The Anaconda standard., 1899-12-16
AN OLD INDIAN RAID
Recalled by a Suit Brought by
John s. Pool.
HORSES WERE DRIVEN OFF
When Chief Joseph and the Nez Perces
Went Through the Bitter
Root Valley in
1877.

Missoula, Dec. ia case that will
! bring out the history of a raid, made
by the Indians in the year 1877 through
| the Bitter Root valley near Corvallis, is
now being brought against the United
States by John S. Pool, to recover the
value of some horses that were driven
| off during the raid, belonging to him.
| The dispositions of five witnesses were
| taken before United States Commits
sioner Wallace P. Smith. Miss Della
| Harding took the testimony in Short
hand. and Attorney /. c. Denny ap-
peared for Pool and John A. Storey
United States special attorney from
Greenfield, Iowa, represented the gov
ernment. All the witnesses are old
timers and have resided in the Bitter
Root valley for number of years. The
witnesses We're William Turnage, who
has been living at Woodslde for sew
| eral years, Is 63 years of age. Gus Mel
| son, the veteran express messenger of
| the Northern Pacific, also told what he
| remembered about the affair and James
| A. Chaffin Samuel o. Chaffin and ]. S.
| Blodgett We're the other witnesses. All
| the testimony of the witnesses was
similar, and below is given the testi-
|
| Gus Nelson, being duly sworn, de-
| poses and says as follows:
First general interrogative by the
| commissioner: State your name, your
| occupation, your age and your place of
| residence; whether you have any, and,
if any, what interest, direct or indirect,
in the claim which is the subject of in
quiry; and whether and in what degree
you are related to the claimant.
A. My name is Gus Nelson, driving
| team for the express company; g..
Missoula. Mont, is my postoffice ad-
dress. I have no interest in this claim
| I am not related to the claimant.
1877 and 1878?
| A. I lived on Girtch creek, about
three miles east of Hamilton.
| @. Was there little fort in 1877 and
1878 where the town of Hamilton
now is?
A Yes, sir.
@. How far was Fort Hamilton and
in what direction from Corvallis?
A. About six miles south of Corval-
lis.
Ql Did you know where John S. Pool
lived in 1877 and 1878?
A. Yes, sir,
@. How far did he live from this Fort
Hamilton?
A. He lived about five miles south
east of Hamilton.
@. Do you remember of the band of
| Chief Joseph's Indians going through
in the vicinity of Corvallis in the sum-
mer of 1877?
A. Yes, sir.
@. You may state whether or not the
people of the vicinity were forted
up at Corvallis or Hamilton?
A. Yes, they were forted up at Cor
Wallis and at a fort where Hamilton
now stands.
@. Do you remember a band of In
dians going through the Bitter Root
valley in the vicinity of Corvallis the
next year after Chief Joseph's band
passed through. that is in 1887?
A. They went through Sleeping Child,
about 12 miles south =" Corvallis.
@. Where did they come from?
A. These We're some Indians that did
not surrender at the time Chief Joseph
surrendered to General Miles, but had
gotten away and were coming down
across the mountains from Fort Ben
ton.
Q. Were they Indians that had be-
longed to Chief Joseph's band?
A. That was my understanding
@. The place that they passed
through on Sleeping Child was how far
from where John S. Pool lived?
A. Where we struck the trail was
some three or four miles from where
Pool lived.
| ~. VINO was with you When you
| struck the trail?
A. Lieutenant Wallace and about Ii
United States troops and from 40 to 60
citizens.
@. From all you saw of the trail of
this band of Indians and from all that
you heard of where they We're and
what they We're doing, how would you
say they were travelling through that
country, fast or slow?
| A. Sometimes fast and SOmetinl es
slow.
@. How far did you and these people
lieutenant and the others, follow this
trail?
A We followed them to a creek they
called Clearwater. There most of the
citizens came back and left the soldiers
to pursue the trail.
@. Do you know whether these Sol
diers broubht back number of horses
that belonged to citizens in the vicinity
of Corvallis?
A. That's what they told me.
@. How many Indians We're in this
| band?
A. About 20.
@. Were any of the people about
| Corvallis and the fort that stood where
Hamilton now is forted un during the
time that this band passed through in
1878?
A. Yes, there were some of them
forted up. They We're scared when they
heard the news of the Indians.
@. Which of these forts would be
more convenient for Pool to go into?
A. The fort at Hamilton.
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