The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-11-25
INDIAN FRANK.

ten or unwritten, doubt if there can
be found parallel to the bloody tragedy
which took place on Trinity river, fifteen
miles north of the Indian reservation In
Hoopa Valley, California, On the morn
ing of March %, 1867. The particulars
of this terrible affair, resulting in the
killing of four white men by one Indian,
and the long and fruitless search for the
murderer, terminating with his death
under peculiar circumstances, are now
brought to light for the first time. The
Hoopa valley Reservation, at the date
of the occurrence, was in charge of In
dian Agent Stockton, and the military
camp attached thereto under the COM
mand of Maj. Bowman, of the Ninth
United States infantry. There were
several hundred Indians on the reserva-
ton at the time, belonging to the Hoopa,
Redwood and Klamath tribes. Among
them were some of the most dangerous
and bloody characters that were ever
fostered by our Government to prey
upon its citizens. For what has been
and is the result OF the Governments
treatment of the Indian The reserva-
ton, under the so-called humane policy
of the Department of the Interior, is
nothing more than an asylum where the
Indian is fed and housed during the
winter, and put in good fighting trim
for spring, when he takes his departure,
without leave, to prey upon and harass
every unfortunate white that comes
In his way, knowing full well
that after his marauding is sus-
pended there is home for him to re-
turn to, where he will be received with
open arms, like the Prodigal Son, and
where his crimes will be forgotten in
the haste made TO issue him his blankets
and rations. know there are some of
the Good Samaritan order who will say
that this is an outrageous as we'll us an
inhuman view TO take of the Gov
ernment's treatment of the Indian But
to all such reply, examine the record
of the past thirty years, with its wars
and massacres, its murders and pillages,
and its wastes and extravagances, and
then say whether l have been unjust in
the assertions which l have made.
Every man of intelligence who has
lived in an Indian country, and had an
opportunity of examining the Indian
question, knows full well that the only
true solution of it consists in compelling
the Indian to work for his living as a
white man does, to punish him as you
would a white man Tor similar offense,
and TO make him understand that he
must conform to the laws the same as q
white man. The Indian is fully capable
OF being made to comprehend all this.
1t Is not my intention, however, to tilt
at wind mills, but to narrate an episode
without a parallel III the whole history
OF the Governments protectcrate OF the
Indian. Among the despn ADDE'S who
were cared for at this time ph the Hoopa
Reservation were "Ind.an Frank"
"Sanaltin john" big jim and
Handsome Billy" quartette that
were known all over Humboldt, Klamath,
Del Norte and Trinity counties for all
species of deviltry, from horse stealing
to murder. During their Pc
riodical sojourn on the reservation,
they were the chiefs of two adverse
ranches, and spent the greater portion
OF their time Ill stealing from one an
other, and in picking off an enemy
whenever they could do SO without de-
lection, which happened not infrequent-
ly. Agent Stockton, who had been in
charge of the reservation for three
years before the occurrence / am about
to relate took place, was most kind
man In disposition, and one who treated
the Indians under him in such man.
ner as to be almost universally liked by
them. He had, however, in pursuance
of what he deemed to be his duty, fallen
into the questionable practice of mixing
up in their disputes in endeavoring to
settle them. One day, in the early part
of March, 1867, an Indian from the
big Jim" ranch came to the Agent
with a complaint that his horse had been
stolen by Indian Frank, and that the
latter refused to pay him for it, as the
horse was subsequently found drowned.
Stockton sent for Frank and told him If
he did not pay for the horse before the
following day that he would lock him
up. The next morning it was found
that Frank had left the reservation,
and, although he was diligently searched
for in the surrounding country, no traces
of him were discovered. On the after
noon of the 9th of March the Indian
from whom the horse had been stolen
discovered Franks whereabouts, and
Immediately notified Stockton, who de-
termincd to go after him and bring him
to the reservation. Taking with him
four attaches of the agency, James
Latham, Asa Pratt, William Griffith
and John Shooter, he started for Franks
hiding-place, which, according to the
Indian, was some fifteen miles from the
reservation, on the main Trinity
river. at a spot known as Niger Henry
Fiat. It was Stockton's intention
to travel during the night and arrest
Frank before he awoke in the morning.
This he carried out in part successfully.
as at 5 o'clock on the following morn
ing he and his party were in front OF
the Indians hut-which they found sit
uated in an open, rectangular space
about sixty yards long by forty wide
and through the open door Of which
could he seen the sleeping form of him
they were after. Stockton went to the