Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-04-20
THE DREADED APACHEs.
General Crook Interviewed at Ell Paso
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FL PasO Special Philadelphia Press.
The Indian outbreak of 1888 is likely +,
/ be more fatal to life, more disastrous I,
| property and more memorable in Mexican
/ history than any since the Apache raid,
of 1873. The sickening details of the say
ages work at PalmOs ranch have ius
been received. The number of whites
. killed at HermOsill0 is seventy-eight, Sc
far as known, but larger number is be
! lieyed to have been massacred. Genera
! Crook and the Mexican General
Teneres, have been in consulta
tion for several days in the vicinity
of NOgaleS, Mexico. The country is
rugged and the war-like Apaches are
scattered over hundreds of miles of ter.
rltory; Their number probably does not
exceed 400 all told. No one knows their
exact strength and the mountainous
country is very bad to penetrate with
troops. The attack on HermosiIlO was
made by a marauding band, which tor
tured and murdered men, subiecting their
bodies to indescribable indIgnities. The
women Jared worse. Juh's renegades.
General Crook tells me, are the most dew
ilish to their captives. But the MeXicans
have always been the worst sufferers.
The Indians have rarely gone as far North
as the Arizona border.
HermosillO is an old, old city, left from
the days of the SpaniardS, three centuries
ago. Over it hang clear, unchanging,
copper-cOlOred skies; around il stretches
vast plain glittering in the trOpic sun
glare. On the North and Northwest
horizon are mountain masses which look
like piles of summer thunder clouds.
Among the meSdS, or table lands, which
at distance seem to blend with the
plains, though in reality rising far above
them, flows living stream, raritv in
the Southern country Along its banks
grow groups of palms and cactus, the
guava and the Indian fig. In this
little spot of vegetation was the PalmOS
ranch, where the massacre began last
Tuesday. No soldiers within hundreds of
miles, and more women than men for vic
Tins. One or two who escaped and found
Gen. Carbo at Chihuahua, say that all the
rest were murdered. Men were suspended
by the wrists over ground fires. and wo-
men, stripped of their Clothing, were tied
to stakes and-made witnesses to the tor
lures Ofhusbands and fathers. The Apache
Chief, Juh, did not take part in the bar
barities, but seems to have witnessed the
atrocities or at least permitted them to go
on.
General George Crook, commanding the
department of Arizona, arrived here to-
day from his conference with the Mexican
Generals in Sonora, and left at once for
military authorities of that State and to
observe Mexican military operations
along the border with reference to the CO.
operation of one OF the American troops
with the Mexican army now moving
against the Indians. Your correspondent
spent an hour with him and secured the
following explanation of the present situ-.
alton in Arizona and Western part of New
Mexico:
About year ago some 200 renegade
Apache bucks, with their families, es-
capped into the Sierra MOdere in Northern
Mexico. From this hiding place they
have made frequent excursions into the
surrounding country, numbering and pill
laying. Some time since, General Carlo,
of Chihuahua, moved on the region in
tested by these renegades with 1000 MeXi-
can soldiers. The Indians, under Juh
and Loco, to divert attention, recently
raided Arizona with twenty-eight
braves, striking the neighborhoOd of
eral places, evidently for the purpose of
drawing recruits from the San Carlos
reservation, but without success. Judge
McCOmaS and others were slain in this
movement, and the Indians then returned
into the mountain fastness of Mexico,
losing one killed and one captured. All
the depredatiOns came from these Indians,
but the frOntiersmen made preteXt for
charging the peaceable Indians on the San
Carlos reservation with being guilty of
the Outrages.
Miners and cowboys, stimulated by in
terested parties who want an Indian war
to get possession of rich pasturage and
mining lands on the San Carlos reserva-
ton, threatened to attack it and kill the
peaceable red men. General Cook has
just telegraphed for the Indians on the
reservation to protect themselves from
such an attack, and he does not believe
that there Will be any uprising in Arizona
of the Indians, even if they are attacked by
frontiersmen. The only pending danger,
he believes, is repeated raids by renegade
Apaches in Mexico, against which Mexi-
can troops are operating. AS long as they
are in hostile attitude there will be dan
ger, and investment and travel here are
being seriously disturbed by the pending
hostility. General Crook does not con-
ceal that the situation is serious and that
scattered prOspectOrs and mining camps
are IN danger until the hostile Indians are
subdued, but he denies that the friendly
Indians are on the warpath or are likely
to go.
The object of the conference between
himself and Mexican authorities was to
prevent more raids, even by the rene
gades. Active operations will be begun
Ill a lew days. as soon as the plans can be
matured, both forces acting conformity as
far as possible. General Crook authorizes
me to deny the sensational stories sent
East that he ordered that no quarter
should be shown to the Indians, and no
prisoners taken. He deprecates the MeXi-
can policy of killing women and children,
as 1t increases danger to settlers. He will
return as soon as possible and active ope-
ratiOns will be Immediately commenced.
The situation here and in Arizona is Sc
riOus, but greatly exaggerated, and many
untruthful reports are sent East.