Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1899-12-02
An Indian Judge Lynch.

Old Chief Wapshelah was the first
Judge Lynch of the Lewiston valley.
| This noted Nez Perce was controlling
spirit i'll his tribe when Col. Craig first
took up his abode in Lapwai valley.
thief Wapshelah was a great Indian re-
former. He believed in the white people
and the white peoples civilization, and
1t was the study of his life to emulate his
patron saints.
In the days when only Col. Craig and
perhaps one or two other pioneers lived
among the Nez Perce Indians a renegade
from the Snake tribe came to I.apwai to
avoid arrest on a charge of murder. His
guilt followed him and it soon became
known among the Indians that he was
guilty of heinous crime
| Wapshelah, as friend Of the white
people and tribal reformer, took it upon
himself to run down the runors and de-
termine the motive and degree of the
crime from the consequences of which
the Snake Indian was fleeing. Wapshe-
lah became executive officer and detec-
tive, as well as the head of his own court
of justice. He soon learned that the man
had confessed to having killed man at
some point on the Upper Snake river.
When this much was learned Wapshe-
lah consulted his friend and adviser Col.
Craig. The colonel told him there we're
degrees of homicide that sometimes a
mai must kill an antagonist in defense
of his property or his honor, and some
times the slayer of fellowman became a
hero and not criminal The old chief
seemed to grasp for the first time in his
life the varying degrees of guilt attached
to the act of killing fellowman.
Wapshelah took some young men Of
the tribe to meet the renegade with the
determination of determining the degree
of guilt that should attach to the killing,
which was in effect confessed by the ac-
cused
The accused Indian was giant in
Istrength and his prowess in physical con-
/
young Nez Perces with whom he had
associated while in hiding. The young
men were timid when the chief brought
them to face the accused in what might
be called the tribal court.
The accused was arraigned, but self
consciousness of his influence over the
young members of the council made the
criminal bold. He publicly admitted the
killing, but said his victim was a feeble
old man, and he argued that no guilt at
tached to the act because the man killet
was too old and too feeble to be of an,
use in the world.
This point was held to be we'll takei
and by the young men of the court, bu
the idea of strong man killing feebl
= old man filled Wapshelah with righteou
Indignation. He ordered the young men
who were really only the constabulary
the court, TO arrest and bind the mur
derer. This they refused to do, partly OF
4 account of their respect for the proves
of the accused, and again because the
3 did not believe the murder of an oil
feeble man who could not hunt or fgi
{ in battle to be a very heinous crime. Bu
the old judge seemed to be shocked
( the cowardly act of a young giant KILN
= an old man.
: The murderer finally stalked defantl
= away. Wapshelah pursued the fugitiv'
pounced upon him and fought as if f'
q life. Finally the murderer was subdue'
beat into insensbility, and bound han
land foot. He was then turned over
. the young officers, who kept him bour
- while Wapshelah again consulted Go
I, Craig. The good white man advised hi
that the crime should be punished al
L explained the price of white mans II
to be hanging by the neck till the nu
derer was dead. Wapshelah returned
the improvised prison and pronounc
this sentence of death upon the mt
| derer.
The condemned Indian was bound
the back of horse and the judge,
chief officer, led the way to the prese
site of the city of Lewiston, which at II
time was the home of the head CHIEF
the Nez Perces, to have the court p
ceedings confirmed which followed at
fiery speech by this aboriginal Jud
Lynch.
The murderer was then taken on
horse to the small island opposite
Small & Emery sawmill in the Gle
water, on which stood large cottonw'
Tree at that time and which was cho
as the gibbet by this court. The ho
beariug the bound and shackled priso
was led under the spreading branches
this tree, the moose was adjusted and
horse was led away, leaving the
de nned murderer suspended.
This was the first scene i'll the drs
of the reign of Judge Lynch in Lewis'
Improvised gibbets have graced e,
quarter Of the city since that time.
oil cottonwood tree on the little isl
died as if from blight, and after its
limbs stood out like ghostly arms app
ING for absolution il crumbled to
Judge Lynch's gibbet in this insta
may have been landmark of progres
civilization, but not so the many
scaffolds used by Judge Lynch j
has torn down those other monuhieh