[Copies of letter by S.L. McB to the Rev G.L. Deffenbaugh - then reconstructed by Sue McBeth and forwarded to Rev. F.F. Ellinwood]
As far as I can remember the first hasty note to Mr D it ran:
May abt. 25th ’85
‘Peter Lindsley is going far astray, led by Jimmy Lawyer. Peter was summoned to Lapwai a short time before by a lying report of his daughters death at school, was absent about 2 weeks. I do not know with whom, and came back opposed to Robert in time to be present at R’s trial. Before he left for the Spokanes he confessed his fault saying that he had been ‘led astray by lies’ & humbly asking the forgiveness of the Church (voluntarily).
He says he is not going to the Spokanes, but is going to remain here and take charge of the Kamiah Church when Robert is silenced. We have investigated the report against Robert and find nothing but the word of the woman who does not accuse him of sinful act. (The accusation of the woman was that one year before that Robert told her that two years previously while camping one night in the same tent with himself & his wife had had wrong thoughts towards her of which she knew nothing until he himself told her years later. She said ‘tell this’. Jimmy fined Robert $100.00)
S.L. McB
[Copies of letters sent by S.L. McB to the Rev G.L. Deffenbaugh bundled together and mailed to F.F. Ellinwood]
As far as I can remember the first hasty note to Mr D it ran:
May abt. 25th ’85
‘Peter Lindsley is going far astray, led by Jimmy Lawyer. Peter was summoned to Lapwai a short time before by a lying report of his daughters death at school, was absent about 2 weeks. I do not know with whom, and came back opposed to Robert in time to be present at R’s trial. Before he left for the Spokanes he confessed his fault saying that he had been ‘led astray by lies’ & humbly asking the forgiveness of the Church (voluntarily).
He says he is not going to the Spokanes, but is going to remain here and take charge of the Kamiah Church when Robert is silenced. We have investigated the report against Robert and find nothing but the word of the woman who does not accuse him of sinful act. (The accusation of the woman was that one year before that Robert told her that two years previously while camping one night in the same tent with himself & his wife had had wrong thoughts towards her of which she knew nothing until he himself told her years later. She said ‘tell this’. Jimmy fined Robert $100.00)
S.L. McB
Kamiah May 29th 1885
Rev. G.L. Deffenbaugh
Dear brother
I ought not to have written so hastily the other morning, but James came so early for his
check from me, and I scribbled it to send by him, he hurrying me. I remember omitting the
‘they say’ in ‘Peter says &c’ and may have given the impression,
probably, that Peter said so to me, I have seen little of Peter since Pres. He has only
said to me "Watu kizu Spokanes ki kauga – Nahsima kusha" "I will not
go to the Spokanes but once or until I remove there." And again by
‘investigate’ I meant, of course, only of such as fell inside of our providence.
I did not intend to write to Mr D at all knowing from the past the uselessness. But late
the evening before came the word to me, as straight as anything can come these days that
George Hines (of North Fork one of the Judges (jury) in the Robert case) had told over the
river, that Peter had told him the same ‘tisnash’ (paper) that took the
‘silencing’ of Robert (I don’t know to whom ‘would take his (Peters)
name as the one who had been appointed (by Jimmy) to take Roberts place as pastor of the
Kamiah church" and the fear that Peter would be drawn into further hurt – to
himself and the Cause, and disgrace for the Nez Perce Missions prompted me – not
fear for Robert. Poor foolish Peter, another ‘Council’ could easily dispose
of him, when Robert is out of Archies road.
Even the less enlightened of the Kamiah Christians have their eyes opened now to the fact, that the aim of the Lawyers is not simply to get rid of Robert but to ‘Yah tash tatapusa" (extinguish worship) as the express it and Christianity and take the people back into their old state, in order to regain their own old power.
Jimmy & Co are stirring up and troubling the people (those whom they can reach) by telling them that ‘Robert has killed their souls; that he administered spiritual death (damnation) to those who took elements of the Lord’s Supper from his ‘likast’ (defiled)
Hands; that his recievings into the church; his baptisms, his marriages are all null and void; that those he married are not married. And the women are saying to and asking my sister, "In that case what then? Are we to take men ‘laugih’ as in the old (polygamous) times?’
But ‘cui bono’ I did not intend to write all this, only correct any false impression in my hasty note. Perhaps I ought to tell Mr D too that it came to light in the council that there was (in the plot) to be a council again next monday accusing Mary, (Abram Johnsons wife) of ‘pehwit’ (adultry) with Allen’s nephew. Abram tells me, and Mary, my sister, that they have no idea how, or from what the charges will be made. Abram is not troubled save at the shame of having his wife brought into such an assembly, and discussed ‘with soiling words’
This has helped to open the eyes of the people. They see the blow is aimed at the Sunday School (in which Mary is the foremost teacher) as well as at the church through Robert. The rest of the plot linked to the schools (because these two are pupils of Miss McBeth and Miss Kate.’) does not trouble me. If God will only save Peter, and this people, and his own Cause among them is all I ask.
But what good? This is all that I can do in Nez Perce land. And it is my duty to make the effort, even if it should accomplish nothing. May God guide Mr D and give him strength and wisdom and ‘grace sufficient’ prays
S.L. McB"