The San Francisco call., 1897-11-30
WAS SPARED BY
INDIAN FIBuDS
Mrs. Pringle Describes
the Massacre at
Waiilatpu.
Will Attend the Whitman
MOnum ent Dedication
To-Day.
Says the Bones Recently DiscoV-
cred We're Not Those of the
Murdered Party.
Special Dispatch to THE CALL

SPOKANE, Nov. 29.-Among those who
tomorrow Will attend the dedication OF
the Whitman monument, near Walla
Walla, Is Mrs. Catherine Sager Pringie OF
East Spokane, one OF the Jew survivors OF
the massacre at Waiilatpu on November
%, 1847. AS an 11year-old girl, the adopt
ed laughter of DR.. Whitman, she was
witness to the scenes enacted in the Whit
man home called in those days by the
country folk the Mansion House." on
the dread November day, fifty years ago.
She it was who was first to Mrs. Whit
mans assistance when the noble mis-
sionary's wife fell shot through the shoul-
der by an Indians bullet. As clearly as
though it occurred but Yesterday Mrs.
Pringle recolIects every detail of the mas
sacre. She retains a deadly hatred for the
Indian race, and holds, with many ano-
er pioneer, that the only good Indian is
the dead Indian.
While Mrs. Pringle will 60 to Walla
WaIla and Waiiatpu to assist in doing
honor to the memory of the great mis-
sionary and the little band that fell with
him she is firmly of the opinion that the
bones which have been disinterred re-
Gently are not chose OF DR.. Whitman, as
is supposed. While they will be placed
under the monument she thinks they will
be placed there by mistake.
81 would they had never been dis
turbpd," said she mpressively to The
CALL correspondent to-day.
On October 20 the homes were dug up
from the mound in which they were
buried, near Waiilatpu, in order to be
placed under the monument Only five
skulls were found, one of them supposed
10 be that of Mrs. Whitman. These were,
with lot of other bits OF bone, piled I'M
der a wagon box that had been turned
over them when buried. They were re-
garoed as being portions OF the bones of
the missionary and his wife, with those OF
some OF his household.
LET me give you the proofs" said Mrs.
Pringle to-day. "There were eleven killed
in the massacre-Dr. Whitman, Mrs.
Whitman. Andrew Rogers, the two Sager
BOYS (my brothers), aged 16 and Is years;
Lucian Saunders, Mr.. Hoffman and
Marsh, Kim ball, Young and Gillian. The
day following the killing Joe Staufeld,
the Frenchman, was coupled all day. dig
| ging q trench in which to bury them.
| "On the next dav. Wedne sday, began
the painful and horrible work of preUar.
! ing the mutila:ed corpses for burial: They
| lay where they had fallen, except Dr.
| Whitman, who lay upon the dining-room
| floor, whittier his wife had dragged him
when he was first shot. Quilts had been
placed over each corpse on Tuesday morn
| ing by the Indians. The rema aims were
was he'd, stripped and wrapped IN sheets
made by The women from domestic taken
|. from the doctors house. | made the sheets
for my brothers.
1T was we'll toward sunset Wednesday
when the bodies were ready 10 be con-
veyed TO the rude grave, which was done
by placing Them in an OK cart. Arriving
there they were placed in the following
order, the huge grave heading: TO the
north: Mrs. Whitman first ON the west
side, her husblnd next, then Mr.. Rogers,
then John Sager, then his brother, and
after them the others.
The grave was only about three feet
Deep The morning after the funeral,
Mary Ann Bridger called to me as | was
getting up. saving that the wolves were at
the grave. We rushed out to see sight
that lived in my memory wildly for
wears. could not close my eyes at night
without seeing it. The wolves had dug
out the bodies, had dragged out one of
Mrs. Whi;man's leys and eaten off the
flesh to the knee. The men put us women
and girls to one side and reburied the re-
We would awake 10 see the wolves at their
work, however. tearing out the bodies.
They carried many of the bones away.
Some of Mrs. Whitman's hair Was found
a mile from the scene. No further effort
was made to rebury the bodies. Mind you,
we who were left. were prisoners held by
the Indians, In constant terror that We,
too, would be murdered.
Tine first of the volunteers, the relief
expedition, arrived in January, 1848, and
they set about reburying the bones. What
placed in the original pit, covered by q
wagon-box ana earth thrown on top OF
that.
"As there were eleven killed and as
there were but five skulls found, it will be
seen that but a small portion of the bones
have been discovered The others may
have decayed during the many years that
havs passed, or the wolves PROBABLY car
ried Them to their dens or to the ad Join
ing sMamps, where they have mingle
with the mud and water. But where the
bones of DR.. Whitman and his associates
are God only knows. l am sorry the
grave was disturbed, for the doubt have
always had has now be come a certainty
to me.
s'Of the five skulls found, one is sup
posed to be that of the doctor, the sup
position being based on the location of
the wounds. On none of the skulls dug
up. however, have been found the wounds
that answer 10 those made on DR.. Whit
man head, namely single tomahawk
wound on the back of the head and gun
shot wound across the throat. The skull
supposed 10 be that of Mrs. Whitman does
not answer the correct description, and
am convinced it Is the skull of one OF my