An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 40

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate publishing company
Number of Pages: 1146

USA > Washington > Kittitas County > An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 40
USA > Washington > Yakima County > An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 40
USA > Washington > Klickitat County > An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 40

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mr. Perkins was a successful stock raiser about thirty-five years old at the time of his sad fate. He had come to the country with his brothers and settled on the Wenas several years before, and had been married the year previous. His wife, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bunting, was much younger than he. Early in the summer Mr. and Mrs. Perkins, in company with Harry Burbanks, his son, Walter, his nephew, Albert Burbanks, and John M. Edwards, had made a trip into the Spokane country in quest of range. Before the first of July they were back to White Bluffs, on the Columbia river, where the married couple separated from their companions, going to their cabin ten miles below. The rest of the company came on to Yakima City. A few days later, when startling reports of invading hostiles reached the people of the valley, the elder Burbanks sent Walter and his cousin, Albert, over to the Columbia river slope to gather up his horses, lest they fall into the hands of Indians. The young men proceeded on their way without adventure until they reached Big Willows, now known as the hog ranch. There, however, they encountered eight Indians, who attacked them fiercely, forcing them to re- treat hastily. Before they could get out of range, Walter's coat and vest were punctured by a bul- let. For more than four miles the Indians fol- lowed him closely, firing occasionally, but with- out success. At length he escaped through the superior speed and endurance of his horse. His companion escaped, not only the rifles of the attacking party but a stern chase, by leaping his horse over a precipice, and remaining off the road for a distance. He at length rejoined his cousin

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and both returned to Yakima City, where the relation of their experience caused not a little excitement. Walter Burbanks returned at once to the scene with William Splawn, Edward Lind- sey, John M. Edwards and two or three others to reconnoiter and bring in whatever stock they could find. They discovered the desired band of horses, but no Indians.

About this time the inquiry was made of a number of stockmen who visited Yakima City from the White Bluffs country concerning the Perkins couple. The men stated that Perkins and his wife had left for Yakima City several days before, and one of their number, a man named King, said he had ferried them across the Columbia at White Bluffs July 9th. Agent Wil- bur sought to calm the fears of relatives by reporting to them the statement of Indians that the missing people were safe at Wallula, but the Indian reports were not considered worthy of full confidence, and, no word coming from trustworthy sources, John McAllister, uncle of Mrs. Perkins, and Adam Duncan made a trip to White Bluffs to investigate. They found no traces. Another trip was made by the same persons for the same purpose, and this time, at Rattlesnake springs, a piece of quilt and a broken dish, which were subsequently identified by friends as the property of the missing couple, were unearthed. Rev. J. H. Wilbur, agent in charge of the Yakima reservation, was now appealed to for Indian scouts, and he sent three, Stick Joe, Joe Ennius and a California Indian known as Dick. These, with six white men, namely, John M. Edwards, Andrew J. Chambers, John Splawn, J. H. Con- rad, Adamı Duncan and John McAllister, pro- ceeded direct to Rattlesnake springs, thirty-eight miles east of Yakima City, where they engaged in a diligent search. Clues to the missing were soon discovered, and in due time the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Perkins were found by Stick Joe in the bottom of a shallow ravine a mile below the upper springs. A heavy flood had passed down this draw at some time, creating a washout several yards in width. The rushing waters had been separated at one point in their career into two streams, which, reuniting lower down, had formed a miniature island. On one side of this island the body of Perkins was interred, and on the other that of his wife, both being covered with rocks and cobble stones. The remains of the unfor- tunate lady gave strong evidence that her spirit had not yet deserted its prison house of clay when she was laid to rest, for one knee protruded through the rocks as if raised in spite of the heavy burden upon it, while one arm was thrust outward and above her head. It was impossible to exam- ine the corpses with much minuteness, as decom- position was in an advanced stage, but it was observed that the clothing of the man had been pierced by many bullets.

