West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1895-03-21
A NOBLE YOUNG WOMAN.
Our California Correspondent Tells
of the Teacher Who Was Marder.
ed While In Charge OF an In.
dian School Out There.
Special correspondent OF THE Anous.
MARTINEZ INDIAN SCHOOL, J
ISDIo, CAL, March IL, 1895. {

read that you are having snow,
sleet, billiards and freezo. 1t made
me have chill to read it, although
the temperature runs to near one
hundred here during the day, and
lovely nights. Some say that there
is man IL the moon, but l believe
it is a woman, for l am in love
with her.
l will in this epistle give you the
history of the murder Of Miss PIatt,
the Indian teacher who was muir.
dered on the 26th OF last September
in this reservation. l got the par
ticulars from missionary who
visited mo few days since.
Miss Plat took charge Of the
Pechauga school on last Septem Der
a year ago. This school was in the
southern limit of this reservation,
and the surrounding country is the
the scene Of the Indian novel writ
ten by "H. III. Helen Hunt.
The name of the novel is Ramona,
after the principal character, who
still lives In this valley. The story
is about bali true.
Near PechaugA school is the little
Spanish town Temecula, and is
considered rs bad as the worst ele-
ments of Spanish and Americans
can make it. They sell whiskey to
the Indians, gamble and every thing
that is degrading. They use the
Indians as their tools to carry out
their wickedness, and it is supposed
ut they set the Indians on to this
murder, as Miss Platt was out.
spoken against their nefarious
work. Three teachers had been
driven away from this school before
Miss Platt took it.
This missionary of whom | had
this, said he visited them once, but
was not allowed to stay in any of
their houses all night, so he went
to the school house. He found all
the windows broken and the door
off its hinges. This was the condi-
ton Miss Platt found things, but
she was one of those determined,
self-sacrificing women who would
not be daunted at any obstacle
The Agency repaired the house and
she gathered up pretty fair school
she would do all she could to
help the Indians-spcnt nearly all
her salary on them in medicines.
food, etc. She would visit their
gambling and drinking dcns and
argue against it.
The white element of"Temecula
at once set themselves against her.
An Indian captain came to her
house one day and asked her if she
were not afraid, and she replied,
"No; the Indians are my friends
and the white man don't dare to
hurt me-" The Indian shook his
head solemnly and left.
After this several times she look
ed out of the window late at night
to see that all was well, and she
would sometimes see this Indian
sitting some place near the house.
She supposed 1T was to guard her,
as he feared some one would harm
her. This Indian always befriended
her.
At the close Of her term on the
4th Of July, she took her school up
into the mountain for picnic. She
bought a goodly quantity Of good
things for them, and while there
some one set her house on fire, and
she lost all except the clothes she
wore. Not daunted at this, she
started the school again as soon as
q new house could be built. Some
of the Indians now began to act
very ugly toward her. Her little
niece stayed with her for company.
She continued her good work and
alms-glying among them, visited
thelT homes, and would often give
them money, if she thought it
would be put to a good use.
On the 2jth Of Septem Der last an
Indian came to the school and
wanted her to give him three dol
lars TO pay his fair to Perris and
back. She said, "No, you have
horses and spring wagon and can
easily drive there and back in a day;
If you really needed 1t, / would
give you" lie said, 81 will not 90
with the horses, and / will have The
money or you will not teach school
long" She still refused and ne
left. She Immediately wrote all to
the Agency and asked for imme-
date protection. She brioed a boy
to secretly take this letter to the
Office. The agent got it the next
morning, and at the same timei a
telegram stating that Miss Plat
had been murdered and tho house
burned.
Hor niece awoke in the night and
found the house on fire. She ran
out through the kitchen 10 find her
aunt, and saw her dead on the
floor uuI o. ..efr ~ L....t.-- 4