No. 165.
Mr. West to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Washington
,
May 1, 1884.
(Received May 2.)
Sir: I have the honor to transmit to you
herewith a certified copy of a report by the committee of the privy
council of Canada, with a copy of a dispatch from the
lieutenant-governor of British Columbia, inclosing a report by the
attorney general of that Province, which I have received from the
Marquis of Lansdowne.
These papers have reference to a case of lynching which has recently
occurred at Sumass, in British Columbia.
It will be seen from the report of the lieutenant-governor that the
Indian prisoner, Lem Tarn, who was the victim of this outrage, was
forcibly rescued from the officers of the law and put to death under
circumstances of great atrocity, and that the persons by whom this
outrage was committed are believed to have entered the territory of
British Columbia from the United States.
The Marquis of Lansdowne has therefore requested me to bring this case to
the notice of the United States Government, in the hope that measures
may be taken for the punishment of the criminals, should it be
ascertained that they entered British Columbia from the United
States.
The Marquis of Lansdowne at the same time expresses his satisfaction at
the readiness manifested by the governor of Washington Territory to
co-operate cordially with the executive of the Province of British
Columbia in endeavoring to bring them to justice.
I have, &c.,
Certified copy of a report of a committee of the
honorable the privy council, approved by his excellency the
Governor-General in council on the 3d
April, 1884.
On a report dated 27th March, 1884, from the minister of justice,
stating that he has had before him a dispatch, dated 7th March
instant, from the lieutenant-governor of British Columbia,
representing that an outrage was committed at Sumass, in New
Westminster district, British Columbia, by persons presumably from
the United States of America, taking an Indian prisoner named Lem
Tarn from lawful custody and hanging him.
The minister recommends that copies of the dispatch, and of the
report of the attorney-general [Page 242] of British Columbia attached thereto, be
transmitted to the British minister at Washington.
The committee respectfully advise that your excellency be moved to
transmit the papers above referred to to Her Majesty’s minister at
Washington accordingly.
JOHN J. McGEE,
Cleric Queen’s Privy Council for
Canada.
Attorney-General’s Office,
Victoria, British Columbia
,
March 6, 1884.
May it please your honor, I have the honor to report to your honor:
- (1)
- That on the 27th February ultimo, William M. Campbell, of
Upper Sumass, New Westminster district, British Columbia,
one of Her Majesty’s justices of the peace, issued a warrant
for the arrest of one Louie Tam, a British Columbian Indian,
charged by Robert C. Beckenridge, an American citizen from
Nooksachk, Washington Territory, with murdering one James
Bell on the 24th February ultimo, at Nooksachk, Washington
Territory.
- (2)
- That the Indian Louie Tam was duly arrested and placed by
Mr. Campbell in the custody of two special constables, to be
conveyed by them to New Westminster for safe-keeping.
- (3)
- That on the night of the 27th February ultimo, while the
prisoner so in custody of the law was at York’s, British
Columbia, a body of armed men (about sixty in number)
wrested him from the constables and carried him away.
- (4)
- That on the morning of the 28th February ultimo the body
of the prisoner was found hanging from a tree, with a rope
around his neck.
- (5)
- That at an inquest held on the body on the 1st of March
instant, the coroner’s jury returned the following verdict:
“That Louie Tam, an Indian, being a prisoner in the hands of
special constables at Sumass, in the Province of British
Columbia, was, on the night of the 27th day of February,
1884, forcibly taken from the said special constables by a
party of men supposed to be from the United States
territory, and by them taken and hanged by the neck until he
was dead, upon a tree about 500 feet north of the boundary
line between British Columbia and the United States of
America, on the telegraph line, being within the territory
of the Province of British Columbia.”
I have, &c.,
ALEX. E. B. DAVIE,
Attorney-General.
Government House, Victoria
,
March 7, 1884.
Sir: On the 2d instant I had the honor of
telegraphing to you to the effect that on the night of the 27th
ultimo a body of men from the neighboring Washington Territory of
the United States had crossed the boundary line between that country
and British Columbia, and at a place called “York’s,” at Sumass, in
New Westminster district, had taken from the custody of the law an
Indian named Lem Tam, who was charged with the murder of one James
Bell, at Nooksachk, Wash., and had assassinated him by hanging.
I have allowed a few days to elapse before writing on the subject, in
the hope of having some definite information to forward as to the
identity of some of those who committed this unparalleled outrage,
but I regret to say that up to the present time we have been unable,
with our best endeavors, to fasten the crime on any one or any
number of persons.
Immediately on the receipt of the first intelligence of what had
occurred, the superintendent of police was dispatched to Sumass, and
under his direction an inquest was held on the body of the Indian,
when the following verdict was found: “That Louie Tam, an Indian,
being a prisoner in the hands of special constables at Sumass, in
the Province of British Columbia, was, on the night of the 27th day
of February, 1884, forcibly taken from the said special constables
by a party of men supposed to be from the United States territory,
and by them taken and hanged by the neck until he was dead, upon a
tree about 500 feet north of the boundary line between British
Columbia and the United States of America, on the telegraph line,
being within the Province of British Columbia.”
I regret to learn that there was an evident disinclination on the
part of the jury to fix the guilt of the act committed on any
parties, and that they even insist in their verdict that the party
of men were “supposed to be from the United
States territory,” when there could apparently be no doubt as to
whence they came.
A report is current that it is now thought that the unfortunate
Indian had nothing [Page 243] to do
with the murder of Bell, but that the man from Washington Territory
who first tried to fix the guilt upon him was himself implicated;
and, further, that Robert C. Beckenridge, who laid the information
against the Indian, was the person who headed the mob that
subsequently seized and hung him.
I inclose herewith a copy of the report of my attorney-general to
myself on the subject. Immediately that the fact of the committal of
the outrage became known to me, I caused the governor of Washington
Territory, Mr. Newell, to be communicated with, and also the
prosecuting attorney for the district from which the body of men
came. Both gentlemen at once expressed their readiness to do what
they could towards the investigation of the matter, and promised
that their police should assist in every way, but I have but little
hope of being able to bring it home to any persons.
The men engaged in the outrage were all disguised and the deed was
done at night. A case of “lynching” has never before occurred in
British Columbia. The people have always felt that justice should
follow the usual course, and the fact is that justice has always
been promptly and fairly dealt out to those charged with crime. It
is therefore not to be wondered at that there is popular indignation
felt and expressed at what has occurred, and although in one sense
it is satisfactory to feel that the outrage was not committed by
British subjects, yet, on the other hand, it is intolerable that
foreigners should have dared to cross the boundary to commit it, and
that the probability is that the offenders will escape
punishment.
I shall not fail to exert all efforts to obtain further evidence and
information, and while I do not presume to offer any observations as
to the course to be pursued by the Government of the Dominion, yet I
may express my confidence that that Government will pay all due
attention to so grave a matter, and make such representations upon
it to the Government of the United States as the circumstances of
the case require.
I have, &c.,
CLEMENT F. CORNWALL,
Lieut.-Governor
