Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1883-07-19
FIVE WOMEN CAPTIVEs.
Their SaHerings while In the Apaches'
Hands. .sa.

Iatlt S4AcIIu&8 WDu0 II tue AR0CueS>
Hands. s,5a.
CHIHUAHUA. July 5.-The story
told by the five Mexican women who
were rescued by Gen. Crook from
captivity among the Apaches is one
Of the many strange iromances that
are incident to life on the frontier,
and to the mode Of war pursued by
the savages. They were the wives
of soldiers. The companies to which
their husbands we're attached were
quartered on the frontier at place
called FL Carmen, some 800 miles
from Chihuahua. The troops were
ordered to the capital. Two days
after their departure the women set
out to follow their husbands, travel
ing on foot. On the 10th of May.
while pursuing their way without q
suspicion of danger, they were sur
prised by the sudden appearance of a
band Of Apaches that emerged, like
an apparition, from their conceal
ment among the rocks and chappar-
ell by the wayside. The chief of
the band was the noted Geronimo.
The women were frightened almost
to death, but became calmer when q
captive Mexican named Jose, who
had been a long time among the
Apaches, advanced and assured them
that If they would yield and go with
the Indians, they would not be NAL
treated. Having no choice in the
promises they did so. The savages,
using Jose as an interpreter, subject
ed them to severe inquis,tion re-
specting the movements Of the SOL
diers, appearing anxious to ascertain
their number, the OBJ bjeet of their
march, where they were and the in
tention of the commanders. To all
questions the poor women answered
as well as they could, but their own
lack of information probably dis
pleased the savages more than any
Information they were able to give.
After this colloquy the Apaehes
showed great ingratitude, and set out
in march which continued without
rest day and night. According
to the account of the unfortunate
women, they covered in this first
march not less than a hundred miles.
After brief repose the march was re.
sumed. During three days they
found no water; their suffering seem.
ed beyond endurance, and induced
the desperation and dependency Of
approaching madness. The regior
traversed was of the most rorgh and
desolate character, and in many
Iplaces to advance farther seemed i'm.
possible. The women became greatly
debilitated, and to make them keer
mp with their captors the inhumar
wretches whipped them continually
To intensity their misery, the provis'
ions began to grow scarce, and the
only ration given them was a little
piece of raw meat, to be divided
among the five women and child.
Antonia Herdandez, the mother, car.
ried the child in her arms to save n
from the cruel torment which the
savages inflicted by prodding it with
sharpened sticks. The complaints Of
this inhuman treatment, made by the
| mother to the savage chief, served
only to elicit the mockery of that
venerable "good Indian and his
great hearted braves.
| During the last two days of their
captivity, the savages gave then
nothing whatever to eat. The cold
of the Sierra, was almost at the freez.
ing point, causing the debilitated
and half-starved captives intense suf'
fering. The savages never remained
quiet a day; were continually moving
crossing and recrossing their course
in every direction, but with a genera
movement toward the West. The
captives were compelled to work
when they camped, and were con-
tinually objects ofiridicule, abuse and
maltreatment. When the savage
genius for inventing other modes oi
tormenting the wretched Sonora Her
nandez had been exhausted, brute
braval seized her child and made /.
feint of dashing it against rock
a gentle display of Apache humor
The cold, the hunger, the thirst, ths
march, continued. The fear, tht
torment, the maltreatment, have
wrought terrible effect upon thest
women, whose captivity, beginning
on the 10th, was terminated by tn,
sudden appearance Of Crooks sol
diers about a week later. One Of tn
unfortunates expressed herself thus
"When / saw Gen. Crooks soldier
q door opened in the clouds and
saw heaven" The lamentable con
dition of these unfortunate womel
excited the liveliest sympathy anon!
the boys in blue, who did all in thei
power to alleviate their sufferings
and gave to each one of them a mul
/ taken from their captors. The re
deemed cannot find words to expires
their gratitude to the deliverers.
A Ran on Drag Stsre.
Never was such rush made for an
drug store as Is now at J. F. Llewellyn'
: for trial bottle of DIR. Kings new dis
covery for consumption, coughs an
. ,l A.&1