The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-18
VERY BAD INDIANS.
Unsafe for White Men to Ven
ture Up Squamish River.
OLD ONE EYES BLOODY RECORD
He Il the Champion Murderer Of British
Coiumbia-stanley smiths Advice
TO Prospective Settlers

VANCOUVER B, c.. Dec. 12-rSpeeial.l-
Stanley Smith. the explorer. said 10 the
PosT-IsTELLIGE scEg correspondent the
other day: 1T IS just q. we'll TO make IL
as public as possible. through your paper,
that while ii is comparatively safe to locate
among the Indians 15o miles along the
northern waters of British Columbia.
where not over three or tour settlers are
killed yearly by Indians, il is taking ones
life in ones hands to penetrate the Squa-
mish valley and throw yourself upon the
mercy of the Chico and Klecnakieena In
dams. They are murderous. savage tribes,
not one whit civilized, except that they
have learned cunning from the whites and
will not disturb any of their murdered
victims effects by which the crime may
be traced. l have just returned from three
months search through the Squamish
valley TO Knights inlet, where was sent
20 find, if possible. some trace of two pros
pectors, Clarke and Braden. who last year
In June tried 10 make Franklin. 800 miles
from Vancouver. through the valley.
Their Indian guide left them in the mid
die of the valley on June q, 1892. This
was the last seen of them alive. W. Clarke.
brother OF one of the missing men, was
with me in my search. Near the end of
the valley. fifty-two days from Vancouver.
on the anniversary of the day that the
news was brought in that Clarke was
missing. his brother picked up felt hat
on the shore of the Sauamish river beneath
high bluff. Examining it for a moment.
he quietly said. This is Jacks. and he's
been killed by the Indians. They've
thrown him off the hill. he and Braden,
1,d kofr E..lsa 81
decidedly of the same opinion, but l did
not consider that our labors were finished,
and We pushed on. Seventy-two days
from Vancouver We passed Franklln's.
Having run short of provisions we con-
tinued our journey in the hope of striking
a kieenakleena Indian camp. On the
third day from Franklin's. at loon, Clarke
| climbed upon big rock, and as soon as he
had reached the top shouted: There's a
horse over there grazingl It's a ranch by
all that's lucky. and white mans ranch
at that We hurried forward, and on our
way discovered that the land was the best
for ranching purposes We had seen in
British Columbia. IL was very level,
thiniy timbered along the Keenakleena
river, and for miles and miles behind that
| meadow land as far as the eye could reach.
level and rank in grass, rancnman's
paradise. We made straight for the set
tiers hut that seemed an oasis in the
desert for Us. The horse. noticing our in
tention, trotted towards US neighing
loudly. and in that deserted place We
thought piteously. A hundred feet from
| the hut Clarke stopped and | followed his
example. We inst nctively felt at that
| moment something was wrong about the
ranch; that we were about to make some
discovery. Then we knocked at the door,
| There vas no answer, so We pushed it
| open. The hut was deserted. The clothing
| of the bed was thrown aside as If some one
| had just stepped out. A gun was stand
| ing in the corner. near il quantity of am
munition. two packing outfits. a trapper's
| outfit and other rancher's necessaries. but
| not an ounce of provisions. A copy of the
| Victoria Colonist and a copy of the Posr-
| ISrELLIeEScER were living on the floor.
| The PosT-ISTELLIGEscEg was dated April
| Ia 1892 In an old vest was q small diary.
| from which the missing rancher's name
and other information was obtained.
| Briefly. il was that year ago
| last spring Alex Mcneil went to
the kleenakleena valley from Chill
| cotin, took q packhorse loaded with
tools and supplies, With the intention of
settling on his ranch. He arrived safely
| and cleared up an acre OF ground in two
| months ready for the plow, end then all
| entries ceased.
"Clarke and | staid on the ranch six
| days, when some fifty Chi.cotins and
| Kleenakieena Indians made their appear
| ance, acting in hostile manner. -four
| ishing their guns and taking native In
| dian. Their wowwow man at length or
| dered Us away in Chinook. but We per-
| sisted in remaining. and asked what
| had becom. of Mcneil They replied,
! Halo cumtucks.' but on promising that
/ We would so away and not hunt on their
grounds they volunteered the information
/ that Mcneil was dead.
| Among the Indians I know the chief
men Of all the tribes. and recognized in
| the squad OF siwashes before US Odd Ore
| Eye the notorious Jesse James of the
Squsmish valley, en- evil countensnee,
once seen never forgotten. One Eye was
| the rinslesder IN the Waddington mas
sacre sixteen years ago. when party OF
! fifteen surveyors were murdered IN the
! valley lie is the same eloodthlrssy saw
/ age who pu; twentv-oue bullets into poor
Bob Ford. Franklin raneher. fourteen
wears ago, and he still lives 20 ply his
/ awful trade. Every white settler was
killed that year fourteen summers ago,
| bat Ford thought because be lived with
/ klooichman be was safe. We were not
i anxious 10 finger in such company, and
/ plodded on towards Knights inlet, silently
mourning for the sad fate OF the former
occupAn: of the deserted ranch Clark
whtttled liece Of board smooth. and
mailing to a tree srote upon 1t; Alex Nc
Neil, rancher, murdered by Indians June.
1892 Thirty-hve miles further down the
river another CHAPTER in the tale Of TRACE
dies suddenly developed Itself still an