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— » --------W AVISO A LAKES.John McLeod arrived on Tuosday from tho Churcli of England mission at Wapisca lakes about ono hundred miles north of Athabasca Landing. He started from Wapisca on April 7th, and came by dog train to tho Lauding. The winter was changeable and at times severo at Wapisca, and tho snow is about two and a half feet deep. The Church of England mission in charge of Rev. 0. Weaver is having the buildings considerably improved. A school, haying an attendance of S or 10 children, is kept by Mr. Weaver. Tha H. 13. Co. have a small trading post at the lake, an outpost from Athabasca Laudiug, kept by Sam lioulc. Colin Johnson, trader of the Landing, also has a trading post in charge of his brother, Sam Johnston. There are about 200 people in the settloment. The county is chiefly forest, but they grow a few potatoes and have horses and cattle. Tho Indian or half breed who was killed as a Wehtigo at Trout lake, in February last, lived at Wapisca and was well known to Mr. McLeod. Hie Indian name was Na-pa-nin. He was a fairly intelligent man, about 35 years of age, and lived in a house like a halfbreed, and provided well for his wife and children. About I ho end of January he started, apparently in good health, with his' wife and children on a visit to his father, who lived ak Trout Jake about eighty miles from Wapisca. His wife reports that ou the second night out he acted strangely, saying that some strange animals were about to attack him. During the remainder of tho trip he acted strangely at intervals, and at such times his wife for her own safety induced him to go ahead. They reache 1 his father’s place at Trout lake safely, fand was there for twenty days, his fits of insanity becoming more frequent and violent, llis body is said to have swelled considerably and his lips were very much puffed out. His wife on her return to Wapisca said that ho did not become dangerous, but other persons said that he was violent and dangerous at iutervals. In his lucid moments ho told his friouds that lie did not iutend to hurt any one, bub that if they considered him dangerous they had better kill him. Ou tho day of liis death he was tied hands and feet, face down,in one of the houses. His wife did not kuow that he was to bo killed and weut to a neighbors house with her baby. After a while suspecting something, she returned to the house where her husband was. Thedoor was attempted to he shut against her, but sho placed her foot between the door and the jam and held the door open so that she heard the blow ol an axe and saw blood on the floor. She was shoved away and the door shut. Four men wore in the house at the time with her husband. The men are reported to have said that thoy tied him before he entered one of liis frantic fils for their own protection, not with tho intention of kiliiag him, although the possibility had keen seriously discussed. But at this timoduriDg his frenzy he had nearly broken loose and they feared he would get loose altogether and kill some of I hem. They struck him four blows with an axo, about tho hod. Tho reason that an axe was used was that there is a belief amongst theIndia.ua that a bullet will not pierce a wehtigo or man-eater. The body ; was burned and largo treeE felled over tho grave to prevent the possibility a re-appcarauce of tho wehtigo. Some days after tho death of the man, the people of the settlement were terror stricken, believing that lit might reappear and destroy them. His murder is justified on the ground that unless he was killed he would have killed others, and that | ^ i* the custom of the country.
Newspaper Details
Edmonton Bulletin
Edmonton, Alberta, CA
Thu, Apr 16, 1896
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USA 02 Dec 2019
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