A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic Information — John Shaqi
A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic InformationGray, W. H. (William Henry)
History
A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic Information
Gray, W. H. (William Henry)
Frontier and pioneer life -- Oregon; Oregon Territory -- History
After he saw them go to Urbaine's house, he proceeded toward his own
room, and he and Antoine called out, "Fire! fire!" The report of several
shots, probably five, immediately followed, and he heard Antoine
exclaiming, "Stop! stop! stop! He is dead now." Antoine afterward
related to Peter, that on reaching Urbaine's house, Mr. John ordered him
to go round by one corner, while he went round by the other, directing
Antoine to shoot any of the Canadians he might meet. Mr. John then
proceeded in a stooping position, looking very intently before him, when
a shot was fired from the corner of the house toward which he was going,
which caused his death, the ball having entered at the upper part of the
breast-bone, a little below the gullet, and come out a little below the
shoulder, having broken the spine in its passage. Peter was also told by
one of the Kanakas, that as soon as Mr. John fell, Urbaine sprung
forward from the corner of the house within a few paces of the body, and
put his foot savagely on his neck, as if to complete the act, should the
ball have failed in causing death. The Kanakas immediately asked Urbaine
who had killed the master. Urbaine replied, "It is none of your business
who has killed him!" Peter, who during this time had removed to his
house, seeing Heron go out without his gun, went out round the body, and
said, "My friend, we have now done what we long intended to do; let us
now carry the body back to the house." Urbaine, Laperti, Bellinger, and
other white men who were present replied, "When we kill a dog, we let
him lie where we kill him." And Antoine told him they had previously
given him the same reply to a similar proposition from him. Peter then
approached the body, and, with one hand under the neck, raised the head
and trunk, when a deep expiration followed, which was the last sign of
animation. He had previously perceived no signs of life, nor did he hear
any one say that any appeared after the deceased fell. The white men
being unwilling to assist him, he carried the body, with the aid of the
Kanakas, into the main house, where he had it stripped, washed clean,
decently dressed, and laid out. In doing so he received no help from any
but the Kanakas. The wounds made by the balls were very large, both
openings being circular, and severally three inches in diameter. The
body bled profusely, there being a deep pool of blood found around it,
which was washed away afterward by the Kanakas. Peter never heard that
he spoke or moved after he fell. There was a perpendicular cut on the
forehead, skin-deep, in a line with the nose, which Peter thinks was
caused by his falling on the barrel of his rifle, though Urbaine said
that he had received it from an Indian with his dog. It was, as Peter
supposes, about eleven o'clock, P.M., when he had done washing and
laying out the body; the watches had not then been changed, therefore he
thinks it could not be midnight. The people continued coming and going
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