Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-04-27

EOhs NVOSS, AAsth., ApIil <O.-1nc fOTJ
Scott Moniter is in receipt of a letter
from Hon. E. T. Ware at Silver City Civ
ing an outline of the situation of the In
dian country and the efforts being made
to recover Charlie McComas from which
the following are made: The good Offices
of the GOvernOrsof chihuahua and Sono-
ra Mex. have been secured through Gov.
Sheldon, and large reward offered to
assist in his Identification. Photographs
have been circulated through the entire
Indian country. The inhabited terrific
~ is so vast and there is so much of il
so impossible, that it will take some
time to find the whereabouts of the bov.
and in the present condition of affairs it
will take considerable time for matters
to so subside that the boy can be reach
ed even after his whereabouts is found.
Several thousand of the Apaches. i'm
fact the greater bulk of the tribe, are on
reservations, but the bands of untamed
Apaches still continue their forays, and
are from time to time, as is believed,
reinforced from the reservations. They
are all armed with the best make of
breech loading cartridge rifles, as is tes-
tilted by all who have dealt with them.
wherever they have been engaged the
brass cartridges shells are to be found,
from whicn the character of their weap-
on can be definitely stated; all agree
the boy cannot be recaptured. If troops
come upon the band holding him he will
be Immediately dispatched. Instances
are numerous and without exception,
where this has happened. At present
there appears to be hint, but it is be-
lieved that arrangements are in progress
by joint action on the part of the Uni
ted States and Mexican generals to pur-
sue, stay with, and exterminate the hos
tile Apaches without regard to cost Oh
difficulties. Officers of both forces have
just had a consultation. but the plans,
if any have been formed, are unknown.
If such movement is made the boy
may not be recovered alive. Atpresent
all is hostility. No Indian can leave
the reservation without death wherever
found.
In fact the feeling is so intense that
large bodies of men are organized and
are waiting the word to move OH to the
reservations and butcher every Indian,
big and little. There is a stormy feeling
against longer permitting an Indian res
ervatiOn to remain in Arizona. The
feeling seems to be universal that the
entire Apache tribe, quiet and hostile,
should be exterminated, for this reason
no Indian can be found as yet who can
with salty leave the reservation to find
the boy. Bad as is this state of affairs,
here in Old Mexico it is worse; it is moth
ing but blood and murder. In Sonora
and Chihuahua the Mexicans kin ev.
cry man, woman and child of the Ap-
paches that can be got at; all trading
with them has stopped; nearly hundred
have been killsdby Apaches recently in
Sonora. The stronghOlds of the Apachet
there are in the mountains, and are de-
Scribed as being almost impregnable
An officer of Sonora told me that there
were places where ten armed Indians
could hold back regiment, and that
the only way to do was to make busi-
ness of it with large numbers of the
troops, and at very great expense, with
starvation as an ally. He also remark
ed that it was difficult to starve an In
dian. One of the hOstiles, who was i'm
the McComas murder, happened to get
collared when he slipped back into the
reservation, where he had been before.
His name is Senat Tish. lie is now in
irons. The only hope Of the boys re-
covery is in the happening of truce in
Mexico. There appears to be very
good prospect of truce there. My ar
rangements are such that If there is a
truce, and the boy is still alive, he will
be recovered. Such arrangements are,
in fact, all that can be made. 1 fear
that all that can be now done, in addi-
tiOn to what has been done, is to wait.
lSignedl Z. T. WARE.