Part 57 (2/2)

MEACHAM. ”You can talk yourself. The newspapers say, '_Captain Jack has spoken for his race_; now let extermination be the cry.'”

CAPTAIN JACK. ”I know that the white man has many voices: they tell one side, they do not tell the other.”

MEACHAM. ”Tell the other yourself. You can talk: Now speak for your race.

Tell the other side. The world will read it.”

Fixing his eye on Meacham very intently Captain Jack says, ”Meacham, you talk for me.”

MEACHAM. ”No, Captain Jack, I cannot talk for you. I saw you kill Gen.

Canby. I cannot talk for you. If you had shot me as Schonchin did, I would talk for you. As it is, I cannot. I will not talk for Schonchin; he was all the time in favor of blood.”

SCHONCHIN breaks in, saying, ”I did not kill you; you did not die. I am an old man. I was excited; I did not shoot good. The others all laughed at me; I quit. You shoot me. You don't want me to die. You did not die.”

CAPTAIN JACK. ”I cannot talk with the chains on my legs. My heart is not strong, when the chain is on my leg. You can talk strong. You talk for me.”

An hour later, Meacham is in consultation with his friends, including the army surgeon. There is but one opinion in regard to Meacham offering himself as counsel for the Modocs, aside from the newspaper comments,--that it will cost him his life. He is not sufficiently recovered from the shots of the Lava Bed tragedy of April 11th.

JULY EIGHTH. FOURTH DAY.

Military commission a.s.sembled. Meacham has decided that he _cannot_ appear as _counsel_ for the prisoners.

They are brought into court; proceedings of previous meeting read and approved; H. R. Anderson, lieutenant of Fourth Artillery, duly sworn. His evidence was chiefly in regard to Gen. Canby's relation to the Government, the Army, and the Peace Commission.

_Q._ What command did he hold, if any, at the time of his death?

_A._ Department of the Columbia, and adviser to the peace commission under telegraphic instructions from Was.h.i.+ngton.

_Q._ Was he in receipt of instructions from any source as to the course he was to pursue; was he receiving instructions from time to time? _A._ Yes, sir, from time to time; from commanding General of the Army.

_Q._ What kind of instructions were they? Did you see them yourself? _A._ Yes, sir; generally telegraphic instructions.

_Q._ What was their nature? What did they instruct him to do?

_A._ Instructed him to use his utmost endeavors to bring about a peaceable termination of the trouble.

_Q._ What relation did he hold with the peace commissioners?

_A._ He was ordered down there to consult and advise with them.

_Q._ Do you remember General Canby's initials? _A._ E. R. S.; his full name was Edward Richard Sprigg Canby.

HENRY C. MCELDERY, a.s.sistant surgeon U. S. A., called for prosecution, sworn, testified as follows:--

_Question by judge-advocate._ Did you see the body of General Canby after his decease? _A._ I did, sir; I saw it on the field on the evening of April 11.

_Q._ Was the general dead? _A._ Yes, sir; he was quite dead when I saw him.

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