Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-07-09
Pioneer "reminiscences.
Thrilling ACCOUNT OF THE WHITE
RIVER MASsAC RE.
Written for the standard.

Col. A. b. Moses and Joseph Miles,
when they were murdered III 1000,
by the Indians, and myself barely es-
GAPING with by life, the circumstance
left me somewhat ilnbittered against
the perpetrators of the deed. l
fully made up my mind at the time,
hat all of the guilty ones, as far as
they were known to me, should,
when the opportunity presented, pay
the penalty with their lives. LII
the spring of 1857, while out hunt
ing in the neighborhood Of Upper
Steilacoom, encountered, by accl-
dent i'll The timber, Quiemoth, broth
er Of Leschi, whom | knew to be
engaged in the above murder. He
did not see me until within ten
wards, and when he discovered me L
had HIM covered with my gun. He
SAW at once that | had him at my
mercy, fell on his face to the ground
and covered his head with his blank
ct. then walked up and disarnei
him, and inquired if he recognized
me. He admitted that he did, ana
that he had taken part in the death
of Moses and Miles, but justified
himself ny the TACT that ID -,as war
times. Here was the opportunity
long sought, but I found that had
not the heart to take life in cool
blood. l than compromised the
matter with him. For his life he
was to leave the settlements immed-
lately, never to look upon the face
of a white man again. Likewise he
was to give me a full account of the
White River massacre, as far as
known TO him, and what Indians
were engaged in it; likewise who
dispatched Miles, and how it was
done. This he promised, and l be-
lieve he gave me most of the facts
as they occurred, as circumstances
and the bodies as found 90 to corrO-
borate.
1 than took him to my Office in
Upper Steilacoom, and the following
is the account as related by him:
When Mr.. Miles was left by his
companion at Cornell Swamp, he,
(Quiemoth) and another Indian,
named Slocum, were within shor.
distance. Their guns had been dis
charged and the only arms they had
were their scalping knives. When
the white men hal made the first
turn in the road, it took them out of
sight. At this moment, Mr.. Miles
staggered to his feet, taking at the
Same time his revolver from its scab-
bard. By this time we were within
a few steps of him. We than rushed
upon him, but before we reached
him, he discharged his revolver full
at Slocum, the ball passing through
a belt which Slocum had about him,
than deviating from it's true course,
followed the belt out in the flesh its
full size for s or 10 inches and there
lodged. At the firing OF the pistol,
Miles staggered and again fell, but
Immediately raised to sitting posi-
ton, resting upon his left hand, but
before he could bring his pistol to
bear, Quiemoth plunged his knife
into his breast. At this moment,
several Indians came up, among them
some squaws. The revolver was TAX
en- from MIR. Miles, but in the act
of taking it, it was discharge! and
another Indian wounded. They
then stripped him. A pocket knife
was used in the hand Of squaw,
who stabbed BIN in all parts of the
body some fifty or sixty times times.
Some of his smaller limbs were cut
off while still living, and as pool
Miles was in his death tbroes, Lesh
came forward with large stabbine
knife. Taking Miles by the hair Of
the head he raised him and drove the
knife into his back.
The following is his account of the
, White River massacre, or that par
of it in which he took part. The
names and dates are filled in by my
self:
Quiemoth and five other Indians
from the Puyallup, joined Nelson
and his followers, numbering about
twenty-five, as per agreement, at the
mouth of Green River, on the 9th
!, day of October. 1866, and that same
night moved down the river ant
camped in the neighborbood of Mr.
Kings house and at break of day
we surrounded it. Nelson went te
, the door and raped. A man who
/ did not know, but who had fam
lily in the house, came to the door
and he was shot, and q rush wa.
made for the door on the inside o.
the house. The first persons We
met were two small. children who
were Drained with an axe. MIR. Kins
was shot, having no opportunity fol
resistance. Mrs. King escaped from
the house before she could be go
hold of, and had got some 30 or AZ
yards, when she was knocked dowr
. by o rife-Lall piercing her side, she