Defendants: Telokite, Tomahas, Kiamasumkin, Isiaasheluckas, Clokomas
Crime Charged: Murder
Chief Defense Lawyer: Kintzing Pritchette
Chief Prosecutor: Amory Holbrook
Judge: Orville C. Pratt
Place: Oregon City, Oregon Territory
Dates of Trial: May 21-24, 1850
Verdict: Guilty
Sentence: Death by hanging
SIGNIFICANCE: This trial was the foremost attempt by the newly created Oregon Territory to move away from makeshift, frontier justice and to conduct a disciplined trial following formal court procedures such as: a written summary of proceedings, appointment of defense counsel, pretrial motions, organized selection of jurors, provision for interpreters, right of cross-examination, and observance of other decorum and safeguards. In spite of these protocols, former folkways surfaced and the trial reflected just the beginnings of a new order yet to be fully embraced. The trial also foreshadowed the degree to which U.S. courts would go in prosecuting Indians for crimes committed against U.S. citizens on Indian lands.
On November 29, 1847, deep in the wilds of the so-called "Oregon Country,"13 missionaries and white settlers were brutally murdered at a mission located off the Oregon Trail and near the Waiilatpu Camp of the Cayuse Indian nation. Eight months later, Congress and President Polk made Oregon a U.S. territory and sent officials (including Governor Joe Lane, Secretary Kintzing Pritchette, U.S. Attorney Amory Holbrook, Judge Orville C. Pratt, U.S. Marshall Joe Meek and a mounted rifle regiment) to bring U.S. government to the Pacific northwest and more specifically to try and punish the murderers.
User Comments Add a comment…
29 days ago
BillyBobAlabam
So sad for the Whitmans and other decent Americans. Only good thing to come out of this was the extermination of the Cayuse and hanging 5 indian trash.
6 months ago
JJ army_jonah ((at)) yahoo dot com
umm the whitman massacre was a big deal because of the trial right? for the indians to be guilty didnt the trial have to last?
8 months ago
Miranda Rehaume monkeyswiss_50 ((at)) hotmail dot com
I need some primary sources, maybe a newpaper article printed about the massacre back then, or the a record of how the trial went down. Im not finding anything in the Library of Congress... Help?
8 months ago
Hannah Blander chaniegotitall ((at)) gmial dot com
I am making a mock trial with my class about the Whitman Massacre. I am an attorney for prosecution.I am really excited. I have to find out all the information about what happened and prepare different arguements. Wish me luck! (anyone who is reading this)
about 1 year ago
stephanie page elf_monkey6826 ((at)) hotmail dot com
How did this alll start?
about 1 year ago
Robin Hayes thisismyemail ((at)) gmail dot com
I hve to do a report on Captain Thomas Clairborne in my PNW class, and I'm not finding anything I need on him. I'll have to give the report on my birthday aswell. I'm so busy this month with this project, areading assignment for my language arts class, and I'm also in charch of this party planning comity