A Tragic Spree at Nespelem
The nephew of Chief Moses, believed to be the heir to his influence, commits a fatal act of violence following a day of drinking.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Jack O-Sack-Em, nephew of Chief Moses of the Nespelem Indians on the Colville reservation, clubbed and kicked his brother Sam to death last Monday evening. He knocked him down, choked him and beat his brains out with a rock. The killing occurred about four miles above the government mill on the Nespelem river. An official on the ground stated the brothers had been drinking, and following a quarrel over a horse race or trading, the brother was killed. Jack later notified officials that he had killed his brother the night before, claiming to have no recollection of the deed due to intoxication. Jack was once looked upon as heir to Chief Moses' throne, but this will doubtlessly overthrow his ambition.
“Chief Moses is very sick at heart over the affair. He was so sick at heart that he refused to attend the funeral.”
This report highlights the devastating impact of unregulated alcohol access and intra-community violence in Indigenous territories during the late 19th century. Today, the Nespelem area remains a heart of the Colville Reservation, carrying the complex legacy of leadership transitions and the lasting scars of colonial-era social instability.
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