 81. Charles Iin el. aud II their
custom to rcuurt 10 Mr. Mcacham before going
out OF the house. Hence he was surpfis ed when
a. l.iJ \ VI Of the 2sth. David nm was not TO
| he found IN the hotel lumnispoctis hud
sournt for bin from room to room In vain, and
| continued his fruiilcss search all DAY. Mr:
! Meacnam was confident they would meet Hill
| there. The meeting US held, and aficr u
| Mr. NIcach M Informed the police. Hill. he told
| them. was q strict temperance man, ana Chris
! tln. y thorough search was made, uut stlll
! the whcr,an outs OF I'm remained mystery.
| MIR. Mencham cmpl' yed competent assistants
and searched the slums of the city rcfullv.
Sunerinteudcnt Walling detailed Detective
| titus to follow the Trail, and he aud Mr..
| Neacham devoted day after day to the sea ch.
Hin was man of such REGULAR personal Az
| IearauCe that he would have been observed IN n
crowd Of thousand persons aud the seafchets
were well assured after a quest Of TWO or three
u,Ns that ne hhu not ieit the cltS. u, hce the
| Inference was natural that he was either de d
! or held In confinement there was strong cir
cumstantial evidence that he had been enticed
| away. The person suspected was man who
had wurmed himseli into the confidence OF the
Indians In this city. lie often entertained them
~ his place Of business, and daily visited them
| At their motel. lie was fruntiersman. and
| knew mucn of the Indian character and pecu-
! Uarities and hence experienced no difficulty ia
! gaming their confidence. soon after tue disap-
pearance Of nm the person above mentioned
called AT the hotel, and II was with the utmost
saved MIN from the fury OF Yumnispoctis, who
! openly accused him ot stealing away his friend.
MIR. Meacham received hint that AN Offer OF a
reward might induce The kidnapUers tu produce
| their prisoner. lie promised to give Sl,OOO for
the pr, duction Of Hill alive and well, tut It was
not accepted. MIR. Meacham tncred to meet the
| kiinappers alone, unarmed and In a dark room,
| ana pay them the money upon the delivery OF
| Hll; but this proposition was also declined,
| and at length the search was given mp. Detcc-
| tive Titus believed throughout that Hill WAS
| stolen by party OF circus men who Thought
that n they failed To get n ransom for Hill
they could eAbioit him as ModOc The troupe
| was broken up Immediately after the loss Of
| Hill, ana most Of the lnulans were sent back to
| their tribes; tire klamaibs and the Modocs
| under the care OF Capt. o G. Apologize The
| only members OF the troupe remaining in this
| city were Frank and Touey Riddle.
| On Friday last, Mr. MeAcham received note
| from Cupt Applegate. informing them that Dh-
| vid I'm mad appeared among his tribe on the
! klamath He-cryatiun, footsore and weary with
| travel. The story Of MS capture aud esc pc is
imperfectly told IN Capt. Applcgates letter. hut
| IL bears out the original theory OF the kldnap-
| uing Hill says he was cnticed away from the
| hotel, nd put Ia confinement, but where, the
| letter does not say. lie was kept IN this con
! tnemcnt Tor several weeks, until at length the
| kidnaupers, knnwing they cOuid not realize on
| their ransom scheme, took MIN to point in the
| West. here the, kept bim for shnrt time,
! and then giving him few dollars, turned him
loose q thous ud miles away from his home, 10
/ which he worked his way.