The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-09-25
)EED OF PICHANGO INDIANS.
Mrs. Platt's Shocking Fate Near
TemeCuIa.
INCURRED A CHIEFS ENMlTY.
She Sent a Letter of Warning to the
Agent, but 1t Arrived
Too Late.

night, the Goth inst, a murder was CON-
mit;ed at the P.chango Indian Mission
School, near Temeculs, Rivers ide County,
which presents all the aspects of Indians
WORK. In BRIEF, the victim, a white woman,
was stunned and killed and placed on the
floor. oak wood piled round her and the
body cTemated, while in The next room a
little girl slept peacefully. to be awakened
by flames burning her hand. She ran
through The room where her aunt lay roast
ing under the burning wood and in her
nighiclOthes reached the house of friendly
Indian without being captured by the
mGrderers.
Mrs. Mary J. Plat, a widow, aged about
40 years, was teacher at PichaDgo reserva-
lion, and lived With her Lit IL niece, Hattie
Leslie, aged TO- in a pant of the school
house. The Indians were apparently on
most friendly terms with her. and she
taught every child On the reservation.
Early last week an Indian boy returned
to PichangO from the PERKS Indian School
and reported that the children there were
being abused and half-Starved. MetteO
Pa, chief Of the band. called on Mrs. Plat
the day of the murder and demanded
money TO pay his fare to PERKS and return
for the purpose of investigating the boys
story. This Mrs. Plat refused, thinking
the report groundess, though telling Met
teO Pa she would investigate herself.
Mette0 Pa went off very angry, threat
ening, among other things, 10 have the
school closed. This and the chiefs sury
manner caused Mrs. P.att some uneasi-
ness, and she wrote to the Indian agent
Francisco Esiudillo. at Cotton, telling him
OF The threat, aud that she was alarmed. She
requested that If he did Il OF hear from her
again within three or four days he go down
and settle matters. This letter and a tele-
gram from Temecula, announcing the burn
ing of the Government building at Pr
change. and the finding Of Mrs. Platt's
body, arrived at Cotton an hour apart.
Coroner Ruby of Riverside County, DIR.
Vain wright. Government phys clan, and
Agent EStudillO arrived at Temecula Fri
day evening. They went to the scene Of
the fire with a big crowd OF people from
Temecula. The Indians we're terribly eX-
cited and the whites in an ugly temper,
there being every sign of murder. A Jury
was sworn IN that night hut nothing could
be done until Saturday. The Coroner in
stead OF attending TO business, went on to
OAK Grove, returning past the scene of the
murder without at ending TO the inquest and
going 10 Riverside. The jury met Saturday
morning, examined the ground, heard the
little girls testimony, and adjourned to
meet al Temecula, SIX miles distant, at
P. NJ. Several of the Indians were re-
Quested, but not subpenaed, 10 be present.
At Iemecula the jury heard the testimony
Of several Indians, not taking the common
precauti0n to keep them separated while
testifylng. The Indians were a unit in
swearing they knew nothing whatever of
the fire or the murder. while tile men at
the inquest were Disguised with the STU
pidity and apathy of the officials and Jury
IN handling the indians.
81 was in bed and asleep" said HATTIE
Leslie, who is bright little girl. "Auntie
when l went 10 bed, was in the sitting
room reading. | went 10 sleep while she
was reading. After a long time | dreamed
L was burning, awoke and the room was
full of smoke. The fire cane all around
the bed. My han d was burned and hurt
me. l was scared and called for auntie.
but she did not answer. Then | Jumped
up and ran into the sittlng-room, but she
was not there. The house was all on fire
and the smoke filled every room. / cried
loudly and went into the kitchen to find
auntle, hut did not see her. On the
kitchen floor was big pile of oak wood
turning and L could smell oil, kerosene
oil. saw blood on the floor and | was
scared to death. | ran outdoors and all
around looking for auntie and calling. but
she was not there. l did not know what
to do. | ran back into the house by the
back porch and past pile of wood burn-
ing in the kitchen and into the bedroom.
There got some of my clothes and
basket Of letters. L tried to do all could,
but there was not time | was afraid.
100, and ran over to an Indians house
and asked them TO let me in. They did
not know the house was burning till thew
heard me call. They let me in and cared
for me. did not hear any noise while
was lying 10 bed and nobody came to the
house while | was awake. Auntie was
afraid of Meiteo Pa, but was not afraid TO
stay alone with me. The fire in nv room
wasSseparate from the fire in the kitchen.
The fire in the Kitchen was the biggest.
ana | am sure there was coil oil on the
wood. The fra in my room was right
around the bed"
All the parties who visited the scene
and heard the details of Hattie's story
agreed that the most probable way in
which the murder was committed was as
follows: Mrs. Plat was sitting reading
and was called to a back door opening on
the porch, the one to which Indians and
others commonly came, and was induced
to open the door on pretext of getting her
to attend 20 some sick person, as she had
frequently done. The moment the door
was opened, and before she could cry out,
she was struck and stunned or killed.
Then the body was dragged few feet into
the kitchen, where a pile OF wood was
lying near the stove. Her clothing was
saturated with oil and the wood piled
around and over her and covered with oil.
After applying the match the murderer
devoted his attention to the little girl. in-
tending TO murder her if awake and set the
bed afre il asleep ia order to stlfie her be-
fore she could give an alarm In time to is
cover The body in the kitchen.
Why the red hand was stayed as it how
cred over the sleeping child is a question
that cannot be answered. OF the remains
OF the victim only few charred bones and
ashes were found. The heat from tho oil
and wood was so intense that the stove, a
few feet away, was half melted.
Pichango Reservation, the scene OF the
tragedy, contains the remnants of the
tribe of Temecnla Indians, iDmortaiZed
by Helen Hunt Jackson in Ramona"