Such parts of the story of the unfortunate

affair as could not be learned by observation were disclosed later by the confession and state's evi- dence of Moosetonic, one of the Indian miscreants responsible for the awful deed. Unfortunately, the court records of the trial were destroyed by fire, and no printed reports of the celebrated case are at hand, if any exist, but the facts disclosed by the testimony as nearly as can be recalled by those who followed the case closely at the time are as follows:

The Indians who perpetrated the foul crime numbered seven in all. Wyanticat, their leader, together with Salusakin, Tewowney, Moosetonic, Tommy Hop-Towne and Chuck Chuck, belonged on the Yakima reservation; the seventh, named Kipe, lived on the Columbia, near The Dalles. They had joined the hostile Bannock and Piute hordes south of the Columbia, had been among the number who attempted to effect a crossing at Long Island, but had been prevented from so doing by the forces under Howard and Ferry ; had later separated themselves from their confreres and crossed to the north side of the river, despite the vigilance of the armed boats, and were on their way northward to join Moses when they met Perkins and his wife. Both the doomed pair and the murderers camped that fatal day at Rattlesnake springs. Disappointed that they had been foiled in their military plans and burn- ing with hatred toward the superior race, the Indians resolved to get what revenge they could by attacking the two non-combatants in their power. First, however, they desired to learn whether or not they were armed, so two of their number, of whom the leader was one, came up to the Perkins camp and requested food. Mr. Per-

kins gave them nearly all he had, saying the necessity of the Indians was greater than that of himself and wife, and that anyway the distance to Yakima City, where plenty could be obtained, . was not great.

This evidence of good-will toward them and solicitude for their comfort would surely have touched a tender spot in the hearts of the savages, had there been any there to touch, but with a malevolence and hate which nothing but blood could appease, the dastardly Wyanticat threw aside his mask of friendship and drew his gun. Tommy Hop-Towne did likewise. Mrs. Perkins began pleading for mercy, while her husband addressed himself to the task of saddling up. Prayers and tears were as unavailing as charity had been. Mr. Perkins received a shot which crippled him, but managed, nevertheless, to get his wife and himself on the horses. Then began the race for life. A second shot took effect on the body of Mr. Perkins, inflicting a mortal wound, and, of course, putting escape for him out of the question. . Time had not been given to saddle the horse on which Mrs. Perkins was mounted, but she was an excellent rider and could guide her animal accurately by the tethering

CHIEF MOSES.

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rope. Escape by the road was cut off by Moose- tonic, so she was forced to take to the sage brush. She rode a horse abundantly capable of distancing the fleetest of the Indian ponies, and might have got away safely were it not for an accident. Though a deep, wide draw lay in front of her, she shrank not from the dangerous leap. The horse, however, instead of gathering his forces for the jump, hesitated, thereby losing the momentum necessary to carry him safely over. As a result, he fell short of the opposite bank, threw his rider and crippled her. The Indians came up, forced her back to her expiring hus- band, and, notwithstanding her pleadings and the offer of all that she and her husband possessed as a ransom for their lives, put an end to the earthly career of both. There is some doubt as to how Mrs. Perkins came to her death. Her mother, Mrs. Cheney, formerly Mrs. Bunting, claims that she was shot, but some of those who found the bodies think she was stunned in some way and buried even before the light of her life had gone out.

During the summer and fall every effort was made to find the murderers, but the most definite information that could be obtained was that they had joined Chief Moses, who was himself giving trouble to the authorities by refusing to go with his followers upon the Yakima reservation. Both he and Smohollah, the dreamer, were thought to have been implicated, directly or indirectly, in the Perkins affair. At this time John M. Edwards and an Indian boy named Jim Nelson were engaged in herding and looking after William Splawn's cattle on the east side of the Columbia. One day an Indian known as Warnateer came to Mr. Edwards and told him the murderers so much desired by the citizens were at White Bluffs, engaged in a great gambling game. "If you will go with me," said he, "I will point out the guilty ones by moving around the circle and extending my foot towards each of them in succession." Edwards decided to accompany Warnateer, despite the risk involved, so he and his dusky companion crossed the river together and walked boldly into the midst of the gamblers. Warnateer kept his word, and Edwards noted carefully the fea- tures of the seven men indicated, who, being in blissful ignorance of the significance of the visit their band had received, continued in play all night long.

