The capture of Almighty Voice

    

            Almighty Voice, a Swampy Cree mentioned in my novel “Cattle Business” was born in Duck Lake, District of Saskatchewan, North West Territories in 1875. In the autumn of 1895 he married a young woman from a neighbouring reserve. During the preparations for that event he discovered a cow wandering on the prairie which he butchered to feed his guests.

            Ownership of the cow is a question that can not be answered at the date of this writing. It has been said that it was loaned to the reserve for breeding purposes and was the property of the Canadian government. It has also been claimed as the property of a neighbouring ranch and had wandered onto the reserve. The one thing that is certain is that it did not belong to Almighty Voice, or as the white man had recorded his identity, Jean Baptiste. On October 22, 1895 he was arrested for butchering that cow.

            During his transport to NWM Police cells one of the officers, demonstrating that stupidity and poor taste are not confined to any particular time joked that the penalty for killing a cow was hanging. Later that very evening, during shift change at the Duck Lake jail, Almighty Voice walked off into the night. Undoubtedly he thought a penalty for escape was better than hanging for cattle theft.

            It is known that he went, that night at least, to his mother’s house but he did not stay there very long. He went from there to the John Smith reserve at Fort a La Corne and picked up his wife.

            Following a week of freedom the camp of Almighty Voice and his wife was discovered by Sergeant Colin Colebrook and his Métis guide/interpreter François Dumont. The Sergeant, sure of the protection inherent in his position as a policeman rode boldly into the camp demanding that Jean Baptiste surrender.

            Dumont translated the order.

            Almighty Voice raised his rifle, pointed it at the Sergeant and said, "Leave us. I must kill you if you don't turn back."

            Dumont translated the order in English for the Sergeant and added, "He's serious."

            Sergeant Colebrook continued his approach, although he did put his hand on his revolver.

            Almighty Voice repeated his demand.

            Sergeant Colebrook continued.

            Dumont translated again and repeated his warning.

            Almighty Voice fired killing the Sergeant with a bullet in his heart and driving him from the saddle.

            Dumont urged his horse out of the area as fast as possible.

            News of the Mounties death spread across the Territory. Within the NWMP force the news was followed by a demand for immediate action. Fewer than a thousand police officers trying to maintain order in an area larger than many continents with a population of a few hundred thousands can not afford to have their authority questioned. A $500.00 reward (more than $13,000.00 in 2010) was offered for the capture of Almighty Voice.

            Despite the best efforts of the Mounted Police it was 19 months before Almighty Voice was found and then it was because a civilian saw three Cree butchering another cow. It was later determined that the three rustlers were Almighty Voice, and his relatives, Going-up-to-the-sky and Tupean.

            On May 27, 1897 the owner of the butchered cow, Napoleon Venne and Mounted Police Corporal William Bowridge approached the beef carcass. In a nearby grove (locally called a "bluff" at that time) of willows and poplars they saw two men. However, when they tried to approach the men they were fired upon and Venne was hit. When they turned their mounts and attempted to flee the area another bullet drove the hat from Venne's head.

            Bowridge sent for back-up. On May 28^th the grove of trees was surrounded by a posse of Mounties and civilians lead by Assistant Commissioner John B. Allen, "Bronco Jack" to his friends.

            Several attempts where made to approach the concealed outlaws. Two sweeps through the trees where made. The result of these several offensive probes was the serious wounding of Sergeant Charles Raven and Assistant Commissioner Allen.

            Corporal Charles H. Hockin was now in command.

            Hockin attempted to smoke the fugitives from the trees, but the wet, green growth of spring didn't do much to help their efforts. However, they had spent so much time trying to light a fire that now dark was approaching. With the need to transport wounded back for treatment the Corporal's posse had been reduced in size and he was afraid the fugitives would slip away in the night.

            Corporal Hockin called for another assault. Nine men entered the trees on foot.

            The trouble was that they found the fugitives.

            Six men retreated carrying three. The dead where Batoche post master Ernest Grundy and Mounted Police Constable John Kerr. Corporal Hockin was mortally wounded and died a few hours later.

            Assistant Commissioner John McIllree and twenty four Mounties arrived on the scene. With them they dragged two cannon, a seven pounder from Prince Albert and a nine pounder from Regina.

            From late afternoon on May 29^th to mid morning of May 30^th the trees where bombarded.

            The bodies of the fugitives where found in a pit they had dug.

            One civilian and four Mounted Policemen had been killed. One civilian and two Mounties had been wounded.

            The Almighty Voice story reached a conclusion that was a success for no one.

            During the many months of the Almighty Voice case there had been a strong feeling within the NWM Police and within some government circles that it might lead to a general uprising such as had taken place in 1885.

