Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-09-22
D4ILY STORY
THE LAST OF THE INDIAN
HEROlNES.

IOrigiral.1

Ills Is lue true StOIy VI Hh ALAOIdl
woman whose devotion to the white
race some thirty-tive years ago result
ed in sacrifice and heroism.
In 1857, wlen the gold fever was
leading men across, the lava beds lying
between Oregon and California, a
young Kentuckian, an eX-sergeant of
the United States army-Frank Riddle
was among those who trespassed up
on that desolate region. He found
there Winema, an Indian girl, fifteen
years old, who was considered the
most attractive of the Modoc women.
Riddle not only got gold, but he got
Winema for his wife. The young
couple lived in the gold diggings, and
the wife became weaned from her peo-
pie. But she knew that if she showed
This change or love for her husband
to her people they would kill her.
As more gold fields were discovered,
more whites swarmed across the lava
beds, and the Indians began to muir
der them. This melted sthe whites to
revenge, and band OF seventy-five
men went from California to punish
the Indians. After pursuing them for
long while to no purpose they invit-
ed the chiefs to meet them for the pur-
pose of making a treaty. The invita-
ton was accepted, and both parties
went into camp near each other on
Lost river. In the gray of the morn
ing of the proposed conference i young
Modoc Squaw, with clothes torn and
feet bleeding, hurried into the white
camp and asked to see the leader. She
had walked nine miles over Il rough
mountain trail To warn them that ut
the conference they were to he muir
deTed. This she had learned the night
before at the council fire.
The whites, impressed with the
truth Of her story. determined to meet
summing with cunning. Going into AN
bush near the place of meeting, the
Modocs fell into their trap and but two
escaped with their lives. The squaw
who bore the information was Wine
ma. Her people never learned that she
had saved the whites at their expense
or she would have died by torture.
This massacre of Indians brought on
war between the United States
troops and the Modocs. General Can
by commanded the troops, while the
Modocs fought under an Indian called
Captain Jack. Riddle and, other whites
who had married squaws Stroye to eff
feet 4 settlement but failed. Winema
who had done much to prevent the
murder of settlers hy her people. con-
tinued her efforts. but now both she
and her husband began to be suspect
ed OF a preference for the whites. Wi
nema's food was poisoned. and she
was obliged to sleep in secret tplaceS
for f0ar sf being murdered.
Two peace conferences were agreed
upon between the whites and the In
tiiaus. At -the1irst the Indians did not
appear. The second WAS arranged be
tween the commander of the military
post OF the district. Colonel Meacham,
who was doing all i'll his power to
right the wrongs on account Of which
the Indians We're fighting. When he
was about to start TO attend the con
ference Winelna besought him to re
main away. SiEce he would not listen
to her she grasped his bride rein. at
the same time calling upon General
Candy. who was also to attend the
conference, to listen to her. When she
found they would not. she mounted her
pony and rode with them.
What followed filed the country
with horror. The meeting was an In
dian trap and resulted i'll n massacre.
General Candy was murdered. y blood
thirsty Indian. Scouchin, attacked Colo
mel Meacham. Winema threw herself
upon The savage and begged him to
spare her white friends life. Other
indians came MP, and Winema ran
among them, turning their weapons
aside or knocking them upward.
y bullet struck Meacham senseless,
and Il buck ran forward to dispatch
him. The squaw turned the weapon,
crying: Him dead! No use to shootr'
Scouchin tried to scalp Meacham, and
Winema Grasped the knife. Scouchin
struck her. Then she shouted, 1.-The
soldiers are coming" This turned out
to he true, and in another moment a
troop of cavalry dashed among the In
dams. Seeing among the other In
dams 4 squaw, many carbineS were
aimed at her. mo shoot mer she
cried. II tried to save them." Then
Il man in the ranks recognized her and
yelled:
The man who harms her I'll killr'
Such is the story of this woman's
work. BY her first warning she saved
seventy-five white men. Had those
TO whom she gave her second warning
listened to her she would have saved
Il major general and a colonel in the
Emitted States army. The penalty she
ana her husband paid for her fidelity
to the whites only remains to be stat
ed. On the day of the killing of Can
by and Meacham, Riddle, while riding
on horseback over the lava beds, was
shot from an ambush by an Indian /
The three little children of Riddle and
were murdered while Sleep |
ing and the hut burned over them. |
Winema, fleeing at night from her
tribe and Ter family, made her way
across the lava beds to the govern
mpnt most Though ELL and docoInto ir,