Mr. Edwards returned to the eastern side of the Columbia, crossing at the Indian camp and going some distance in the direction in which his Indian boy, Jim, was. This he did to disarm suspicion, for his real intention was to proceed alone to Yakima City and arouse the people there to a pursuit of the murderers. He accord- ingly made a detour back to the river, hunted up a rickety canoe, recrossed to the west side at great risk, for his craft was badly disabled, secured a mount and rode rapidly up the valley. Arriving

at Yakima City, he communicated to William Splawn the information he had gained. The call for a party of volunteers to go out and bring in the Indian murderers went forth at once, but for some reason it did not meet with a hearty response. Finally, Splawn, Edwards and a man named Denny started for White Bluffs, intending to make the arrest themselves if opportunity offered, otherwise to turn their attention to their cattle on the range. Upon arriving at the Indian camping place, they found their birds had flown, but the adventure of Mr. Edwards and such information as had been gained by the subse- quent expedition were communicated to the officers at the agency.

About December Ist, Agent Wilbur sent an invitation to Chief Moses, requesting that worthy to meet him in Yakima City for the purpose of holding a friendly council. Moses accepted, and appeared at the appointed time. An anxious crowd, large enough to thoroughly pack old Cen- tennial hall, congregated to hear what the dreaded chieftain might have to say. Father Wilbur opened the council with an address in which he dwelt upon the wrong committed when one man takes the life of another. Coming to the Perkins murder, he said Moses was chief over the tribe whose members committed the deed, and could, if he would, assist in the capture. When called upon for a speech, Moses stepped forward. He was attired "in a long coat, Prince Albert style, black trousers, buckskin leggings, wore a white handerchief about his neck and a wide- brimmed Spanish hat." For two or three hours he talked, dwelling considerably upon his own greatness, denying complicity in the murders and finally agreeing to assist in capturing the mur- derers.

It was arranged that Moses should proceed to a point ten miles above the head of Priest rapids, on the Columbia river, that later the whites should rejoin him there in sufficient force and that both should proceed together to the camp of the Indi- ans wanted by the civil authorities.

Accordingly, thirty determined white men and as many Yakima Indian police, the latter under the leadership of Captain Ennius, organ- ized and set out upon this unpleasant and dan- gerous mission. The party was in the nature of a posse, as Deputy Sheriff John Splawn car- ried warrants for the arrest of the Indian sus- pects. Contrary to the original design, the combined white and Indian force proceeded direct to Priest rapids, doing so on the advice of Ennius, who was fearful lest Moses might be meditating treachery. At Priest rapids, the whites held a military election, which resulted in the choice of William Splawn as captain, and George Taylor as lieutenant. What caused Ennius to be so suspicious is unknown, but he was unremitting in his warnings to Captain Splawn to guard against treachery, and the

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latter was inclined to pay good heed to his advice, believing that an Indian was best quali- fied to understand an Indian.

The party had been on the east side of the Columbia about an hour when Ennius started on a reconnoissance toward the supposed position of Chief Moses. Presently the scout reappeared in an excited frame of mind, and advised Captain Splawn to prepare for action forthwith, as he had seen Moses approaching rapidly with a hundred

warriors. Immediately the order was given to take a position behind some driftwood near the shore, but the men, not being trained to execute movements with military precision, fumbled around some, and when Moses appeared a short distance from camp were in anything but readi- ness for a charge. Seeing that time must be gained at all hazards, Captain Splawn mounted his horse rapidly and rode forward to meet the oncoming chieftain.

According to the reports of eye-witnesses, the scene presented by Moses and his warriors was one of entrancing picturesqueness. As the hun- dred dusky riders swept rapidly across the plains in full martial array with Chief Moses and In- meseka Bill in the lead, the whites failed not to notice the perfect order of their wild, swift move- ments or their gay array of savage war toggery. Though the air was crisp and frosty, they were clad in the garb that nature gave them, with no additions thereto save moccasins for the feet and small breech-clouts for their loins. Some also wore feathered hoods, some nothing but plumage stuck in their heavy black hair, while most had smeared their heads fantastically with a peculiar blue clay. All were in full war paint and fully armed.

No awful war whoop rent the air as they ap- proached. Silently, except for the measured hoof- beats, they bore down upon the solitary white man a few hundred feet from his command. He sat quietly awaiting them. Soon he found him- self in an awkward position between the two Indi- an leaders, but putting on a bold front, he, revolver in hand, hailed the chief in an authoritative tone, demanding the reason for his approach in such a

hostile manner. . Moses replied that he did so "just for fun ;" that he always approached Howard in that way. Captain Splawn reminded the chief- tain that he had promised to send ten guides with the whites to ferret out the Perkins murderers and asked if he thought it in keeping with the spirit of that agreement to meet the whites with a hundred warriors prepared for battle at a moment's notice. "We have come for the mur- derers," said he, "and do not desire war with the Columbia river tribes, but if you wish to fight, all you have to do is to open the attack."

