The Indianapolis journal., 1896-12-27
SHOT DOWN BY REDSKINS
THE DEATH OF, sCAR-FACE CHAR
LEY RECALLS THE M0DoC WAR.
How Candy and Thomas Were Assa.-
Became Victims Of Trcachery.
Seattle Letter in Chicago Chronicle.

the wounding of \. b. Meacham and 9TH
ers during the outbreak in 1873 1t was one
OF fhe vilest pieces of Indian treachery ever
heard OF, as the men injured and killed
were. in reality, the best friends that the
Indians had and were working in their in
terests UP to the very moment that the
bullets which riddled their bodies were
fired. George F. Meacham. city treasurer.
Is n son of A. =. Meacham, who was
wounded seriously at the time General
CANDY was killed. He was seen Yesterday.
and in speaking of the Modoc war and the
assassination of General Candy. said
L was living at Salem, Ore, at the time
of the Modoc war, and was aged about
seventeen years. My father had been super
lntendent of Indian affairs i'm that section.
and in that capacity had acquired their
confidence The Modocs had left their res
ervation. and as my father had induced
them to go back on another occasion it
was thought he would have sufficient infiu-
ence with them to induce them to return
on that occasion. With that end in view
president Grant appointed him a peace
commissioner II treat with the dissatisfied
Modocs, who were then encamped at Lost
river. L think the trouble arose in this
way: The Modocs had been placed on the
hlamath reservation. on which the Kla-
math Indians also resided The Modocs did
hot IKE TINS. for the reason that the Kla-
math Indians were their hereditary enc
ihies ana they could not dwell together in
peace and harmony. and so the Modocs
left the reservation. They were in a savage
frame of mind and committed many out
RACES on settlers and miners in that vicin
ity.
SHOT DOWN BY THE REDS.
Il have often heard my father describe
tho assassination scene Those present
were General Candy, A. B. Meacham Dr.
Thomas Tobey Riddle, Mr. DYER. white
men. and Captain Jack. Schonchin Boston
Charley, Shacknasty Jim Hooker Jim. Ell
lens Man. Bogus Charley Tobey and Black
Jim, Indians. 1t must be remembered that
the meeting with the Indians was at their
request to hold a conference for the pur-
pose OF arranging a peace, and that the
stipulation was that those who attended
the conference should do so without arms
and this compact was kept generally by
the white men. but not by the Indians MY
tdther thus described the tragedy:
The Indians had demanded Hot Creek
ior home. It was partially promised to
them. Then Captain Jack thrust his hand
forth pistol, which he pointed at General
CANDY S head and pulled the trigger The
cap exploded; but the powder did not ig-
mite. Quickly the bloodthirsty Jack re-
volved the cylinder and in another instant
q a bullet passed through the generals head
me me wounded man turned and fled. Cap
tam Jack and Ellen'S Man pursued him till
he fell on the rocks The monsters stripped
MN OF every article of clothing while he
was dying on the rocks. Broncho came up
and Ellen's Man snatched a rifle from his
generals head.
Dyer had fled for his safety as soon as
shooting commenced He folIo
by Hooker Jim, who fired repeated shots AT
MN as he ran. Dyer had pistol and once
In awhile he turned and pointed it al Hook
er Jim. who would drop to avoid the shot
FINALLY Dyer proved too fleet of foot for the
pursuing P1n s,I Indian and got away. Frank Rid
Kept firing at him, but failed to hit him.
he also escaped.
"At the time that Captain Jack fired al
General Candy Boston Charley's first shot
struck DR.. Thomas in the left breast lust
above ar the heart The doctor dropped part
sell he raised the other and begged the as
sassins TO shoot no more. as he had slready
received death wound Bogus Charley
Joined Boston Charley and the twain taunt-
ed the dying man with his religion and
said to him: Why don't you turn the bull
S ie.s: your medicine is not strong The
doctor rose to his feet and they pushed him
down and laughed and jeered in his face
Then the red devils pushed him once more
10 the ground for the last time. Finally
Bogus Charley put the rnuzzle of a enn to
the doctors head and sent a bullet crash
ing through his brain. Then the body was
ruthlessly stripped of clothing while the
dying man was sending uD his last nraver
to his Creator.
wOUNDING OF MEACHAM.
When the signal for the attack was
given Schonchin sprang to his feet and
drawing a knife and revolver. prepared to
attack my father, who was only a few feet
away. My father drew a derringer and
putting it squarely against Schonchin's
breast, pulled the trigger. The weapon did
not go off because it was only half cooked
Schonchin thrust his pistol forward almost
In my fathers face. AS Schonchin fired nv
father drew back and the ball tore through
the collar of his coat and vest and burned
his whiskers. My father ran. with Schon
chin in pursuit, and soon the derringer was
ready for use. Schonchin soon emptied one
revolver and quickly drew another. NV
father was afraid to risk his only shot
At this moment Tobey an Indian Woman
came uD and she pleaded with Schonchin
to spare my fathers life, for. the reason
that he had always been a good friend of
the Indian. The woman was struck on the
head by Slolux and then Shacknasty Jim
grabbed a gun from Sioux and pointed n
at my father
THE latter struck his left breast with his
hand and said: Strike me here, you cow
ardly red devil The woman Tobey struck
down the gun Shacknasty Jim raised the
gun and fired just my father took refuge
and fell down behind a low ledge of rocks.
Then he decided to fire his only shot and
he pushed the pistol over the rock and was
trying to get bead on one of the men who
We're thirsting for his blood At this mo-
ment Schonchin fired and struck him in
the forehead between the eyes. NV father
then fired at Schonchin and wounded him
Almost at the same instant a ball passed
through my fathers right arm and he
dropped his pistol to the ground Then a
ball passed through his right ear and an
other struck him on the right side of the
head and glanced off and he fell senseless
Shaclnasty Jim was the first to reach my
father and began TO strip off his clothes
While ShacknaSty Jim was engaged i'm
this work Sioux came and placed the gun
he was carrying to the head of my father
and was about to pull the trigger when
Shacknasty Jim pushed him away and said
i'm Modoc that he need not shoot as my
father was already dead.
81 am going TO have old man Meach-
ans scalp to put in my shot pouch said
Boston Charley. He has no scalp broke
in Hooker Jim. or | would have had it,
pocket knife and tried to scalp my father
with it, The Indian woman Tobey who
was at that moment wiping blood from
what she supposed was my fathers dead
face. for he had compelled a man named
Riddle TO make her his wife and she liked
him, repulsed Charley and knocked him
down. He arose. and putting his foot on
my fathers neck, cutting two long gashes
in the top of the scalp. was about to tear
told the bloodthirsty savages that two SOL
diers were coming and he abandoned mis-
bloody work The fact that nv fathers
head was alu,oS. bald doubtless saved biry,