The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-11
THE DEATH OF LESCHI
Col. Granville o. Halter Throws
New Light OH 1t.
A VICTIM OF RETRIeuTioN.
The Chief Punished Not for Moses
History Corrected by Facts.

Gle copied from the Pioneer and Demo-
crst. published at Olympia, of November
.. 1886. being a contemporary account OF
Lesehi's capture and trial The article
having been vouched for TO you that 'the
characteristics Of the warrior as set forth
are said to be accurate" / beg your in
diligence little further.
Mr.. Wiley, the editor, Informs us that
Col A. 3. Moses. Joseph Miles. A B. Rab-
beson. Tidd, Bright, Bradley and DR..
Burns supposed 10 be members Of Capt.
Hayes company. who were on their
way in Ito Puget sound) with an express
from the commands of Capts. Hayes, Ma
loney and Slaughter" were recalled
on account of the active hostilities of In
dams on Puget sound. due to the absence
of the troops
We must presume that Capt. Hayes was
not holding picnic with his company in
the Cascade mountains. but was in search
of hostile Indians then at war with the
white race. The state Of war then existed.
was recognized by our government, and
troops sent to conquer and have peace.
At this point let me say: Whether Leschi
shot anybody, or ordered his followers to
shoot any one, IL was an oct Of war, and
he was no more culpable than was Gen.
Lee or Gen. Joe Johnston for the tens OF
thousands of killed and wounded Effected
through their orders Leschi morally
culpable as either Of these generals, yet
no reasonable white man ever thought OF
hanging them.
If. then. Leschi shot Col. Moses it was
an act of war; but 7 propose to show that
he did not shoot him, was not present at
the shooting and that he was found guilty
by prejudiced iury-that at the time
there was a popular craze; that the In
dian scare had unbalanced good mems
minds, who demanded his conviction
that Frank Clarke was attorney for
Leschi, not for the prosecution, and was
Indignantly assailed by the public in
print and in mass meetings, and appealed
through the Truth Teller. published at
Steilacoom, February Is. 1853 ITO Ny
Friends of which the following is copy
Of only one paragraph: LAS to the mass
meetings held at Steilacoom and Olympia,
regret very much that gentlemen Of my
acquaintance were present and lent an
influence that procured the publication of
such resolutions as appear in the Pioneer
and Democrat; because / believed them,
at the time TO have acted as they thought
Just and honorable, but they were misled
by the infammatory statements of per-
sons who. from ignorance or some other
less excusable cause, spoke and acted I'M
justly"
DR. William F. Tolmie, who was then
chief factor of the Hudson Bay Company
tural Company at Fort Nisqually, was
viciously assailed by the mass meeting"
because they charged him with "a volun-
tdry and unjustifiable attempt to interfere
with the execution of the laws of our ter
ritory. and this conduct merits
and should receive the general conce NINA
ton of our whole people," This, too, for
simply writing, January u. 1858, to Gov.
+. McMullen in behalf of Lescni, and say
Ing:
Il have long had a thorough conviction
or Leschfs innocence of the death of the
late Col. A. b. Moses. that opinion being
based on the following facts. etc.
Dr. Tolmie gives full statement. too
long for insertion in this article, but the
following is an extract:
I'm the summer of IS Leschi. with other
chiefs. made peace with Col. Wright, in
command of the regulars in the Yakima
valley, after which general pacification,
and, as the Indians phrase it, lay
Ing aside Of guns and angry feel
ings,' they lived for some time
in friendly intercourse with the SOL
diers. In the fall of SO the Inequalities
returned home and were placed on a res
ervation much more to their liking than
that originally fixed upon. In October
Leschi came. and. as / was the first white
man he ventured to meet. he desired me
to acquaint the Americans that, if they
needed that assurance, he would cut off
his right hand in proof of his intention
never TO fight them again. He expressed
his willingness to surrender TO Col Casey
commanding Fort Steilacoom, hut that
officer considered IL most prudent that
Leschi should for a time remain in the
woods, as prejudice ran high gainst him.
Soon after, tempted by large reward,
Sluggia entrapped Leschi by treacherous
promises of complete reconciliation with
the Olympia white chiefs. and he GeschD
was soon after imprisoned on the charge
which led to his condemnation"
When Leschi was TO be tried in Olympia
Gen. A V. KautZ, L. s. A., Of this city,
then a lieutenant, was detailed to escort
the prisoner Leschi under guard TO his
place Of trial and was continued in charge
during the trial He heard the testimony
and, knowing the military .oad ever the
Cascade mountains from Fort Steilacoom,
detected the deliberate falssnood of the
witness, A. r. Rahbeson, and pointed il
out to Leschi's attorney, then, to prove il.
he. DR.. Tolmie and others made a survey
OF the ground. and, through the kindness
OF the general. I have his original survey
and plat Of Toualket prairie Cknown also
as Conners prairie). which I submit for
your information, which shows the place
where Rabheson says he first met Leschi;
and he testified Mr.. Wiley says. that he
had known Leschi for years, and could
not he mistaken In tdentlfytng aim. that
he proceeded from thence on fast trot.
and when at the place where the road
entered a swamp Leschi again appeared
and killed Col Moses.
Thus. while Col. Moses and party were
trotting at a lively pace. in a military
road. siNty-eight chains. Leschi. on foot,
ran 104'k chains through fir forest thick
ly covered with underbrush and fallen
timber. Rabheson. when asked how this
was possible. swore that Leschi ''tcok a
shorter road" which was positively false
and proven 30 be so by the survey, as the
military road was a direct line as far as
the ground would admit. and there was
only ore roundabout road besides.
Mr. Wiley admits that :. $. Ford. ST.
who knew that LeSChi was euCamped on
the Upper NisQually in a secluded spot
hribed SlugRia and El-i-kak-ah, and.
Judas Iscariot like. they betrayed
their CHIEF into the hands OF blood
stained white men But this SlUggia
was called on 70 testify before The court.
and. Mr. Wiley SAYS. that he. Of his own
knowledge knew Leschi was not present
A. the shooting of Moses. for he. Sluggis
WAS present with the shooting party. II
the killing Of Col. Moses in wartime was ii
crime then here was a particeps orimlnis.
But they did not thirst for any but
LcSchis blood
GRANVILLE o. HALLER