Moses turned in his saddle and uttered a word in his native tongue. Instantly the warriors executed a well-ordered movement which placed them two columns deep in a line directly facing

the whites. At the same time a score of Indian weapons went to the shoulders of their owners. The whites and reservation police, who had by this time formed in some kind of order, also lev- eled their guns.

Thus the flower of the Columbia river warriors stood facing the handful of pioneers. The Indian gleam of hatred and defiance was answered by the unflinching, calm gaze of a band of men picked for their acknowledged courage and iron resolution. The situation was indeed a critical one. A single spasmodic movement of any one of the many fingers which that moment touched the triggers of as. many rifles, and a battery of suppressed race hatred would have gone off in one tremendous, death-dealing explosion. But the self-control of both white and Indian was equal to the strain to which it was subjected, and the key to the situation was left in possession of the two leaders.

Once again Captain Splawn spoke. "Moses," said he, "if you want to fight, cut loose. For you and me there can be but one result-death. We'll die. If you don't want to fight, pull your men off." Truly, the famed chieftain of the Col- umbia had the gauntlet at his feet, while at his back was a force sufficient to justify his picking it up had he felt so disposed. Instead, however, he gave a word of command which placed his warriors in marching order, then without formal leave-taking, advanced with his sub-chief to a position in front of the column and rode away to the eastward.

After the departure of Moses, Splawn ordered his command to the saddle and pushed on down the river to Smohollah's camp, twelve miles below. Arriving there early in the evening, the whites surrounded the seventy-five or eighty lodges constituting the village and sent in a searching squad to look for the murderers. The quest proved vain. Sinohollah and his warriors had joined Moses, leaving none in the encamp- ment but the women, children and old men. The squad, however, gained the information that Moses was camped among the rocks at the mouth of Crab creek. Next day Splawn's company came to a halt at White Bluffs, whence they sent George Goodwin back to Yakima City for rein- forcements. In three days he was again on the river with some fifty or sixty recruits, also addi- tional supplies. Leaving a force to protect the boats and baggage, Captain Splawn set out with the rest of the citizens and Indian allies for a search of the interior country. As Crab creek is the principal stream in the immediate neighbor- hood of the bluffs, and as Moses was upon its banks according to last reports, it was natural that it should be first explored.

The company had not proceeded far when it fell in with Dorsey Schnebly, of Ellensburg, and a small company of men. Mr. Schnebly had been elected sheriff during the fall of 1878 and was, of

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course, notified of the Moses meeting in Yakima and of the arrangement entered into there by which the chieftain was to co-operate with the whites and agency police in an effort to capture the murderers. As requested, the sheriff col- lected a small company and proceeded to Moses' camp on the Columbia near Crab creek. Those with him were Charles Kenneth, Charles Schneb- ly, Charles B. Reed, John Catlin and Willie Baker. The last named, who was only a boy, re- turned home as soon as they reached the Columbia, while Schnebly, Reed and Catlin crossed over and entered the camp of Moses. The chief received them in an apathetic manner, told them of his meeting with Splawn and that he had frightened the Yakima party so thoroughly that they had crossed the Columbia and gone home, and advised them against going any farther without an Indian escort. When Schnebly refused the proffered guard, Moses said that he could render him no further assistance than to put him over the Col- umbia again. This the Indian canoemen did. Schnebly and party then proceeded down the river to Nick McCoy's ferry, crossed the river there and proceeded thence to Crab creek, camping where the White Bluffs road crosses that stream. By reconnoitering, Schnebly and Catlin found a trail which they followed five or six miles. They then turned back to camp, however, as they had become apprehensive of an ambuscade. At dark the party decided to go to White Bluffs and find out whether or not the Yakima men had returned, as Moses said. About ten o'clock they met and joined Splawn's company, and from that time on they shared its adventures.

