Article from St. Cloud Journal, provided by Donald A. Doroff, states Peter Trotterchaud (Pierce Treatocheau) was murdered August of 1869. Article dated 19 August 1869.
St. Cloud Journal, August 19, 1869
MURDER IN BENTON COUNTY. An Indian kills an unoffending man. Escape of the Murderer. Sauk Rapids, Aug 17, 1869. Editor Journal--A willful and deliberate murder was committed at Watab, in this county, on Saturday evening last, August 14 th, by a Mille Lac Indian. The young man who was murdered was the son of one of our best citizens, Peter Treatocheau. Pierce was nineteen years of age, and of good moral character. The circumstances as stated by an eye witness are these: Pierce was at work for G.T. Rice Esq. On saturday evening he went down to the lake to kill some ducks. While there he stopped at the tepee, and the Indian asked Pierce to wrestle with him, which he did, and threw the Indian. Afterwards Pierce sat down on the ground and played a game of cards with another Indian. The murderer took this opportunity, while Pierce's head was bent forward, and came from behind and struck a downward blow with a large hunting knife, hitting Pierce on the front of his head, driving the knife the knife to the handle in his brain, killing him instantly. Of course the Indian made good his escape, and is still at large. He's one of the parties that killed two lumbermen on the Rum River in 1857 or 58, and was let off with a new blanket and gun for his punishment. This is the second murder committed this season by these Indians, to say nothing of the stock that is being killed, game destroyed, &c, continually. The law does not allow an Indian to leave the reservation without a permit from the Agent. But the Agents never attempt to enforce the law. The consequence is that the Indians are allowed to trample the law under their feet and kill our stock for their substance: steal our property, and kill our citizens with impunity. The law must be enforced and the quilty punished, or the blood of our citizens of Benton County will not cry to Heaven for vengeance in vain. Lo! The Poor Indian.
St. Cloud Journal, Thursday August 26, 1869
Murderer Killed.---The chiefs of the Mille Lac Indians, to which the murderer of Treatocheau, reported last in last week's paper, belonged commanded that he should be shot as soon as he appeared in camp. Two Indians were appointed to carry this into execution, and one day last week it was accomplished. A very wise, expeditious and convenient plan.