 

        

         

         

 

Murder of a Policeman

When he arrived on Vancouver
Island in 1858 he was known as Charlie Brown. Due to his
proclivity for so called easy money he soon came to the attention of the newly
formed British Columbia Colonial Police and Victoria Municipal Police. However,
with a gold rush breaking out in some area of the colony almost every year, law
enforcement was hard pressed due to the constant influx of gold seekers. Due to
the lack of manpower and time as well as the insipidness of his name, little is
known about Charlie’s earlier history except that he may have been in California
and Oregon Territory.
Once in the British colony,
however, it was obvious Charlie’s search for gold would not include digging or
washing for it. He was caught on several occasions selling grain alcohol to
Indians. Following one of those occasions, while awaiting trial, he was
attacked by another arrestee, a Haida Indian to whom he had sold a barrel of
sea water as whiskey.
Mr. Brown’s last extended stay in
Victoria’s Bastion Street Jail began some time in 1875 with a one year sentence
for, once again, selling alcohol without a permit and selling alcohol to
Indians. He refused to work and was placed in solitary on bread and water.
One afternoon another Charlie,
jailer Charles B. Wright came to move Brown to a new cell. Mr. Brown threatened
to kill Wright if he tried. During the ensuing struggle Brown managed to put
Wright in a headlock. The jailer (they were armed in those days) drew his
revolver and put it up to Mr. Brown threatening to “blow his head off.” When
Brown increased the pressure, Wright pulled the trigger.
Charles Wright did not manage to
blow Charlie Brown’s head off as he had predicted. He did manage to blow his
ear off, however, thus creating “One Eared Charlie Brown” who, though he lost
an ear, gained another year to his sentence.
It has been stated, with great
justification, that “One Ear” Charlie Brown, “Hospital” Hall, and “Sebastopol”
Jones and their distribution of alcohol were the greatest reason for the
disappearance of the Songhees Indians.
Having served a good portion of
his sentence One Ear Charlie became “ill” and was transferred to hospital. He
suddenly improved dramatically, escaped and left the colony. Victory lawmen
didn’t look too hard for, as one said, “If he has left the island its good
riddance.” One Ear Charlie became a problem for US lawmen. However, he would
return to the colony in the spring of 1867 for a short time. After that short
stay he would return very briefly to the US
and then be a problem for no one.

In 1866 there was another gold
rush in the Kootenay Country, centred on a town called Wild Horse Creek.
Following some serious turbulent times the town and the Kootenay area were
being policed by four BC Colonial Constables, William Young, James Normensall,
John Carrington and a rookie, Jack Lawson. The young rookie was very popular
with the Kootenay miners.
In the spring of 1867 One Ear
Charlie Brown showed up in Oregon Territory
at Kootenay Trading Post. He stole two horses and rode north into the BC
colony.
The brothers who owned the
horses, Dutch homesteaders, rode north after their property and, having
determined the proper trail, rode on to Wild Horse Creek in search of a lawman.
Upon arrival they found that all officers were out on patrol except for the
rookie, Jack Lawson.
The Constable and the two horse
owners rode south, eventually approaching One Ear on the trail. Jack had the
brothers wait while he closed on the horse thief.
Having identified himself, Jack
inquired as to the ownership of the horses where upon One Ear made a move with
one hand toward the inside of his shirt. Jack drew his Colt and demanded One
Ear freeze but then made the mistake of diverting his attention to the brothers
behind him on the trail.
Perhaps he was concerned for the
brother’s safety or intended to call them forward to identify the horses. Maybe
it was a young man’s belief of invincibility or a disbelief in old men’s
stories of gunfights. Whatever the reason for Constable Lawson’s distracted
attention it allowed One Ear the opportunity to draw his revolver and shoot
Jack in the head.
The brothers fled back to Wild
Horse Creek for more help.
Jack Lawson fell dead from his
horse.
One Ear dismounted, dropped his
Manhattan Revolver (probably a .36 or “Navy Model” but it could have been a .31
pocket model) on the ground and picked up Jack’s relatively new Colt. (The 1860
Model Army was issued to BC officers.)
On their arrival in Wild Horse
Creek the two horse ranchers discovered the other three policemen still hadn’t
returned. They told their story to the citizens who were all upset about the
murder of Constable Jack Lawson. Four local miners were so upset they took out
on One Ear’s trail.
They followed the trail for
several days. Eventually they deduced One Ear’s intention and by taking another
trail managed to get ahead of him and lay an ambush. They confronted him on the
Walla Walla Trail 43 miles south of the BC Colonies border, not far from
Bonner’s Ferry.
According to accounts, three
shotgun blasts blew One Ear Charlie Brown from the saddle. They buried his
riddled body beside the trail.
Why three shotguns and not four?
Who knows? I suggest a possible explanation in my fictional account of the
event in the novel “Partners”.