The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1905-09-18

short time before, going to Boise
basin, and said he had been working
for McTucker but had disagreement
with him. He was angry and on
meeting with Chief Joseph's band he
joined them. While he was return.
ing to Snake river soon afterwards
he was passing near where he caught
the mare on Big Lost river and picked
up the bell which he had lost out OF
his pocket during his seven days fast
ing. The mare belonged to Sam
Blackburn, the man who had Lyons
dog when he got to Salmon, so they
just exchanged animals. Mr.. Lyons
lost his saddle and horse in the trou-
BILE, escaped from his own dog and
700 Indians, and bears in his bosom a
strong dislike for Chief Joseph be-
cause he promised protection to his
prisoners and then allowed them to
be bullied and murdered. Mr.. Lyons
is the only white survivor of the burn
ing and plundering of Chief Joseph
just to the right of that peak which
stands out on the horizon due north
of you as you sit on the grand stand
at the fair grounds, and he voices the
sentiment of Lew Wilmot who wrote
the following article for the Spokane
Chronicle few weeks ago:
Was the great Chief Joseph hero?
Or was he a coward, a robber and a
murderer?
Lew P. Wilmot, the pioneer scout
of Keller, Wash, has registered a
most picturesque protest against the
plan to build monument to the ia.
nous chief, who heretofore has been
regarded as one of the finest speci-
mems of the noble red man" who ever
lived. Mr.. Wilmot's protest is in part
as follows:
"Chief Joseph was an Indian. This
he could not help and he hated the
whites with that bitter intensity that
is born in the Indian. That Chief Jo-
seph had a good and valid reason for
hating the white race I think is true
because of the treatment he received
from them. But when Chief Joseph
through his cowardly nature failed to
inflict punishment on those who had
wronged him, and came over into our
country and murdered and robbed
men, women and children who had
never wronged him or any other In
dian he placed himself beyond the
pale of sympathy of all fair minded
persons.
'Will Professor Meany tell us why
it was that Chief Joseph had Lew Day |
shot in the back when he was going
to Gen. Howard for assistance, and
why it was that Chief Joseph waylaid |
Ben Norton, wounded Mrs. Norton,
killed Johnny Chamberlain and his six
year old daughter, and took his baby |
girl by the heels and knocked it's head |
against the ground, and caused it to
bite part of it's tongue off, or per-
haps they cut it off-and then ran a
knife down through its neck, between
the jugular vein and the neck bone;
then captured Mrs. Chamberlain, and
subjected her to treatment so inhuman
that it cannot be published?
"Had He Been a Brave Man."
GAS to his bravery, I owe it to his
cowardice that I am now permitted
this effort to do him justice. Had he
UGH VI ave uldA Wouiu NV III" w
here to tell of his butchery. When he
failed to blot us out of existence, after
our little handful of soldiers had
charged through his line like so many
scared sheep, and through the death
If our captain we had been halted in
he prairie, reduced by casualties to
ess than ten men land surrounded by
Ill of his warriors, did he then show
my signs of bravery? Not he.
and when Lieutenant Raines and
| little handful of men went to the
'escue of Blewett, were surrounded at
he foot of Cottonwood hill, and, with
Xix of them cut off, took refuge be.
lind some rocks, where they stood off
he whole of this brave Indians band
Until their ammunition was exhausted
t was then that Chief Joseph showed
lis bravery by walking up to these
gallant United States soldiers and
shooting each ont in the head.