We do not know his name: Klatsassin and the Chilcotin War
   
 

Testimony of Morris Moss

British Columbia
To Wit

Before C. Brew one of Her Majesty's justices of the peace for said Colony.

The information of Maurice Moss who being duly sworn and examined states. On the 16th inst. I was at Bella Coola preparing a party of Indians to go in pursuit of Antoine, charged with the murder of Mr. Oglivy when two of the Niconctlen Indians came down the river and said they were sent by Anaheim to give information that he was at Newseult with all his tribe and that Ahan and Lutas (two of the Sutless Indians charged with the murder of Alick McDonald and his men) were with them. The messengers said that Ahan and Lutas were not prisoners but were coming down to buy their pardon from the Whites. I started up the river with 12 Bella Coola Indians in two canoes. About two miles below Newseult we met Anaheim and his men descending the river in a canoe. Anaheim requested me not to arrest Ahan and Lutas till we arrived at the first portage. And accordingly we accompanied his party down till we arrived at [Sennochleinpk?] where we landed. I then informed Ahan and Lutas that they would have to accompany me to New Westminster. Lutas said he was quite willing to come but Ahan said he would not go any farther than where he then was and he became very saucy. I then seized Ahan and the Indians seized him by the arms and bound him with a rope. Lutas was seized at the same time by the Indians and I afterwards bound him also.

The next day I started with the two prisoners in a canoe to deliver them at New Westminster where we arrived on the night of the 29th inst.. Ahan several times began a voluntary confession to me and each time I warned and cautioned him not to tell me anything. I even had him cautioned in his own language but he said he did not care about the caution that he would speak the truth and what he had to say he would say before the Judge. He then stated that Klattassin had threatened to shoot him unless he joined him in the attack. He said that he had with three other Indians fired at McDougald but he could not say whether or not it was his shot killed him — he said also that he was one of the Indians who chased Barny Johnson that after they had run some distance his heart changed and he made the other Indians stop. He said he got his share of the plunder. Lutas who was also cautioned said that he was present at the attack on McDonald's party that he saw Ahan shoot, that he had a gun in his hand but did not shoot himself. He admitted that he got a portion of the plunder. I found on Lutas a knife which once was my property and which I sold to Alick McDonald who was murdered.

Morris Moss

Sworn before me this 31st day of May 1865.

C. Brew

Source: BCA, H.P.P. Crease: Legal Papers 1853-1895, Add. Mss — 54 box 3, file 12, Supreme Court of New Westminster, Testimony of Morris Moss, May 31, 1865, 1601-1603.

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