- These Indians are of the Clallam tribe. They all claim to be chiefs, and their names have been given to them by the whites. A man named Hancock, of Port Townsend, gave me some information concerning an old man named Church, who had been killed on Whidby Island. He believed the Indians had killed & the Indians claim that he was killed by a Kikealis. I was told also that Col. Eby, the newly appointed collector of the post, can give me some definite knowledge, as he was on the coroner’s inquest. The colonel lives directly opposite on Whidby island. His residence is visible, as it is only six miles across the straits at this point.
- I was obliged to discharge the guide I had obtained at New York [Alki], as I had found him gambling in the Suqualmish camp and he had shown himself worthless in other respects. An Indian loitered about our camp for two days, offering to inform against the murderer of [Judah] Church, if he were paid for it. I put him off, and on the evening of the 29th, Hancock came over from Port Townsend and told me that the Indians had told him that one Sla-kai, a Skagit Indian, had killed Church. The next day [May 30, 1853] a man named Martin Tafster agreed to get the Indian if the matter were kept quiet. So I decided to visit Dungeness and return on the east side of Whidby island through Deception passage, where it was said that the Indian could be found.
- June 9th [actually June , 1853]. After waiting for ebb tide, and assisted by a light wind and oars, we passed through without seeing any of the horrors we had been told of. We soon arrived at a place called Gumbay, which I subsequently found was the best rendition the Indians could give of Capt. Fay, who had a house on the northeastern end of Whidby island. He seemed to be engaged in trade with the Indians. He confirmed the stories I had heard concerning Sla-hai as the murderer of Church, and showed me several articles belonging to Church and which the Indians had obtained from Sla-hai.
- We decided that the only way to get the murderer was to bribe the Indians to assist in his capture. On the 12th we proceeded to Penn’s cove to interview the settlers and propose that they should raise a contribution in order to induce the Indians to deliver Sla-hai. The proposition met with favor and a subscription paper was started. I waited over the 13th to learn the result. After my failure to hold the chiefs I was very anxious to make amends for my bungling, but I felt that now that the Indians were alive to the fact that I was after the murderer of [Judah] Church it would be a difficult matter to retrieve myself. There was no hope of any result except through the Indians, and that only by paying well for it. They showed themselves full of zeal to assist, and although I contemplated making a night trip, I gave it up, as I had no confidence in such allies…