The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-05
THE LOST RIVER TRAGEDY.
4 Thrilling scene Recalled by Scar
Faced CharIey's Death.
From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.


Charley was one of the Indians who a..
sisted in the massacre of Gen. Candy and
Dr. Thomas. and the wounding of A. B.
Meacham and others during the outbreaks
! in 1873. II was one of the vlest pieces
! of Indian treachery ever heard Of as the
| men injured and killed were, In realty,
| the best friends that the Indians had and
We're working in their interests up to the
| very moment that the bullets which i'd
died their bodies were fired.
George f. Meacham, city treasurer of
| Seattle, is a son Of A. b. Meacham, who
| was wounded seriously at the time Gen.
! Candy was killed. He was seen by a re-
| porter, and, in speaking of the Modoc war
| and the assassination of Gen. Candy, said:
! Il was living at Salem, Ore at the time
| Of the Modoc war, and was aged about II
years. My father had been superintend-
ent Of Indian affairs in that section, and
! in that capacity had acquired their conf
| dence. The Modocs had left their resor-
| walton, and. as my father had induced
| them 70 so back on another occasion, it
| was thought he would have sufficient infu-
| ence with them to induce them to return
on that occasion. With that end In view,
! President Grant appointed him peace
| commission to treat with the dissatisfied
! Modocs, who were then encamped at Lost
river. ] think the rouble rose in this
| way: The ModOcs had been placed on the
!
| math Indians also resided. The Modocs
did not like this, for the reason that the
| klamath Indians were their hereditary
! enemies, and they could NOT dwell together
in peace and harmony, and 80 the Modocs
! left the reservation They were in a saw
! age frame of mind and committed many
! outrages on settlers and miners in that
| vicinity.
Il have often heard my father describe
the assassination scene. Those present
were: Cen Candy, A. b. Meacham, Or.
| Thomas, Tobey Riddle, Mr.. Dyer, white
men, and Capt. Jack Schonchin, Boston
| Charley, Shacknasty jim, Hooker Jim,
! Ellen's Man, Bogus Charley, Tobey and
! Black Jim, Indians. 1t must be remem-
| bered that the meeting with the Indians
! was at their request to hold conference
| for the purpose of arranging peace. and
that the stipulation was that those who
| attended the conferences hould do so
without arms, and this compact was kept
| generally by the white men, but not by
| the Indians. My father thus described
| the tragedy: The Indians had demanded
| Hot Creek for a home. 1t was partially
| promised to them. Then Capt Jack
| thrust his hand under his left breast of
| his coat and drew forth a pistol, which
| ne pointed at Gen. Canby's head and pull
ed the trigger. The cap exploded, but the
powder did not ignite. Quickly the blood
thirsty Jack reVolved the cylinder, and in
another instant DulleJ passed through
the generals head. The wounded man
turned and fled. Capt. Jack and Ellen's
Man pursued him till he fell on the rocks
The monsters stripped him of every arti-
Gle of clothing while ne was dying on the
rocks. Broncho came up and Ellen's Man
snatched a rifle from his hands and with
ii put another ball into the generals
head. Dyer had fed for his life as soon
as the shooting commenced. He was fol-
lowed by Hooker Jim who fired repeated
shots at him as he ran. Dyer had pistol.
| and once in while he turned and pointed
| ii at Hooker jim, who would drop to avoid
| the shot. Finally Dyer proved too fleet of
| foot for the pursuing Indian and got away.
Frank Riddle also ran, pursued by Black
Jim, who kept firing al him, but failed to
| hit him. He also escaped.
q" AT the time that Capt. Jack fired at
| Gen. Candy, Boston Charleys first shot
struck DR. Thomas in the left breast just
above the heart. The doctor dropped part
ly down, and with one hand to steady him
self he raised the other and begged the
| assassins to shoot no more as he had al
ready received a death wound. Bogus
Charley Joined Boston Charley, and the
twain tainted the dying man with his re-
| ligion and said to him: "Why don't you
turn the bullets? 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 to the ground for
the last time. Finally Bogus Charley put
the muzzle of a gun to the doctors head
and sent bullet crashing through his
| brain. Then the body was ruthlessly strip
ped of clothing, while the dying man was
sending up his last prayer to his Creator
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
and, putting 1t squarely against Schon-
chin's breast, pulled the trigger. The
weapon did not go off, because 1t was
| only half cooked. Schonchin thrust his
pistol forward almost into my fathers
face AS Schonchin fired my father drew
back and the ball tore through the collar
| of his coat and vest and burned his wills
| kers. My father ran with Schonchn in
| pursuit, and soon the derringer was ready
| for use. Schonchin soon emptied one re-
| volver and quickly drew another. My
| father was afraid to risk his only shot.
| At this moment Tobey, an Indian woman,
| came up 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 Sioux, and then Shacknasty
JiIn grabbed a gun from Sioux and point
| ed it at my father.
| THE latter struck his left breast with
his hand, and said: Strike me here, you
cowardy red devil The woman Tobey
| struck down the gun. Shacknasty Jim
| raised the gun and fired just as my father
! took refuge and fell down behind a pile
| ledge of rocks Then he decided to fire
| his only shot, and he pushed the pistol
over the rock and was trying to get a
| bead on one Of the men who were thirst
ing for his blood At this moment Schon-
chin fired and struck him in the forehead
between the eyes. My 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 another
struck him on the right side Of the head
and glanced off, and he fell senseless.
| Shacknasty Jim was the first to reach
my father, and began to strip off his
clothes. While Shacknasty Jim was en-
| gagged I'm this work, Sioux came and plac-
ed 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 in Modoc that he need not
shoot, as my father was already dead
| u 10 hat old