Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1912-06-13
TRAGEDY
MURDER OF PIONEER RECALLED
BY EXAMINER HATTABAU0H
FACTS NOT seen IN PRINT
Boise Statesman Gives Detailed Ac-
count Of Murder Of. Pierce City
Merchant and Lynching.

The northern part of the state Wed
with the southern part in pioneer days
in genuine wild west desperate en-
counters, vigilante committees and
morning murders. On a few occasions
the northern portion took the palm for
cruelties and blood thirsty affairs. One
of the most atrocious murders in the
history of the territory, followed by
swift western vengeance, occurred in
the little mining town of Pierce City,
which is situated in the southern part
of Shoshone county, in 1885, when D.
M. Frazier was murdered by a group of
six envious Cinnamon, who were in turn
stretched up between two tall pines
within "a hours after the murder, the
affair becoming for time an inter
national episode.
Pierce City was in the early sixties
one of the richest placer mining Sec
tions in the territory. Millions of dol
lars had been mined in and around this
place, which had at one time popula-
tion of 10000 people, but at the time
of this story there were only three or
four white men and about 900 China
men. The Cinnamon had leased vast
amount of the property which had been
mined in the early sixties and were en-
gagged in working it over.
There were two classes of China
men there at that time-one class,
known as the highbinders, and the 9th
er as the workmen or slaves. Mr.. Fra
zier, the man who was murdered, was
operating small general merchandise
store in Pierce City and the laboring
class of Cinnamon were buying their
supplies from him for the reason that
he was selling cheaper than the other
stores operated by Cinnamon. 1t was
for this reason that plot was formed
and an agreement entered into to put
Frazier out of the way, which resulted
in his murder in September, 1885. Il
was brutal affair. The head, face
and body of Mr.. Frazier was literally
cut to pieces with axes, knives and
taken out of the shelves of his
store while he was sleeping in the rear
of the building.
Story of the Murder
|. G. Hattabaugh, state insurance
commissioner, one of the north Idaho
pioneers, a man who has gone through
some Of the most exciting experiences
in the state, tells the story of the muir
der of Frazier in a highly dramatic
manner, he having been one of the
party who were sent to investigate the
affair as soon as word was brought to
Lewiston of the horrible affair. He
says:
In September, 1885, the quiet little
town of Lewiston, Idaho, was thrown
into a fit of excitement on the report
that d. M. Frazier, merchant of
Pierce City, had been horribly MUIR
dered in his store building by China
men. A mass meeting was called and
the good people of Lewiston asked for
volunteers to 60 Immediately to Pierce
City-which was then in Shoshone
county-and endeavor to capture the
culprits. There were supposed to be
about 800 Cinnamon and only three or
four white men then living in Pierce
City.
A company was organized with John
Bymaster, now dead, as captain;
George H. Lake, lieutenant, and Angus
Sutherland as guide. The party, num-
bering about 35 or 40, left Lewiston
ON horseback armed with shotguns,
rifles, revolvers and desire to avenge
the blood Of the murdered man. They
rode go miles the first day through
rain and mud, over mountains and val
leys, arriving at Grears ferry, on the
Clearwater river, now station on the
Northern Pacific branch known a.
Grear. We arrived there about IL p.
m, tired sore and hungry, not having
had any dinner, and but few of the
crowd were accustomed to riding
horseback, therefore we were. sickly
looking bunch of men. Our provision
wagon had left day ahead Of US and
was there with q good, wholesome sup
per prepared for US on our arrival. We
left there next morning and camped at
Duke Wellington ., about 20 miles from
Pierce City. Mr.. Wellington and his
men ON the farm had killed fat hog
and fed us fresh pork, potatoes, cab
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