A TRAGEDY ON THE STICKEEN IN '42 129
night; and the woman he kept says he told her "H. (the murderer) wants to kill me." The deceased told the Owhyhees to arm themselves that the whites wanted to murder him that he took one of those he accused of being- leaders in the plot and put him in irons, and that in searching for the two others of the leaders, as he was going round the corner of a house, one of them shot him in the breast, when he fell, and the murderer rushed on him and put his foot on his neck, as I already mentioned and this M., who acted as his assist- ant, is now found to have committed several thefts on the store for which my son punished him and turned him out among the men but took him back again, as perhaps he found he could not do without an assistant, and perhaps he had promised to behave better; and he took him back on account of my having recommended him to the deceased on account of M.'s father, who is a'n old servant and it is now proved that this M. stole spirits the night of the murder and gave a
or bottle of pure spirits to every white man or Iroquois
in the place that while Mr. Dodd was in charge (whom Sir George left there) M. crept twice at night into Mr. Dodd's bedroom, when he was asleep, stole the key of the Fort, which was on a table between two pistols, within reach of Mr. Dodd's hand, opened the gate of the Fort, stole the key of the Indian trader's packet, while asleep, opened the Indian shop, and stole goods. If he could do this while there were two officers at the place, after what had just happened, what may he not have done when there was only one officer at the place, and he (M.) in league with the men as to the ill treatment of which they complain? Why, by their own confession, he was per- fectly justified in punishing them and did no more than what an officer of spirit would do to any under him who in such a situation as they were would act as these men did.
"Another whom Sir George examined, a son of J. H., is accused of having watched part of the night to murder the deceased because he flogged M. for stealing.
"Another of those Sir George examined is a Canadian to whom the deceased had given a kicking for stealing rum.
