The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-15


the tragedy was alone in the house with
her 1o-year- old niece, Hattie Leslie.
The crime bore all the evidence of the
cunning work of an Indian fend. Mrs.
Platt was either stunned or killed out
right, thrown on the floor, oak wood piled
around her and her body cremated, while
in the next room the little girl slept peace
fully, to be awakened by flames scorching
her hand. She ran through the room
where her aunt lay roasting under the
burning wood, and in her night clothes
reached the house of friendly Indian.
After the tragedy it developed that some
time before a young buck attending the
Indian school at PERKS, some distance
from the Pichango school, had been ex-
PEELED for some breach of discipline and
returned to the Pichango reservation. To
be revenged on the authorities he began
industriously to circulate report that the
Indian children there were being shame
fully abused and half-starved. This was
readily believed by the Older Indians.
On the day of the murder old Mateo Pa,
the chief at Pichango, called on Mrs. platt
and told her what be had heard. He de-
manded the amount of the fare to Perris
and return, saving he would go and inves-
tigate for himself, and If things were as
reported there would be trouble. Mrs.
Plat tried to appease the angry chief and
refused his request, thinking the report
groundless, and not wishing to create any
excitement among her own proteges she
promised to investigate the rumor herself.
Mateo Pa went away very angry, threat
ening among other things to have her
school closed This and the chiefs surly
manner caused Mrs. Plat some uneasi-
ness, and she wrote to the Indian agent
Francisco EstudilIo, at Cotton telling him
of the threat and that she was alarmed.
She requested that if he did not hear from
her again within three or four DAYS the
come down and settle matters. This letter
and telegram from Iemecula announcing
the burning of the Government building
at Pichango and the finding of Mrs
Platts body arrived at Cotton an hour
apart.
1t is now believed that Francisco
Guayish, the murderer had known of the
old chiefs visit and threats and tried to
profit by them, believing that Mateo Pa
would certainly be convicted if Mrs. Plat
was murdered.
The story of little Hattie Leslie, the
niece of the murdered woman, was as fol-
lows: II was in bed and asleep Auntie,
when 1 went to bed, was in the sitting
room reading. | went to sleep while she
was reading. After long time dreamed
| was burning and awoke and the room
was full of smoke and the fire came all
around my bed My hand was burned
and it hurt me. | was scared and called
for auntie, but she did not answer. Then
| jumped up and ran to the sitting-room,
| but she was not there. The house was
all on fire and smoke filled every room. |
cried aloud and went into the kitchen TO
find auntie, but did not see her. On the
kitchen floor was big pile of wood burn
ing and / could smell oil-kerosene oil. |
was scared to death. l ran outdoors and
all around looking for auntie and calling,
but she was not there.
81 did not know what to do. | ran back
into the house by the back porch and past
the pile of wood burning in the kitchen
and into the bedroom. There | got some
of my clothes and basket of letters. [
tried to do all l could, but there was not
time. [ was afraid, too, and ran over to
an Indians house and asked to be let in.
They did not know the house was burning
till they heard me call They let me in
and cared for me. l did not hear any
noise while | was living In bed and no.
body came to the house while was awake.
Auntie was afraid of Mateo Pa, but she
was not afraid to stay alone with me. The
fire In my room was separate from the fire
in the kitchen. The ire IN the kitchen
was the biggest, and l am sure there was
coal oil on the wood. The fire in my room
was right around the bed"
That Mrs. Plat expected to die in the
sacrificing service of teaching Indians, no
one who knew her can doubt, but she GER
tainly did not anticipate her end would
a
ner. at the hands OF those whose welfare
and betterment she had made a life's work.
1t can truthfully be said that Mrs. Platt
grew old and gray in the service of in
structing the young Indian, and endeavor-
ing to impress upon the older ones the
blessings and satisfaction being clean and
at least partially civilized
Mrs. Platt was woman past so years of
age. nearly twenty of her life having been
in the Indian service. She was very con-
sCientiOus and fearless and was, moreover,
a deyout Christian. Unlike many of the
new teachers who govern the indians, she
believed that all of the appropriations and
time should not be lavished upon the
younger generation, but that the older
people should receive some attention. Mrs.
Platt argued that much of the modern APP
planes, such as electric plants, could very
well be dispensed with at the various Indian
| schools, and the money put to greater adj
vantage by building nice homes and fur
nlshlng them for the older people.
The grandparents of the present genera
ton were, she confessed, beyond redemp-
ton, but the parents were not and should
be civilized, as she suggested. The very
fact that their children were able to wear
bright new clothes and learn caused dis
content and went to drive them further
from the benefits of civilization than be-
fore the introduction of the schools They
should be taught to be housewives and
have instilled in them pride in keeping
themselves and their abodes clean and
orderly.
Mrs. Plat always sought to bring her
ideas before those in authority, and seldom
allowed to pass an opportunity of making
plea for the older generation.
AS an incident of her courage, she pre-
vented an impending fight among the
young bucks of the Pichango band in 1894.
Two parties had become involved in some
dispute and stood facing each other with
appraised hatchets and drawn knives wait
ing but signal from their leaders to begin
the battle. Without a moments hesta-
ton Mrs. Platt stepped between the con-
tending factions and demonstrated with
them, telling them it was wrong to quar-
rel and that the dispute should be settled
without blows. The crowd dispersed
almost instantly, nor was the quarrel again
renewed.
Mrs. Plat was thought to have the love
OF nearly all on the reservation, and dur
ing August, 1894 attended the fiesta at
Temecula, San Diego County, where her
pupils were noticeably the best conducted of
any there, and were entirely submissive to
her orders.
MISMANA CEMENT CH4RGED