Meanwhile, a scouting detachment had ascend- ed to the summit of the divide between Crab creek and the Columbia river, and had thence descried a fire near the upper crossing of the creek. Be- lieving this to be in the camp of the murderers. who were supposed to be dressing a beef, the entire party approached the spot rapidly, but with great caution. A little before reaching the scene the company separated into two divisions, one of which was led by Captain Splawn, the other by Lieutenant Taylor. The former dashed in above the encampment, while the latter threw his force below, so as to cut off retreat. Great was the surprise of the besiegers when they heard the familiar voice of Chief Moses calling to them not to shoot. Immediately Splawn ordered his men to make no attack, but to surround the camp; which done, Moses and the nine or ten warriors with him were quickly disarmed. It is stated that some of the whites were so furious that it was with difficulty they restrained themselves from ending the life of the wily chieftain. Moses offered as an explanation of his presence so far away from camp that he was searching for the volunteers with intent to join them. He also stated that he had located the murderers and was willing to guide the whites to them.

About daylight, the party started for Crab creek, and by seven o'clock they reached a de- serted camping ground. Thereupon, according to Captain Splawn's statement, Moses suggested that it would be well for himself and Splawn to make a preliminary reconnoissance, that the exact location of the murderers might be ascer- tained before a general assault should be at- tempted. Accordingly, the two men, accompa- nied by Indian Jim, went out on a scouting expedi- tion. They found by the trail made in the fresh snow (for there had been a light snowfall during the night) that the fugitives had gone away to the northward. Some of those who were present fail to remember this reconnoissance of Moses and Splawn and contend that Moses, after his cap- ture, never left the main body of volunteers and police, but it is possible that the two men and their Indian companion may have slipped out while the rest of the men were busy preparing breakfast.

Upon returning to camp, Splawn communi- cated to Ennius the information he had obtained on his reconnoissance. He found his Indian ally as suspicious of Moses as ever, and firm in the belief that the men who had left the smouldering camp fire and made the track were acting as a decoy to lead the whites into a trap; indeed, he was so certain of this that he threatened to with- draw his entire force, should Splawn carry out his determination to follow the trail. Moses' actions had certainly been such as to furnish grounds for suspicion, and the white leader, thinking that one Indian's views regarding the intentions of another were worthy of due consider- ation, determined to change his plan of action somewhat. So, instead of taking up the trail with all his force, he sent several of Moses' men in pursuit, holding Moses himself as a hostage for their correct behavior. The pursuers acted in good faith, overtaking the fugitives fifty miles up the Columbia, capturing one and pressing the other so hard that he had to kill himself to avoid being taken. The name of their captive was Tommy Hop-Towne and of the suicide Chuck Chuck.

Meanwhile the volunteers and agency police liad returned to White Bluffs. There they found Moosetonic, who surrendered himself to them, realizing that he could not hope to permanently retain his freedom and that he might as well give up the effort first as last. At this point, also. they received a request from Agent Wilbur that they assist in putting all the Columbia river tribes, except Moses' Indians, upon the reserva- tion. To this they assented, so that several days were devoted to ranging the shores of the river and sending the scattered bands to the home the government had provided for them. A portion of the command under Lieutenant Taylor had been sent to Yakima City with the prisoners, and these on returning reported that the reservation

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police had captured the remaining members of the murderous band, or part of them, so the vol- unteers, their mission accomplished, returned to their homes after a lively campaign of two weeks' duration.

The Yakima people, alarmed at Chief Moses' hostile attitude, had despatched a runner for aid to Goldendale, where was stationed the only mili- tia company in the territory at that time. When the country was threatened by the Bannock and Piute Indians, this company had been organized and armed for home defense, with Enoch W. Pike as its captain, George Latimer its first lieutenant, and C. J. Google its second lieutenant. It had on its muster roll sixty-six names. The messenger arrived on Christmas eve and reported immedi- ately to R. O. Dunbar, who in turn referred him to Captain Pike. The captain issued an immedi- ate call to his company, and that very day as many of them as could be gathered together set out to the assistance of their neighboring county. Many of the men were unable to procure horses on such short notice, so they loaded their saddles on the supply wagons and set out on foot. Arriv- ing at the Yakima reservation, they appropriated as many horses as were necessary to mount the command and pushed with all possible speed to the assistance of Captain Splawn.

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An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 40

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1904 Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate publishing company Number of Pages: 1146

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate publishing company
Number of Pages: 1146