The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1917-07-20
PIONEER SECTION OF THE RECORDER.
EARLY DAY HISTORY JOHN O. REEFS

ors asked for whiskey. AS Hayden
had a small quantity In = keg from
which the freighters had been using.
he intended gisins II thinking TO sat
isfy them. when Lyons spoke up and
told the Indians whole barrel was
covered nD in the wagon. They de-
manded lnat II be rolled out which
was done. The head OF the barrel
was knocked In and the Indians help
ed themselves TO the whlskey with
tin cups. They soon became hilar-
ious and told the freighters 10 un-
hitch and They would all camp 10
getheF. This they did and after getting
all the teams embarrassed the men
took the horses TO the foot hills Ia
hobble and turn them To grass. They
were now some distance from camp
and evidently made up thair minds
To escape which they endeavored 90
do by making q run fro the brush.
some being on horses and one fellow
on mule. Then Il was that the In.
dians started after them. They shot
the mule and ended the rest aa re
lated. One stranger on horseback
made II about mile from camp be
fore they finally shot him from the
/
that In a conversation afterwards
with some OF the NeE Perces who
were In this massacre. tnat they told
him Il was not their intentions to
kill the freighters until they made
this attempt 20 escape. II rs doubt
/ full IL such would have proven true
for these same Indians had promised
the miners on Horse Prairie, II they
4 - ~
surrender. they would not harm
l them, but after Alex Cooper had Civ
en- himself up on their promise. they
shot him. However, there were
some instances In which theee In.
dians had displayed the utmost good
faith and shown mercy to captors
Chief Joseph was q man OF courage
and integrity but was oftimes follow.
ed and surrounded by Indians whose
only obleca and deire was 10 plundeT
and murder.
Lyons managed to get into the
creek and hid away where they could
not hnd him. however they made q
long and exReting search. During this
night he waded down the stream and
was successful In making hi eacaps
20 Little Lost river where he captur
ed bell mare belonging 10 ONE los
pack train and on which he rode Il
Challis. But his hRrdships and e0
lperiences had demented him and h,
waE looked upon as crazy man. i
seemed he had lost his mind and h.
could tell very little of what had hap
: lpenai The Indians made the China
men cook and keep the fire going
which had to be brilliant in oommem
Oratlon OF the event and arouns
which they performed their hideou
/. war rites. One Indian got astride
= Cinnamon as If they were riding
bronchO and after amusing himsel
r spurs and lashing him with a uuir
e started To cut his throat when anoth
e er Indian interferred and quArre
: ensued between them resulting II
e the life of the chIneman being spar
I ed. After dark. the Cinnamon hay
! ing been sent for brush To rekindl
r the Are. managed 10 escape and wer
J the party To bring the news Of thi
1 massacre 10 Lemhi One of ther
+ was Chinese doctor, at least h
q was called Doc"
The freiRhters had byn klile
: about two days and nights before W
r reached the scene. We al once du
b "A hole where we placed some willow
h on which were laid the corpses an
d covered them over with earth. The
d were afterwards taken up and re-bu
) led In the Salmon cemetery. Will
O we were busy burying the dead job
4 ID. Hays and two other men froi
Lemhi came up and reported that O
= their way over they had seen fires
- Indian graves which they were abb
Il to make out by forcing their ramroc
II into the mounds. where thsp cam
e in contact with the bodies belo1
y These Indians had evidently receive
" the death wounds at the battle Of BI
~ Hole and had been carried along
d the hopes that they might get we
n Before we had finished burylnR n
n dead there collected At the plat
D. about so people who had come fro
a. Salmon.
T. Ito be continneA