Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-04-06
HI Yu SKOOKUM F!
Authentic Account of the Flat.
head Murders, Indian Arrests
and Lynching.
Two of the Three Kootenai
Devils Swung From a Tree
by Settlers.
THE FLATHEAD TRAGEDY.

a straight Account of the Triple Murder
and the Recent Indian LynehiDg.
From Mr.. Charles V. Jones, who is
just in from the Flsthesd lake coun-
try, is learned the frat Ineligible &C.
count concerning the recent lynching
OF Indians on Flathead river. The
circumstances OF their crime as de.
tailed at their trial before Judge
Lynch, by an Indian boy, were sub
stantially as follows: Three Kootenais
named Antley, Slume and Jonninua
had been out hunting in the noun
tsins, accompanied by three Indian
boys. Coming down Wolf creek they
ran across three prospectors and had
dinner with them. Then they started
on. After they had gone few miles
Slume suggested that they 20 back
and kill the prospectors. Antley did
not favor the proposition. Finally
Slume told him he had q woman's
hesrt-in other words that be was
coward. This Antley could not stand,
so he consented to the killing.
I'm show you that / have no
womau's heart" he said.
When they got hack to where the
prospectors were Antley, to show he
WAS no coward, insisted upon being
permitted TO do the killing himself.
This being granted, he hid in the viii
lows near by the prospectors' camp
aud awaited his opportunity. Finally
he got all three OF the men In line and
fired. His bullet killed the first man,
mortally wounded the second and
crippled the third. The others now
took part. The man who was NOR
tally wounded was cllbbed to death
with q rife, and the one who wa,
crippled tried to get away and was
shot down. 1t was q most atrocious
murder.
Then the Indians started on their
way again. After going two or thre.
miles it was decided unsafe to leave
the bodies as they had done, so they
went back TO burn them. Brush was
cut and piled on the ground, the
bodies were placed on this and the
whole WIS set on fire. To show their
delight 10 the fiendisb deed, they
gathered the green kinnikinnick and
placed 1t upon the baking bodies 10
dry. Their theory was that il would
he made fragrant with the burning
blood OF their victims. After the
bodies were entirely consumed they
continued on their way back to their
ow D camp, boasting OF the crime. A
short time sfter the murder, medi-
cine dance Was held on Tobacco
Plains. AT these dances the Indians
get together, boast OF their deeds of
bravery, the number Of men they
have killed, and finally work them
selves up into p"rfect frenzy of rage
against the whites. 1t was at hi.
dance that the murderers told the rest
Of their crime committed on Wolf
creek. The news reached the ears Of
the white settlers, and three week.
ago to-day they organized for Ven
geance. About eighty men proceeded
from Ramsdall's store to the Indian
encampment some three or four miles
away. 1t was very early In the morn.
ing, before the Indians we're up,
Slume and Jonninna were captured
without difficulty. Antley was nj an
other camp several miles up the creek
aud before the whites could get there,
hs had been warned and made his es-
cipe. The two prisoners were taken
over to Demsrsville, where n deputy
sheriff took them away from the party
and handcuffsd them together.
The boys, however, recaptured their
men and took them across the Flat
head river into the timber about a
quarter Of q mile. The oldest Of tue
three Indian boys, who had been at
the murder, was also taken along.
Three interpreters were taken along
In order that there should be no
chance OF injustice being done by an
interpreter. The Indian boy told the
story Of the murder related above.
Then Slume con fessed In English his
part of the crime and was exultant
over IL.
The verdict was death. The lynch
ere bad but one rope aud 40 hung the
murderers one at = time. Jonninns
was litst strung up. He assisted them
10 fa.teu the rope around his neck,
The other end was then thrown over
a limb and he was pulled up. Slume
was still handcuiled 10 him. Slume
seemed 10 ENJOY the performance
hugely aud laughed at his compan-
ions struggles while strangllng. Then