The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-08
she who warned the officers of the army of
THE TROUBLE BREWING


Her influence with her people began to
wane as their rage against the whites in
creased. Then, too, the warriors began to
m!strust her husband Her food was pois-
oned by Modcos and she was compelled to
sleep in secret places for fear OF death from
her own brothers and relatives for her sus-
pected undue liking for white people Col.
A. B. Meacham, who was in command CT
the military post, was a humane man. and
did everything in his power to right the
wrongs of his dusky wards. This man Wi
ne-na revered, and when the second peace
commissioner was appointed she did all in
her power to prevent him attending the
council with the chiefs. She grasped his
horse by the bride, begging Meacham and
Candy not to meet Jack and his band When
she found entreaty was in vain, the devoted
woman mounted her pony and rode with the
Inflated party to the place of meeting.
The story Of that meeting has been told
many times. When Meacham was attacked
by the bloodthirsty Sconchin, W-ne-ma
threw herself on the savage and begged
him to spare the life Of her white friend.
Others coming up, Wi-ne-ma ran from war
rior to warrior, turning aside their weapons.
At last of many Bullets struck Meacham
sense.ess, and the quick-witted squaw turned
aside the weapon
AIMED TO FINISH
his life, with the words: Him dead No
use shoot" ScOnchin tried to scalp Meach-
am, when Wi-ne-ma grasped the knife The
enraged buck struck her terrible blow,
almost knocking her senseless. Again the
wit of the woman came into play. THE
soldiers are coming up she cried and the
next moment a detachment of troops did ap-
pear Amid curses from the enraged troop
ers, q dozen weapons were leveled at the
breast of the brave squaw. Looking the
mounted men straight in the face she said:
mo shoot me! l tried to save them'' Then
came from the ranks the words of an enlist
ed man: THE man who harms her III
kill"
The same day Wi-ne-ma's husband. Rid
4 hot
from ambush by a MOdOc. The body was
dragged many miles over the trail by the
frightened horse. When the horse stopped,
the head and shoulders of the corpse were
So horribly mutiIated that the body was m
recognizable. Then the
THREE LITTLE CHILDREN
of Wi-ne-ma and Riddle were murdered as
they slept and their bodies burned in the
rude family dwelling. Wi-ne-ma, under COW
e. OF darkness and eluding the hostile mem
bers Of her own race and family made her
way across the deOslate lava beds to the gov
eminent post. She sick and broken
hearted at the horrible fate of all her family
but she nevertheless became the constant and
devoted nurse Of Col. Meacham as he lay in
the hospita, recovering from hts six gunshot
wounds. 1t was eleven weeks before the col
onel was able to leave his bed. By that time
Wi-nc-ma was almost a helpless invalid. She
important witness for the government
in the trial of Capt. Jack and his subordinate
chiefs for the murder of Gen. Candy and
shot through the chest as she sat one even
ing by the window at her lonely home COL
Meacham gave the little woman chief literally
from his means, and the soldiers at the post
saw that she never lacked medical attendance
and nursing.
Wi-ne-ma, now repudiated by her Indian
relatives. and in constant fear of asSassina-
ton among the revengefuI and suspicious
Modocs went to live at a lumber camp on
the Coyote mountains, in Southern Oregon.
She has never been well
SINCE THE MODOC WAR,
and her severe wounding at that time Col.
Meacham remembered her with frequent gifts
of money while he lived but he died in 1888
Since that Wi-ne-ma has aged very fast.
She is now almost perfectly helpless Some
of the soldiers who took part in the warfare
among the lava beds. and knew that the In
dian woman suffered because of her devotion
sional membranes. In 1890 Gen John c.
Fremont then living in Los Angeles, brought
Wi-ne-ma's case to the attention Of the late
Senator Leland Stanford. The latter provided
means for bringing the woman down from
her home in the mountain lumber camp in
Oregon and had a little house built for W.
ne-na among the hills in Sonoma county
California, while several wealthy ladies of
San Francisco provided the Indian woman
with a faithful attendant and the comforts
of a home 1t is said that Wi-ne-ma is now
gradually losing her remaining health and
her death has been expected for several weeks
Through the kindness of Mrs. Stanford vivid
ow of the late senator) Wi-ne-ma's last DAYS
made pleasant as possible by trained
nurse and all that cheers a sick room