Arizona miner., 1867-06-29
WHO KILLED SUPERINTENDENT
LEIHY7


Among some Apache prisoners lately cap
tured by Col. Ilg.s in the Massassal noun
tains, and taken 20 Fort Mcdowell, was a
squaw who, through an interpreter, gave the
following particulars concerning the murder
Of George w. Leihy, Superintendent Of Indi
an Affairs for this Territory, at Bells Canon,
November 18th, ls66. From the circum.
stantial end connected way in which they
are told, they are believed by the officers at
Fort Mcdowell to be entirely correct.
A band Of apacbes from the Sierra Ancho
mountains, probably Tontos) had been Wis
iting the Colorado river Indians, and were
on their return with passes given them upon
the river. Upon reaching Bells Canon they
proposed coming 10 Fort Whipple for rations,
thinking the passes would protect them and
also procure the supplies they were in need
Of While in consultation upon the subject
an Indian in their company, who had spent
much time upon the Colorado, saw Mr.. Leiby
and bis clerk, NJ. Everts, approaching by the
road and announced 10 the band who they
Leiby, the great chiefof the whites, as they
thought him 10 be, would alarm the whole
white population and soon restore the cuun-
try to the peaoeable possession Of the Indi-
ans. Acting at once upon this idea, they
brutally murdered the Superintendent and
Mr.. ETerts, and 70 make the work more
shocking TO the whites, the bodies were mu-
tilated in the terrible manner described in
the MISER account Of the outrage
The Indian, taken in the famous Skull val
ley fight, august l3, 1860 for whom Mr.
Leiby, in his mistaken kindness, had obtain
ed release from Fort Whpple, and whom
be was taking to La paz, is reported By the
squaw 20 have been an Apache Mohaye. and
10 have been killed in the attack She does
not state, however, whether il was intended
TO kill him. The other Indian, a Mohaye.
who went from here with Mr.. Leihy, was ia
ken by the band to be Maricopa 1t will
be remembered that he had just been on
visit to the Maricopas. lie insisted that he
was Mohave, but the band denied it. ard
charged him with being afraid to acknowledge
his tribe. He was taken some distance in
the hills, and tortured TO death. according To
the usual manner in which the Apaches deal
with the Maricopas. His scalp was taken
and the band started for their rancheria. near
Meadow Valley, where they had grand
dance over it, 4 sub. chief, the husband of
this squaw, was sent to Big Rump's village
on the Salinas river, near the mouth Of Tonic
creek, with request that Big Rump would
have mescal ready by the next full moon
when the band from the Sierra Anchos would
be there to have jubilee over their killing
Of the white chief, bis clerk and the Mari /
copa. On his journey upon this mission this /
sub chief and his companions, including his 4
wife, 1.-THE squaw in question: were attacked /
by some Of Col. Ilgis' party. The sub chief
and one other was killed, the squaw and
Others captured, as already mentioned.
The sub chief was recognized, as one who /
bad been at Fort Grant among the "good I
Indians" which shows, what has not been
that the Apaehes north Of the ella |
's1N sNN7N ~ VIC eCuths ~ y also CLEARLY \
shown by this story that the Apaches proper
90 and come from the Colorado at will. and 1
that they procure papers with a view TO
their protection, or at least that they have
done so. Ii would be strange fact, if the 4
passes which the murderers Of Supcrintend /
ent Leihy had with them were issued from
his own Office, and the Indians who destroy /
ed him in such barbarous manner were
some whom he had commended as worthy Of
confidence. We do not know this to be the 1
fact, but is il not more than probable, and 4
does it not fully sustain our theory, that
many Of the worst depredations are commit I
ted by Indians from the Colorado, or those /
in the habit Of resorting there Does it not 1
abundantly prove the wisdom Of Gen. Gregg
in his recent order, refusing TO acknowledge /
passes, which has been disapproyed at San
Francisco Will il not show to the sue
ressor Of Mr. Leiby, the treachery Of the /
red rascals, the danger Of trusting them out
VI sight, and the injustice Of allowing them
passes under any pretext7