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
during the night, to see the body, and Peter proposed praying over the
body, as is customary in Canada; but they objected, saying they did not
wish to pray for him. He did sit up with the body all night, having soon
after gone, first to Urbaine's and then to Lulaire's house, who each
gave him a dram, which he took, saying, "There is no need of drinking
now; they might drink their fill now." He soon afterward went to bed.
He inquired of Martineau, who also lived in the same room, if he had
fired at the deceased. He replied, that he had fired twice. He then
asked him if it was he that had killed him, and he said, "I do not know
if it was me or not." He (Peter) put the same question to several of the
other men whom he saw afterward; they all said that they had not shot
him, and Martineau afterward said that he had not directed his gun at
him, but had fired in the air.
The following morning he asked Antoine Kawanope if he knew who had
killed the deceased. He replied, "I know who killed him, but I am not
going to tell you, or any one else. When the governor comes, I will tell
him." He asked Antoine why he would not tell; he said he was afraid it
might cause more quarrels, and lead to other murders. He then advised
Antoine not to conceal it from him, as he would tell no one. Antoine
then said, he thought it was Urbaine who had done the deed. Peter
observed that Urbaine had no gun. Antoine replied, "I think it was
Urbaine, because as soon as the deceased fell, Urbaine rushed out from
his lurking-place at the corner of the house, where, I was informed by
the people, he always kept his gun secreted, with the intention of
shooting the deceased." Peter says Laperti, Urbaine, and Simon were all
concealed in the corner whence the shot came, and he thinks it to be one
of the three who fired it. Urbaine always denied having committed the
murder, and said, "I am going to the Russian fort for trial, and will
be either banished or hung. I will let the thing go to the end, and will
then inform upon the murderers."
Simon always said that he was never in the corner from whence the shot
was fired, and knew nothing about the matter; but Peter thinks that he
must have been there, as he saw him, as before related, at the corner of
the main house, when he promised to protect Urbaine; and from the
situation of the fort, he must have passed that spot with Urbaine, as
there was no other passage from the place where they had been standing.
Laperti also said he never fired at all. When Peter, as before related,
went upon the gallery after the first firing had ceased, while Mr. John
and Antoine had gone into the house, he saw all the men on the gallery,
except Pripe, Lulaire, and McPherson, and he asked each of them,
respectively, if they were going to shoot the master that night, and
they all answered (as well as himself), they would do so at the first
chance, except Pehou, a Kanaka, who would not consent to the murder.
Smith was then without a gun.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account