Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-08-08
NO. 33.

SefNaIlOn. Inc reason and manner OF
their coming involved a proceeding
which resulted in the death of Egan and
three Of his warriors, and the capture of
four more. As before stated, about for
ty Umatillas, who, with the hostiles, de-
sired to desert and return to their reser-
vation, but were afraid their participa-
ton in the war would be punished in
some way. Their friends still on the
reservation communicate the fact that
these hostile Umatillas wanted to come
back to Maj. Cornoyer and Capt. Miles,
who gave assurance that they might re
turn provided they brought Egan, the
noted Malheur chief with them. I'M
der this arrangement, on last Monday,
July 15, about forty friendly Umatilias
went in the forenoon to the camp of
the hostiles and intimated to Egan that
they had come to join him, but private
ly told their people who were with him
the conditions upon which they would
be allowed to return to their reserva-
ton. To the terms. all the Umatillas,
friendly and hostile, agreed, and Egan
with seven others of his personal fol-
lowers was called outside Of the hostile
camp, ostensibly for the purpose of
parleying over the conditions of their
union with him. When all parties had
reached spot out of reach of bullets
from the camp of the main body of In
dians, Egan was seized and informed
that he was to be carried to the camp of
the Bostons. With the seven followers,
he resisted and attempted to escape.
Instantly over half hundred rifles were
leveled, and Egan, the terror of the de-
fenseless, the contempt of the brave,
with there out of the seven followers,
bit the dust. The other four Nal
heurs were brought to Capt. Miles
command as prisoners. Egan and
his dead were scalped, and the Umatillas
returned to Miles command with the
the trophies of their success, their er-
ring brethern returning with them.
Capt. Miles told the Indians that as
there might be some dispute as to the
identity of Egan's scalp, it might be
well to bring in some other part of the
body, and they again went back to the
scene Of the killing and brought in the
head and his left arm. The arm was
found to have been recently fractured
above the elbow by bullet, and was
enclosed i'll splints and bandages, and
bound to his breast This wound was
probably made by ball from the gun
in the hands of Mr.. Noble at the time
Egan and his party called on Messrs.
Robie & French for their horses near
STEMS mountain, about three weeks
before.
A MURDERED WARRIOR.
Egan was a man rather below the
medium size of white men, about 40 or
45 years OF age, and was born devil
having only been restrained from con-
stant murder and pillage by fear.
While not brave, he was skilled in the
arts of Indian warfare, cunning and
treacherous. His taking off ana its
manner were doubtless subjects of great
purtuberation in the hostile camp, as
he was regarded as the leader of the
whole force, though others ranked with
him III command. Some whites pro-
fees to feel disgust at the action of the
Umitillas in seducing Egan from his
camp under false Ipretences and then
then taking his life; but while we might
condemn the theory of their conduct,
we have reason to be satisfied with its
results. The william would not fight
armed men, but his savage propensities
led him to the utmost cruelty to the
defenseless who fell into his hands.
Homely, sub-chief of the Umitillas,
claims and is reported to have fired the
shot which killed Egan, and will proba-
bly, get the $1,000 reward offered by
Mr.. Robie for the scalp of the reprobate.