, 1890-12-11
A SCRAP OF HISTORY
Which Reaches Back to an
Early Indian War.
HOW AN INDIAN AGENT DIED
A Cold Blooded Murder Which
Was Aiterward Avenged
at Fort Simcoe.
Hood River Glacier.l

The following account of the
murder of A. j. Bolan, Indian
agent at Fort Simcoe, was given by
an old Indian, now II resident at
White Salmon, Wash, who had it
direct from the lips of Chief Gwhps
son just before his execution, who,
with his two companions, was
hung by Colonel Wright at Simcoe
agency for this most unprovoked
and cold-blooded murder:
War and rumors of war were rife.
A vague uneasiness rested upon the
isolated families of Eastern Oregon.
The government, with Its usual
stupidity and criminal negligence,
had failed to provide any adequate
protection against the numerous
hordes of savages that roamed the
Eastern plains. The few struggling
companies of blue-coats that were
within reach were as a rule poorly
differed and totally unacquainted
with Indian tactics, and were held
in supreme contempt by their dusky
opponents.
Numerous murders had been COM
mitled on the frontier, and there
were ominous signs of an impending
storm, general uprising of the
tribes of Eastern Oregon and Wash
ington that the coming spring only
too surely fulfilled. Colonel Wright
in his helpless Indignation uttered
threats of direst vengeance should
the red man persist in his little game
of scalping. and the certain result
of an Indian war, with It's usual
accompaniment of rapine and muir
der and murder was upon us In our
helplessness.
On the 10Th day of September,
1855, Indian Agent Bolan left The
Dalles on horseback for the agency
at Simcoe. He was just returning
from hurried trip To the Villa
mette valley and was hurrying back
on account Of the restless condition
of the Ialli mas, some of whom had
been accused of participating in
some of the recent murders.
AT The Dalles he was urged not
to undertake the trip alone, but
started alone and unarmed. On his
way through the Klickitat valley
he overlook three Yakima Indians,
accompanied by three squaws, all
on their way to the agency, and all
rode on toward the destination. The
trail ran somewhere near where the
present wagon road does, on the
western slope Of the Simcoe mount
aims. The distance, eighty miles,
being too great to make that day,
camp was struck on one of the nu
merous streamlets that run down
the mountain side.
Mr.. Bolan disrnounted. unsaddled
and staked his horse, and returning
to the fire divided his scanty store
of biscuits and butter with his dusky
companions, little dreaming of the
awful fate so close before him. The
conversation turned upon the recent
murders, and very unwisely Bolan
reiterated Wrights ponderous
threats of vengeance and exter-
ninatior.
Then, and not till then, was Bo-
lan's death decided upon. Two of
the three quietly stepped behind
him and pinioned his arms, while
the third seized him around the legs
and threw him violently to the
ground, where he was securely tied
hand and foot. When this was ac-
complished his captors held "a con-
sultation as to the disposition to be
made of the captive. Bolan plead
piteously for his life, but to hearts
that knew no pity. One of the saw
ages seized him by the hair and
drawing his head across his knee
cut his throat from ear to ear.
The body was then placed upon
his horse and carried some distance
below the trail, where the horse was
also killed, and both bodies covered
with brush and left. The remains
were not found until after the muir
derers were caught by members of
their own tribe, and handed over
to the military for punishment.
Then one OF the three disclosed the
location of the body, which was
taken to Vancouver for burial. Ban
croft's version states that the mur.
derers tried to destroy both bodies
by burning. This statement Is IN
correct-the bodies were not burned.