Arizona citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Pima County, A.T. [i.e. Ariz.]) 1870-1880, 1876-04-29
In and hts Horlx.

ing. Messrs O'Brien, Lewis and Brown,
had been for some time past located on
the upper San Pedro, twenty miles
above Tres Alamos, and had consider
able ground under cultivation. O'Brien
and Lewis were partners working one
ranch. Their place was directly in the
path or pass on the San Pedro where
the Indians crossed on their way to
Sonora. Since he has been driven from
his hard earned possessions and his
partner killed, Mr. O'Brien now divul-
ges facts concerning these Indians
and their dOings, which lie never
dared tell before. He and his
partner were so situated that i'll
they had previously said anything
about what they saw they would have
had to leave their land or be killed.
Mr.. O'Brien relates and declares that
the Chiricahua Indians, ever since he
has been on the San Pedro have been
accustomed to pass his ranch regularly
ly each month, going into Sonora for
purposes of murder and depreciation.
They would pass Lis place each month,
going int Sonora when the moon was
new and returning to the reservation
when the HOon was on the wane They
would go out on foot; they would re-
turn on horseback and leading extra
animals There was no secrecy about
the matter at all. The Indians would
frequently stop at Lewis & O'Brien'sI
ranch and were always very InsolentI
and acted towards the settlers generally
as if the latter were only allowed to re-
main temporarily on the ground and
1 live by the sufferance of the noble red
men. About a month before the late
/ killing, while O'Brien was alone at the
ranch a squad of Indians came along,
returning from a raid and stopped at
the ranch. Some twelve of them came
To the house the rest stopping at a dis
lance. O'Brien, as was always his Gus
\ tom had his siX-shOOter on his person.
The Indians were very insolent. They
demanded flour and when offered
enough for temporary use, were angry
because the proprietor did not give
them the whole sack of flour. After
obtaining all they could they still loiter-
ed around the place. O'Brien kept
them constantly under his eye. He
didn't like the appearance of things at
all. They would attempt to trifle with
him or get behind him, but he kept
I his face towards them. He finally fol
| lowed them from the house to the ward
and sat down or a log near the wood
/ pile One of the Indians came to the
wood, picked Up an axe and commenced
chopping promiscuously with it and
gradually approaching O'Brien. When
/ the Indian came too near for comfort
O'Brien got up and took scat in an
other direction, farther away. LCain
the INDIAN began working his way to-
wards him This happened several
times until O'Brien went back to the
house and stood facing the Indians
Finally after a nuch longer visit than
usual and very suspicious conduct, the
Indians left. As they disappeared over
hill near the house, one Of the Ind
ians, to whom O'Brien had given some
tobacco and shown other kindnesses,
came running back from the rest and as
he reached O'Brieu the Indian hur-
T riedlv gave him an arrow, and motion
: ing with his arm several times in the
direction down the river, left him and
hastened back to his fellows. Upon
, looking more closely at the arrow, the
/ head was found to have been dipped in
blood. Mr.. O'Brien was unskilled III
Indian signs and soon forgot all about
this incident, but there is scarcely a
J doubt that the Indians even then had
planned the murder Of the settlers in
their path on the upper San Pedro, and
that the incident referred to was a
friendly warning to O'Brien to leave
the dangerous locality. At the killing
of poor Lewis and the attempted muir
der Of the other settlers in the vicinity,
it happened fortunately for O'Brien that
he was out in the mountains hunting
Had he been " the ranch with his
r partner Lewis, be would not be living
5 to give this story. On the day of the
T murder, Lewis was planting his pota
toes, at some distance from the house
He was unarmed. 0'Brien never wen
e unarmed; frequently he has plowec
( with his Henry rifle strapped to the
I plow. He had often cautioned Levi:
about his carelessness, but like many
others the latter could not be pursuadet
= that the danger from the Indians wa
imminent. 1t was always something
that might happen, but never that would
happen without moments warning
At the time of the killing, Lewis saw (
marty of Indians at the house and as h
started towards them, they fired, KILN:
HIM Instantly. They took valuable
Henry rife and other arms. The muir
dered mans full name was GideOl
] Lewis: he was born in Steuben county
P New York, and was about 40 years o
age. He came TO Arizona from Iol'
G county, California, where he had live
i fnr some time.