Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-10-18
M0D0C MASSACRE.
THE BLOODY TRAGEDY OF THE
OREGON LAVA BEDS.
Murder Of the United States Peace
commissioners OfCnp-
tain Jack, Black Jim. Boston
Charlie and Sc;iOnciin.

| nv ''hu TiIlClSCO CNFUNtftC has an III
teresting article recalling the murder OF
General Candy by Captain Jack, tho
Modoc chief. The Modocs had gone o.,
the warpath, and intrcnched themselves
in the lava beds of Oregon The Gov.
crnmcnt appointed - Peace Commission,
headed by General Candy, to treat with
them, and conference was appointed to
be held on April IL, 1873, each side tn
90 to the meeting place uharmcd Tic
ChIonicte's account continues us follows
When the commission party reached
the place OF conference they found Cap
tain Jack already there, accompanied by
SIN of his warriors-Schonchin, Boston
Charley, Black Jim, Shacknasty jim,
Ellens Man George and lIookn Jim-al-
though it had been agreed that each
party was to consist OF five After some
little mancuvcring for position, the In
dians making numerous changes so as to
get the commissioners all grouped to-
gcthcr, the party finally dislnounted, and
General Candy, advancing toward Cap
tain Jack, made Il short speech, and then
asked DIR. Thomas to talk The doctor
made his last speech coolly and calmly,
with the slow, distinct manner, that was
so peculiar to him. lie said:
"Riddlc, tell these people for me
that think the Great Spirit put i; in the
heart of the President of the United
States TO send me here. know all these
men. have known General Candy for
thirteen years, Mcaclnm for eighteen
years, Dyar for four years; know their
hearts are all good. We want no more
blood
When the Doctor had finished Captain
Jack rose To his feet and stepped toward
| Dyar, to the right oil General Candy,
while SciIonchin moved 10 the lett oil the
| General. Captain Jack made short
speech, and while Riddle was inicrprct-
Ing it, two Indians, Ba3ncho and Sloluck,
were seen creeping ont of the bushes with
three rifles each iii their arms. The com
mission party instantly jumped to their
feet, with the exception of Toby, who
threw herself flat on the ground. rs the
party sprang up, Mcacham called cut to
| Captain Jack:
"Wiat does this mcanl'
For answer the Indian drew = pistol
from his side and pointed it at General
Candy, who was but four feet away, and
| shot him in the face. The General
staggered back, and then ram for dis
lance oi about forty yards, when rifle
bullet, fired by Eilcn's Man George. went
crashing through his brain and he fell on
the rocks. Captain Jack then ran up
and stabbed the fallen man in the neck.
and Black Jim proceeded 10 strip him OF
his clothing.
By this time the rifles were MI dis;ri-
Inf. Il
shot Or. Ii,onl;,S in the chest. The IN
'liams then tainted him with the remark
that next time he haI better believe =
sIuaw, called him :. Sunday doctor. and
ihen Bogus Charley put an eud to his
suiIcringl by shooting him through the
head with rifle, KILN. him with -
prayer OH his lips
Dyar, vino had been on the alert. was
running whom the iirs' Shot WAS fired.
Black Jim was to have dispatched Dyar.
hut he was otherwise engaged and Cap
inin Jack ordered lIocka Jim To shoot
him. liooka followed Dyar for several
hundred yards, hut did not ovcrta,c
HIM, and SO returned 10 the scene OF car
nagc.
Fiddle was also on the alert aud he
too bounded away toward the camn.
One OF the Indians bounded after him.
but he was brought to bay by Scar faced
Charicy's rife. This Indian had de
ciarcd when the massacre was agreed
upon that Riddle SHOULD not die. aud he
had posted himself in the rocks. some
distance oil, rifle in land, prepared to
shoe; the man vino shot Riddle Thus
Riddle escaped
Slouck dubbed Toby and stole her
pony, bu; Captain jack intcrlcrcd in be-
half OF the squaw and her pony WAS re-
stored and her life saved.
Schonclin was TO have been Meachan's
cNecm;ioner and he approached the COM
missioner wiiha revolvcrand knife His
first shot Only grazed Meachain's left
shoulder, small derrngcr which he had
drawn probably spelling his aim.
I'm return, says Meacham in his
statement of the massacre, II aimed mt
Schonchin's heart, but the dcrlingcr
failed TO fire. The sight of the knife
had placed me in Il terrible position, that
being the worst thing to face, and there
were three other Indians who had ioincd
Schonchin and fired at me from dis
lance of twenty or thirty feet. Why
they missed me | cannot tcll. | only
know that had made up my mind that
the end had come, that ] could not nos
sibly escape, and had the curious hope
that some bullet would strike me in the
heart and kill me instantaneously, thus
saving me from torture and mutilation.
The direction took was over small
ridge OF rocks, over which | jumped,
with no hope of ever getting up again.
l raised my head, to discover Schonchin
mt the same distance from me. felt
the sting of a bullet in my face. Then
he fired his pistol and the sting of an
other bullet was felt in my right arm.
Another struck me on the temple; one
shattered my car, and | caught another in
my left hand. Some of these shots
stunned me and became unconscious.
The rest | learned from the Indians.
while they were stripping me, Shack
nasty-jim came up and was preparing to
shoe: again, when his gun was pushed
aside with the rcmari; .IIn is Ionc. lao