Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1899-12-13
Tragedies of Box Canyon,


peaks which bear that name stand guard
over one portal 10 the Box Canyon OF
the Snake river which To the mind of
immaginatiVe rnan is peopled by the
ghosts of hundred tragedies, The
! Indians have traditions of terrible battles
! along this stream where the dark shades
| hover for half year without being dis
pclle,i by the sun, OF murder that left
haunting spirits to prowl in these dark
places. Aud many and many times III,
the memory of the whitcnan has this
been the scene of horrible accidents aud
crimes, II is significant that Seven
Devils should stand guard of this theater
of tragedy.
For many years this region was
rendezvous for criminals. Many stories are
, told of feuds and wars Of extermiuation
between factions Of lugitives; but the
history of the region is very obscure till
after Joseph's war
! The present generation remembers
Douglass the bandit as the pioneer
resident Of the Snake river canyon, The
miners worked the bars from 62 till the
year of the war, 1877, and although there
were thousands OF placer miners in there
before that date only few whitemen
have gone there since that date. The
chinaman invaded the country in large
numbers for few years. They. how
ever, abandoned the district in 1855 end
not a single Celestial has been seen
in the Box Canyon since that date,
They believe the ghosts that haunt the
dark shades are real devils
| The Chinaman abandoned the field on
account OF terrible murder of their
eountrymen which was perpetratod by
four or five young men for the purpose Of
robbery 1t was known that tlles, miners
had large amount ofgold dust and these
young men who had borne good names
previously raided their camp and shot
down thirty Cinnamon.
The first plan was TO hold up one party
Of ten miners and rob them without
violence. However the camp had been
reinforced by the arrival eften Cinnamon
from another camp aud they would not
submit, hut resisted with energy The
robbers were plainsman and noted rife
shots. A terrible battle eusued and did
not cease till the twenty Cinnamon were
dead
While the white robbers were search.
ing the premises for treasure an Other
boat load Of ten Cinnamon landed on The
beach The battle was renewed, aud
thirty dead bodies lay on the beach III a
few minutes. One of the most horrible
murders ever committed was upon the
hands of these young men.
They were evidently frantic over Their
bloody crime, They had secured thou
sands in gold dust, but they never used
the wealth It lay buried in bottles foi
q long time, Two of the robbers fought
to the death over the spoils. The gold
dust seemed TO bc curse. The last o.
the robbers died within five years aud I'll,
curse still hangs over the families OF tn,
murderers and misery follows even the
. memory of the crime; and even othet
murders have been committed as seque
to this crime.
Douglass Of Douglass bar lived within
a mile OF til" scene of The above murder
lie was rcputed to have becna stag
robher aud to have retired to thi spo
with his stolen treasure lie used thi
gold to buy stolen stock lie was sur
rounded by a splendid stock range O
10000 acres that was enclosed by
! natural fence In this enclosure he pas
tured stolen stock; and made shipment
to the eastern markets IN season.
Douglass horse was found OH tn
range with saddle and bride on. 4
| search revealed the bandit dead on th
mountain side with bullet hole in III
| heart. His fate had oycrlaken hin
| Either greed or vengeance had inspire
the use Of the nurderous gun.
| An other stark form was found in th
same fa,eful region. An old man la
been shot to death as he lay in HI
blankets in camp. He knew TO muc
about the otho. crimes aud their pcrpetr;
tors.
II After these deaths the Box canyon VA
deserted except by the transient stocl
men who -ourscd it's trackless stiei
/ depths for several years. New life h
| come to the scene Of these crimes til
| year. The miners are dclving ia Il
/ mountains unuindful of the curse al
| the ghosts Of past years The ring
| steel and the roar Of giant powder hard
/ let the echoes sleep now either night
day The curse has been bauishcd
| the progress of the age.
NEWTON ilIBBs.