Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-09-11
JAMES REUBEN 8 LETTER IN
THE STATESMAN.
The TELLER charged that it was gen

orally suspected, and ny many believed,
that james Reuben was with the bestiie-
al the time of the killing Of BIewett and
many thought he was also with them
when Rains and bis party were killed, on
the afternoon Of the Sd Of July 1877,
aud We gave some of tho testimony upon
which this belief was founded. Person
ally the editor Of the TELLER never
cisimed to know the facts. In former
| letter of Reuben to the TELLER b. said
that en- all occasions he wgnt on a scout
Ing expedition, he bad others who accom-
panied him, and all these witnesses but
two were now living, and SUPPOSED thai,
he could easily prove where be was when
Blewe,t was killed, if h. was not ON the
ground at the time, and hence We said:
Let Reuben himself account for where
he was when Blewett was killed" Eos
ter had said he was then with the hostlles.
He now says: IL was at Fort Lapwai
aud can get any number Of persons to
testify to this fact" But he does MT
produce any Of those witnesses nor refer
to them. We stated upon information
that "James Reuben was the first man to
report the Blcwett and Rams slaughter
at the agency" not Fort I.apwai' as he
gives it 10 his letter to tn Statesman
He then says:
denonnce this as nothing bu. false
hood; that wa. not the first man to re-
port this fact at Fort LspwAi; that | was
at For, Lapwai when the rrport came in
and that | was Immediately ordered out
by Boyle, then in command a, Fort Lap
wal, with dispatch to Gen. Howard cum
veying the information that Lieut.. Rains
party and scouts were killed, with orders
not to return until | found Gen. Howard.
| left Fort Lapwai at noon, and found
Gen. Howard and his command ut Craig $
Ferry in the evening aud delivered the
dispatches to him.
And then he says in reference to meet
ing John Knifong and party:
remember meeting two white men
aud one colvred man with loose pack
animals one mile above MIR. Whites sta
ton, and on top OF the grade. All |
have to say in this matter is that tn,
people who have Travelled over this road
are 10 fools, and they are not going to b.
made believe that the distance from Law.
yers canyon 10 the top Of the grade is
only five miles according to MIR. Leland >
scale Of miles.
1t will be remembered that John Kui-
iong and party lunched with Foster and
Blewett at the road crossing of Lawyer >
canyon about noon TN the Sd Of July,
having ridden together from Mt Idaho
that morning aud separated at Lawyer
canyon. kn,fong aud party coming on
to Lapwai that night, aud en- route met
Reuben and party about Ave miles this
side, going the other way. Reuben now
says be was carrying dispatches to How
ard from Boyle announcing the slaughter
Of Blowett, Rains and party. Reuben S
statement must be false, for when Kni-
iong and Reuben met, Blew,tt and the
Rains party we're not killed and Boyle
sent by him, at that time, no suth dis
patches and Reuben himself had NJ
knowledge Of his being killed before he
left lapwai at noon, as he says, on that
day, for no such killing had taken place.
Blewett was killed after 2 O'Clock p. m.
Of the Sd. Foster wheeled and spurred
his horse to Cottonwood, about 10 miles
distant, and reported the facts, and Rains
and party started out, accompanied by
Foster, AZ soon as they could convenient
~ get ready, and were met and slaugh-
tered by the Indians about two miles this
side Of Cottonwood, which must have
been as late in the afternoon Of the Sd
As 4 o'clock. Just before knifong and
party reached Lapwai Reuben's denials
and explanations make his innocence still
more doubtful, aud gradually bring the
net Of his actual guilt still more closely
around him. We would be glad were he
able to vindieate his position on the ID
Of July 1877, when Blewett and Rains
were killed His appearing at the old
C,aig Ferry on Salmon river at sun down
that night is no evidence in his favor.
lie could have ridden there after the
killing Of Blewett and Rains and yet been
present at the killing.
@0Aa ~ ~ .svN --~