The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-28
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Few Warriors Of an Old FerOciOus
Tribe in Existence.
Only Sevcnty-ciGht. Including the
Women and Children. Left of the
Once Powerful Bind A Ccnte-
marian One of Their Number-The
Lava Bed Tragedy.

Lava Bed Tragedy.
From being one of the most savage
bloodthirsty and ungovernable tribes OF
the continent the Modoc Indians have de
generated into small group of the --latest
creatures it is possible to picture. The
fast-vanishihg tribe now consists of but
thirteen bucks, the total population being
seventy eight. all slovenly, indolent, dull
and utterly destitute of the smallest spark
| of ambition. Even this pitiful represen-
tation of what was once large and pow
erful tribe is rapidly passing away. 1t
will be only few years until they have
all become good Indians and their tribe
will be extinct. The Modocs at one time
| were the most troublesome and blood
| thirsty savages that this Government ever
| tried to govern. Long before the white
man appeared on the shores of the Pacific
they were seekers for gore. They were
always in trouble with other tribes. That
is the way they got the name Modocs. 1t
| means enemies" 1t was given them by
| the other tribes on the Pacific, against
whom they had waged' war.
But now things have changed. The
Modocs no longer thirst for war. In re-
cent years the Modocs have died OF like
sheep, and If the ratio keeps up in less
than decade a Modoc Indian will be one
of the curiosities of a practically extinct
race. They are now quartered on small
reservation in the Quapaw country, few
miles south Of Baxter Springs, Kan, under
guard of the Government, fer they are
still considered prisoners. The few MEM
bers of the tribe are growing because they
cannot go back to the Pacific Slope and
spend the remainder Of their days.
The Modocs were once q part Of the
klamath tribe in northern California and
southern Oregon. They became the Box
ers" Of the klamaths. They broke away
from the tribe and set up a government
of their own and then waged war against
their mother tribe just as the Boxers"
are doing in China. They also tackled out
sders just like the Boxers" Before they
were subdued they would make slaves OF
their prisoners of war and buy and sell
them among each other after the fashion
of the ancient Romans and Carthaginians.
They had peculiar religion in which a
mythical deity whom they called Kamoose
stood in the place of god.
tribes on the Pacific Coast until it was no
longer any fun for them, they brushed up
against the troops. That was the first
mistake they made. They got licked. But
they didn't get enough to satisfy them and
broke out again two years later and mas
sacred a lot of whites. Then they got
whipped some more and hundreds Of them
were murdered by the Regular Army. In
1868 they put their blankets on and left
their reservation again, squatting on some
land on Lost River which didn't belong
to them. The Government ordered them
back to their own reservation. They re-
fused to go, and another war was on.
The Modocs retreated to the lava beds,
where they withstood two attacks by
General Wheaton and General Gillem.
The Government then appointed a COM
mission to arrange for settlement. The
commissioners met the Modocs on April
II, 1873, and also their fate, because the
Indians treacherously ambushed them,
killing General Candy and DR.. Thomas
and wounding A. B. Mitchell SO that he
was left on the field for dead. The war
was again renewed. The Modocs desper-
ately resisted the Federal forces, but
were finally starved out and compelled
to surrender. Gen. JEFF Davis court
martialcd Captain Jack. chief, and three
others who planned the massacre of the
commissioners and they were executed
The rest OF the tribe, as prisoners of war,
were transferred to the Indian Territory
and placed on small reservation under
guard in the Quapaw nation. AT the time
of their removal they were told, so they
say, that they would be held prisoners
for twenty-five years and would then be
permitted to return to their old hunting |
ground in California. The twenty-five |
years were up in 1898, but the Modocs. or |
what is left of them, are still east of the !
Rockies, and they are liable to stay. The |
Indian Commissioner has no notion of
sending them back to the coast.
The chief OF the fast vanishing tribe
now is Yellow Hammer. He is strappine
big young Indian. six feet three, and
weighs 2z0 pounds He looks as strong as
an OK but he isn't. He is sick greater
portion Of the time and he hasn't many
years to live. Lung disease is getting away
with him. That is what has killed the
tribe off so rapidly. II seems that all are
afflicted with 1t except one old Indian.
chief Yellow Hammer, who complains Wig
,rously OF the way his tribe is being treat
ID. says they will all soon be dead unless
he big chief" at Washington lets them go
back to California. His tribe has petit
Toned the President to be returned. Re-
emily he visited Kansas City with his
mother. He had good time. In speak
ny of the town, he said: Heap big
own; heap lots of people; heap good
whisky. Had heap good time. Coin back
gain"
What seems most remarkable in the
ace of the rapid manner in which the
dodocs are going to their happy hunt
ne ground" is the fact that there Is
n the tribe an Indian buck 108 years of
ge His name is Sam Boil. He was one
II the original boxers" who first left
he klamath and organized n tribe of
heir own. He still has his "dander up
nd wants to take the warpath again. He
$ as spry as a cat and participates in
III the dances of his and neighboring
ribes
The thirteen surviving bucks are the
ATTEST mortals on top of earth. They
,ould starve in sixty days if 1t were not
or the Government. Even the squaws
,on't work unless driven to II. And the
hildren are all SO badly afflicted with
arious sorts of diseases that they can't
o anything While prisoners of war, the
government allows them considerable
reedom and the only money which they
lake is what they take in by exhibiting
themselves in tent at reunions and
arrivals in southern Kansas towns. Their
how is entitled THE Last of the Mo-
ocs," and the thirteen bucks still living
re the PERFORMERS" The performance
onsists of a couple Of dances, war
hoop, and a request for quarter