Olympia, Thurston County, Washington Territory Saturday, January 26, 1870 The Daily Pacific Tribune THE SHOOTING OF McDANIEL AND GIBSON. Steilacoom, Jan. 25th, 1870 Now that peace and quietness have resumed their sway, and our citizens are in a mood to discuss dispassionately the events of the last few days, I shall proceed to detail for your readers the circumstances attending the shooting affair of Saturday last as they are known here. Some time since a man named B. GIBSON came to this county from Idaho, where it is said he had led a lawless life, and killed several people. He was forced to leave Idaho, I am told, in consequence of his crimes, which so incensed the people of that territory that they hunted him far and near, and would have shot him at sight if they had found him. In this county he found a congenial spirit in Charley McDANIEL, whose past history is too well known to require an account at my hands. The latter, like the former, was an outlaw, having killed a man in British Columbia, in 1858, and perpetrated a number of murderous assaults since, in different parts of this Territory. At the suggestion of McDANIEL, it is said, GIBSON squatted upon the land claim of Charley WREN, on Muck, and built a house in opposition to the wishes and protests of the neighboring settlers. He vacated the claim at the instance of a Justice's Court, but subsequently re-entered it in defiance of the settlers and Court. For this second attempt he was again cited before the Justice (E. R. ROGERS, Esq.) in Steilacoom, in whose Court the case was pending when GIBSON was shot; ; he being on his way to town for trial when intercepted by the Vigilance Committee. On the previous night, McDANIEL and GIBSON visited the dwellings of a number of the adjacent settlers, and threatened them with bodily harm if they ventured to testify in the Court next day. This had the effect of uniting the people in a firm determination to make common cause against the desperadoes, and they forthwith resolved to tolerate no longer men of such lawless character. At early dawn on Saturday morning the settlers collected and concerted their measures for the protection of their rights and interests and the riddance GIBSON and McDANIEL. Proceeding to town in a body, to the number of about forty persons, they encountered McDANIEL and GIBSON on the road to town, between Gravelly and American Lakes, nearly two miles from Fort Steilacoom, and instantly shot GIBSON, mortally wounding him, it was supposed. McDANIEL thereupon proceeded to town, as did also soon after the Vigilance Committee, (as they were called) with the body of GIBSON, who was still alive. When on the hill, before reading the jail, GIBSON raised himself in the wagon, seized a pistol belonging to one of the Committee, and fired two shots from it, slightly wounding two persons. He was the shot through the head and killed instantly. Meanwhile McDANIEL, having preceded the Committee, entered Westbrook's saloon and voluntarily disarmed himself of all weapons save a knife. He then came forward and requested to be heard, when somebody cried out, "Shoot the son of a b---!", upon which he stared to run, the Committee following, and was making his way out into the street leading to the lower wharf when he was shot in the head and neck. He survived about three hours. Three shots were fired at him in the saloon, as he retreated to the rear of the building. Rev. Father BLONDELL and the Sisters of Charity were sent for to take charge of the body of McDANIEL for sepulture, and conveyed it to the convent, where it was watched over and prepared for its final resting place. The remains of GIBSON also received sepulture at their hands. Only two residents of the town, ROSS and GOODTIME, participated in the affair; the remainder were all country people, and, with two exceptions, foreigners. As to the political complexion of the Committee, I may add that there was not a Republican among them; a fact remarked by several citizens, who are disposed to think that politics had something to do with the tragedy. A large proportion of the Committee was composed of men who were formerly Hudson Bay employees, some of whom were French and some half-breeds. Yours, &c., Reporter. Gloria Lester [email protected] >>^. .^<< ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.