The weekly Arizona miner., 1869-09-11
Letter from Mohave City.
lcoRREsPoNpENcE ARtzoSA MtNER,l
MouAvr CrrY, A. T., August 2l, '69.


 ed victim from among the rancberos of the supposed peaceful valley of the Colorado. William Taylor, an old resident, and former member of CompanyB, 4th California Vol unteers, was found, Thursday fast, at his ranch, stiff in death. His head was split open with an ax, and nearly severed from his body. Taylor had lived alone in the valley much of the time during the past three years. He had fine herd of cows, young cattle, horses, hogs, etc, and was we'll on the road to wealth, although, four years ago, he com menced with nothing The indignation and alarm of the valley people were well aroused by this tragedy. Ever since the treaty, or taik, with the Wallapais, there have been a a series of depredations committed in the valley, but, heretofore, the fiends have con fined themselves to stealing stock.
 It is not known whether the murder of Taylor was the work of Walapais or Apache MohAves. For two or three days previous to his murder, Indians from the mountains, sup posed to be Wallapais, were seen in the vi- cinity, at Mohave camp, where Chief Chor- um- ah-whey holds forth. Said chief has al- ways been saucy and vindictive towards the whites, and, from tbe fact that the murder was committed in daytime, close to his camp; that he has always received and tole- rated bands of mountain Indians clandestine- | ly, and from the further fact that Mohase | tracks were mixed with mncasin tracks about the corpse and in the trails leading from it, it is believed that the chief and his men were accessories 10 the murder. Pah-Ute Indians declare that the Mohaves did it. The Mo hayes say it was Wallapais and Apache Mo hayes.
 The people in the valley are greatly alarm ed they see mountain Indians in the valley, but dare not molest them, for there is a trea- ty with the wallapais, and if they should make mistake and take walapai for an Apache Mohave, they would, of course, be taken in hand by the military. It will be seen that, so long as Wallapais are permitted 10 come into the valley, and go where and when they please, the lives of those living be- yond the precincts of the garrison hang on a slender thread, for, even admitting that the Wallapais are harmless, no one believes the Apache -Mohaves to be so. And, as they look and dress like wallspas, what is to hinder their passing for waapais, and thus being perfectly safe in committing murders, so long as they are not caught in the very act
 We all know that the treaty with the Wallapais was made with the view of insuring safety for the lives of the white people; but has it done so7 While the wallapais were in avowed hostility, the road to Prescott wa. known to be full of dangers, from the time you left the river until you reached Prescott But, we of the valley thought ourselves se cure in our homes. Now, how is itl The Wallapais have promised that the road sha he safe from the river to Cottonwood, dis tance of 70 miles. After you pass that i'm aginary line, you must look out. Every ont who knows anything about it knows that Cottonwood is in the heart of the Wallapa country. Years ago, before hostilites broke out, they had their homes at the willowr and Fort Rock, and while the war was going w ehePe- tahR Nhn oul DIlctu hl pom IA miles southeast of Fort Rock Indian. are treacherous, and he who knows them vii admit that it would Dc an easy matter fo Wallspais to follow travellers to the fatal spo just east of Cottonwood, take their lives come back over the line, and be safe. Wht doubts that Walapas killed James Sheldon within two miles of this imaginary peac, [ line And what Indians are they that prov around Camp Willow Grove, shooting anc stealing stock This, too, since the date O the treaty. We have, in exchange for 7t miles of safe road, given away the safety ant security of the valley. Are we not losers bl the exchange7 A person going from here t, the Willows. or Prescott, must procure good escort, or, run the gauntlet. You hav to take your escort from this place, and the, could just as well protect you over the T [ miles of 'peace" as the remainder But VI do not consider it necessary to break treat, to remedy this. There is military camp a the Willows, right in the middle of thei country. Why can't it be so arranged tha they shall go there to draw their -four ant bacon, and not be allowed to visit the river How much better this would be in every res respect: greater length of road would b made safe, and, then, when buskin dressed Indian would show himself in the valley, VI would know that an enemy was present, anc could net accordingly. But now, all noun tain Indians can come with safety. 0fcourse the Mohayes are glad of this; they talk witl their old allies nlotfiino, ia GahIa to e,iI