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

Testimony of Lutas

British Columbia to wit

The statement of Lutas charged with being concerned in the murder of Alick McDonald, Clifford Higgins, and Peter McDougald who being duly cautioned not to say anything to criminate himself that he need not answer any questions put to him and that anything he said would be taken down in writing and may be used against him at his trial.

Says I knew Alick, I knew Higgins, and I knew McDougald. I remember the time they were killed. I saw [Yahooslas?] kill Higgins and Alick. I saw Ahan shoot McDougald. Ahan does not tell the truth when he says that four Indians shot at McDougald. Ahan alone fired at him and killed him. I fired a shot but I did not kill anyone. I shot at a horse and killed it. I had a musket of Anaheim’s. A few days before the attack Anaheim came over from Benshee and he told us that some white men had been murdered by Klattassin. He then gave me the musket as he was going to Bella Coola and he said that it was possible that Klattassin would come over to attack Alicks party and if so desired me help Alick and not Klattassin but I joined Klattassin because he persuaded me that he had arranged with Anaheim at Bella Coola that he Anaheim was to go down to Bella Coola and kill the white people there and Hamilton’s family and that we were to join Klattassin in killing Alicks party so I joined Klattassin. But Anaheim did not tell us anything about such an arrangement. The knife found on me by Mr. Moss which belonged to Alick I got from Ahan who states that Klattassin gave it to him.

Lutas X
his mark

Taken before me the 31st day of May 1865.

C. Brew

Morris Moss
witness

Source: BCA, H.P.P. Crease: Legal Papers 1853-1895, Add. Mss — 54 box 3, file 12, Supreme Court of New Westminster, Testimony of Lutas, May 31, 1865, 1608-1609.

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