, 1897-04-05

bringing the commissioner and com.
manding officers Of the troops to confe1
with ITEM.
But for the efforts of the brave squaw,
| Wi-ne-ma. war would have broken out
long before. Many times she took the
weapons from the hands Of warriora
bent on the destruction of settlers in the
region, md it was she who warned the
officers of the army of the trouble brew
ing. Her influence with her people be-
gan to wane as their rage against the
whites increased. Then, too, the war
riors began to mistrust her husband.
Her food was poisoned by Modocs, and
she was compelled to sleep in secret
places for fear Of death from her own
brothers. and relatives for her suspected
undue liking for white people.
Colonel A. B. Meacham, who was in
command Of the military post, WIS a
humane nan and did all in his power
to right the wrongs of his dusky wards.
This man Wi-ne-ma revered, and when
the second peace commissioner was ap-
pointed she did all in her power to pre-
vent him from 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 i'll fated party to the
place of meeting.
The story Of that meeting has been
told many times. When Meacham was
attacked by the bloodthirsty Sconchin,
Wi-ne-ma threw herself OH the savage
and begged him to spare the life of hel
white friend. Others coming up, Wine.
ma ran from warrior to warrior, turn.
ing aside their weapons. At last one OF
many bullets struck Meacham senseless,
and the quick witted squaw turned
aside the weapon aimed to finish his
life, with the words, Him dead; nc
use shoot" Sconchin tried to scalp
Meacham, when Wi-ne-ma grasped the
knife. The enraged buck struck her q
terrible blow, almost knocking hel
senseless. Again the wit of the woman
came into play. 1.-THE soldiers are com.
ing up!" she cried, and the next mo-
ment a detachment Of troops did appear.
Amid curses from the enraged troopers,
a dozen weapons were leveled at the
breast of the brave squaw. Looking the
mounted men straight in the face, she
cried: mo shoot me! l tried to save
them!' Then came from the ranks the
words of an enlisted man. 1.-THE man
who harms her I'll kill"
The same day Wi-ne-ma's husband,
Riddle, was riding horseback and was
shot dead 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 shout
ders Of the coprse were so horribly mu.
tilated that the body was ~unrecogniza.
BILE. 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 the cover Of darkness and eluding
the hostile members of her race and
family, made her way across the desc.
late lava beds to the government post.
She was sick and broken hearted at the
horrible fate of all her family, but she
nevertheless became the constant and
devoted nurse Of Colonel Meacham al
he lay in the hospital recovering from
his six gunshot wounds. 1t was II
weeks before the colonel was able te
leave his bed. By that time Wi-ne-ms
vas almost a helpless invalid. She wa,
al important witness for the govern.
ment in the trial of Captain Jack and
his subordinate chiefs for the murder Of
General Candy and other officers, and
for this she herself wa shot through the
chest us she sat one evening by a win.
dow ut her lonely home. Colonel Meach-
am gave the little woman chief literally
from his means, and the soldiers at the
post saw that she neve lacked medical
attendance and nursing.
Times.