Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-08-03

!.
Walla Statesman, the following un
published details of that memorable
episode in the early history of tn
northwest:
AS has been stated in the publishe,
accounts of the massacre" says MI
Garfield" the primal cause of the dis
affection among the Indians was th'
breaking out OF measles among th'
children in the settlement, which con
tagion spread among the Indians who
visited us every day. Instead of tax
ing DR.. Whitman's advice they woult
jump into the cold water of the creel
to relieve the burping sensation
which, of course, proved fatal.
The circumstances of the massacre
l can remember as we'll as if it were
yesterday. On the morning of the
massacre / was standing near the
cabin of DR.. Whitman. My father,
Mr.. Huffman and Mr.. Kimball were
butchering some cattle . short dis.
tance from the cabin. Directly in
their rear were six Indians sitting on
pile of rails, all having rifles. With
out warning the shooting commenced
and every shot seemed to take effect
on the three men, who had no warn
ing that the Indians had any hostile
intentions. Huffman and Kimball
were killed instantly, but my father
although I supposed he was dead-re-
ceived a shot in the back with an
ounce ball, but recovered and crawled
into the brush and succeeded in reach.
ing Lapwai after terrible experience
through hunger and weakness from
his wound. He lived through it all,
however, and died in June, 1893, one
year ago.
In the meantime Indians had en-.
tered the cabin, and with other child
rem, l ran to my mother for protection.
DR.. Marcus Whitman was sitting in
the house, where nearly all the women
and children had congregated. He
was reading book, seemingly uncon-
scious that An attack had been made.
Suddenly an Indian entered in the
rear with a tomahawk" in his hand
and with one stroke split the skull OF
our benefactor. The murderer's name
was Tom Suckey, an Indian who was
supposed to be friendly. Death was
instantaneous. The scene is as vivid
now as it was when I was witness at
ten years Of age. Then commenced a
pandemonium. As has already been
stated in published accounts there
we're quite number of children sick
with the measles, who were secreted
beneath the floor OF the cabin and fin
ally made their escape with their par
ents.
"Teelocite was chief OF the Indians,
and refused to aid in giving decent
burial to the bodies of Mr.. and
Mrs. DR.. Whitman and others upon
request. There we're thirty.two child
rem and seven women left in the
settlement at the mercy of the Indi-
ans. Teelocite stated that he would
send them over the mountains into
the Willamette valley in the spring,
but that the bodies of the dead should
remain unburied as they lay for the
crows and cayotes to eat. The bodies
of Mr.. and Mrs. Whitman and others
whose names are familiar to those who
have read the history of the massacre,
remained as they had fallen. On the
day following the massacre priest ar
rived from the Umatilla reservation.
To him my mother said: Cant You
have those people buriedf Mr.. Gill is
dead in the house; my husband is
wounded, and I am afraid he is dead
somewhere in the brush. Please see
what you can do to have these people
buried The priest gave no word Of
comfort; but y yoke of cattle were
procured, the bodies all deposited in
wagon and buried together in one
large grave. The priest then rode
away and refused to assist us in get
ting out of the power of the Indians.
He was the only white man who came
to the settlement after the massacre.
"How did we get awayf" Well, I'll
tell you. A man by the name of Og-
den was the chief factor of the Hud.
son Bay company, and he bought us
from the Indians. We were delivered
to Wallula by the Indians and Mr.. Og-
den there paid the purchase price. At
that point We were turned over to Gov
ernor George Alternately of Oregon.
The circumstances of our delivery
we're as follows: An Indian boy
named Sam came in and informed
Eliza Spaulding that the Hudson
Bay chief" was trying to buy women
and children. He would go to WAL
lula and report her answer. Three
days we're consumed in making nego-
tiations, the Indian boy riding back
ward and forward. On the evening OF
the third day the boy arrived and
stated that all was arranged and we
should prepare to 60 in the morning
If we didn't the Indians would take all
we had. This advice we followed
Teelocite, the chief who made thie
arrangement with the Hudson Bay
company, was afterwards hung at Ore
gon city for instigating the Whitman
massacre.
| Il am now on my way to Canyon