The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-14
THE CAPTURE OF CROOK.
The Details of Story Which May
or May Not Be True.
The General Said To Have Been Taken
Prisoner and Ordered to Escort Old
Women to Arizona,

before, he had apparently achieved sucn
good results that the citizens rejoiced when
he was sent back to Arizona by the military
authorities In the Indian raid previous to
the spring OF 1888 General Wilcox, then
commanding the military force of the Ter
ritory, had shown such utter Incompetence
that the people of the Territory cried out as
one man for his removal, and everybody
felt safe with Crook in command. In April
of this year the Chiracahuas, the most blood
thirsty tribe of the whole Apache nation,
and the best worriers and fighters, left the
reservation on the ella river, 100 miles north
OF Wilcox, station on the Southern Pacific
railroad, started cut on raid through south
eastern Arizona, killing Judge McComas
and wife, carrying off, as was then believed,
their son Charley, and hurried off into Mexi-
CO. Hurried as they were, however, they
found time to kill more than twenty per-
sons on their way. General Crock was very
slow in ordering out the military-so slow
that everybody was astonished at the delay
though still having great confidence in his
judgment. He made a trip to Chihuahua.
Mex, ostensibly to consult with Governor
Terazas and to ask the privilege of entering
upon Mexican soil, and for cooperation in
capturing these renegade Chiracabuas. He
made visit also to the Governor of Sonora,
ostensbly for the same purpose and after
three weeks of delay he finally got the troops
out.and on the way toward the Mexican
frontier. He entered Mexico near San Bar
nardino. leaving all the United States sol
diers on the line except Captain Crawford's
troop of forty horses, but taking with him
$50 Indian scouts half of them San Carlos
A ba1 70
After being gone for some time in Mexico,
during which time nothing was heard from
him, he returned, bringing with him his
whole command and nearly 200 of the Chira-
cahuas consisting of three old and decreplt
chiefs. all past seventy years OF age. and all
the old women of the nation. No warrior or
young man or woman who could assist III
the war that the Chiracahuas were then
carrying on in Mexico came
back with him. On his return
General Crook was rendered a banquet in
Tucson, which he accepted, End there he
stated that his campaign had been a great
success; that the Chiracahuas had been met
and conquered as they never were before;
that he had brought back nearly 200 Of them,
and that the rest begged for terms of peace,
and We're exceedingly anxious to surrender
and come back and live upon the reservation;
that he had told them that he would exert
his influence to shield them from punishment
for the crimes they had committed, though
he could not guarantee it, and that he had
left Major Chaffee on the border to receive
the surrender and bring to the reservation
the warriors who were still III the Sierra
Madres. He himself had to leave the main
command on account of want of provisions
and ammunition.
This seemed very pretty and plausible
tale, and General Crook was the hero of the
hour. All the papers in the Territory ap-
plauded him, and heralded him as the great
Indian fighter of the day. He was called the
"Gray Fox" and the "Sly Fox" and was
nominated for President of the United States
by several papers in the Territory, especially
by the Arizona Daily Star, that has been his
jealous advocate in every particular. Crook
promised also the safe return of
Charley McComas if he was allowed
to carry out his plans The Indian Depart
ment however, objected to putting the rene
gade Chiracahuas upon the reservation, fear
ing the evil and communicating influence
that these red-handed murderers would have
upon the peaceful Indians already on the
reservation. A tremendous mass-meeting
was to be held in Tucson in honor of Crook,
when resolutions were to be passed strongly
indorsng his course and asking the Secre-
tary of War to sustain HIM in his line of ac-
ton. During the day before this meeting
certain rumors affecting the truth of Crooks
statement began to be circulated on the
Streets and the meeting which was called by
Crooks friends to indorSe him was, as mat
ter of fact, made up of men who regarded
his course as suicidal to the best interests of
the Territory, and only the most adroit tao
tics on the part of Crooks friends prevented
the passage of gly-condemnatory resp
lutions For month the people waited
anxiously TO see Charley McComas brought
back and the Chiracahuas come in. As
every one knows, they have not come in
and this aroused further suspicion that
Crooks report of the campaign was not cor
rect. Investigations began to be made.
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER.
Little by little the truth TRANSFERRED, and
the facts, undisputed and we'll known among
the officials and leading men of the Territory,
though hushed up as far as possible, are as
follows:
Gen. Crook, led by his White Mountain
Apache scouts, was one evening toward dusk
betrayed into a narrow canon and there
camped. During the night all the White
Mountain Apache scouts LETT the camp and
took up their positions on the hillsides with
the Chircahuas, who had surrounded Crook
and had determined upon the massacre of
his entire force at daylight next morning In
tue night squaw, who had some friends
among the San Carlos scouts, went into
Crooks camp The San Carlos Apaches, who
always feared the White Mountain Apaches,
COiu LnlS woman IIlaG OTOOk n3u not come
down to fight the Chracahuas nor to kill
any of them, as was clearly shown by the
fact that he had brought with him only for
ty soldiers and $50 Indians, half of whom
were the close friends of the Chira-
cahuas. He had come, they said,
to receive the surrender of the Chiracahuas,
to guarantee them immunity from harm and
to take them back to the reservation, where
they would be kept at the expense of the
government without having to do any work
The squaw left Crooks camp and reported
this statement to the Chiracahnas. A coun-
Gil was held and they decided to postpone
vided Crook did not attempt to leave the
camp. In the morning, when Crook awoke,
from behind every rock ON both sides Of the