Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-03-13
BLOODTHIRSTY.
John Foster Unravels Himself 10 a Ga.
Iette Man.
killing of One of the Most Outrageous
or Apaches.
A Narrative That viii be Read With
Much Interest.
Correspondence of the Gazette.

| carry the ellDltm OF 'nerO'-tc
know in your own heart that a great
name has been made by some wonder
! full, daring act that you have done: TO
| know that the wales and hidden re-
| cesses OF the savage's domain have re-
ceived your footprints; to know that,
with flaming letters, your name has
been heralded across the continent.
| from the states washed by the mighty
lakes, TO those watered by the grand
and reckless gulf, from the diminutive
| Atlantic to the broad Pacific, for
| Drawing the dangers OF theuninhabited
mountains to wresk vengeance on the
! bloodthirsty red men, whothave proba-
bly, left bleaching, beneath the scorch-
ing rays Of the sun, some kindred or
friend.
Such man, with a name, but un-
known to the outside world, has his
being among our hills and mountain
peaks here in Socorro county. He
was pointed out TO the reporter The
other day, and the local, with an extra
amount of brassy steam aboard, (you
know reporters have no brass), braced
up to him. and asked him, with
much sang froid, whether his name
was John Foster, the man that made
Torivo, bloodthirsty Apache sub
chief, bite the dust, which sent his
soul Keeling to its happy hunting
ground ?n
YES, sir, / have the exquisite honor
of being the man that sent the red
skin devil TO mother earth.n
"Well, sir,' replied the reporter,
'please have the kihnness to give
some particulars Of the killing.n
1t was about four years ago that
Victorio, the Pache' chief, was raiding
New Mexico, and striking down help
less ranchmen and miners, tearing
them from the loving embrace of hap
by households. l was ranchman
then and was in about the thickest OF
the old chiefs stamping ground. On
the morning of the day that ] killed
T0rivo, who was known as Big Foot
Victories band had raided ranch d
few miles above me, killing all with
the exception of two men, who made
their escape, and as fast as possible
came to my ranch for the purpose of
informing me that the hostile
Apaches were in the ncighborhood,
aud what they had already done. The
two men were at the house about TWEEN
~ minutes, when the Indians were
seen coming over the hill in the direc
ton of the house. But fortunately,
before coming any closer than 300
yards, they separated, Victoria, the
principal chief, going across the river,
where he camped about mile down
the stream. The other band, number
ing seven, under Big Foot, halted and
rested for n while. During the inter
val our men, who were only mere
handful, reinforced by the two escaped
ranchmen, prepared themselves for the
onslaught. The echo came from one
Of our party, They are coming
and they did come. But thanks to
kind and all-wise Providence the re-
ception they got was more than they
bargained for, and out of those seven
red-handed warriors OF the forest,
three succumbed to the unerring rifle
ball, and one, the chief, wounded bad
~ in the leg. Tnose that were not
MORALLY wounded or otherwise hit,
saw fit to retire Immediately, leaving
their dead and wounded companions on
the field. After the unwounded had
retired out of sight our men went
over TO where the savages had fallen.
and after tho clearing of the smoke,
noise and tumult of the small Skin
mish had died away amidst the echoes
OF the mountains, 1t was discovered
that Little Foot the sub-chief of the
band ofseven, with two buck woniors,
had received mortal wounds, dying,
nom indications, suddenly. But
V here was Big Foot?' IL was known
that be was hit, as he was the first one
shot at, and he was observed hopping
off, apparently badly hurt. We
searched the grounds surrounding the
"a al e. al, nj = At
and ut last came unon the chief, hid
under a bunch of brush, in the last
lhroes of death, battling with broken
leg ana fatal shot in the body. j
took my knife from nay belt, TALL ranch
men in those times carried knives of
some kind, and scalped him with as
much grace and pleasure as he would
nave done one of us had he been vic
torious, and took out Of his head his
Jaw bones, One of our party also
scaiped Little Foot, and with their
scalp, dangling TO our rifles, marched
back TO our cabins.
we did not remain mt the ranch
long after the fight, and after we had
performed the scalping acts, went rs
quick as convenient to Fort Bayard,
carrying with us the seal ps as proofs,
-iAAN' sAAf
OF affairs, who Immediately mustered
up the cavalry, proceeded by our d. |
rections, met the Indians, this time
under Old Victor himself, routed them
across the liue into Arizona
What did you do with the bodies
OF the savages, and what disposition |
did You make with Big Foot's' jaw
hones?u replied the reporter
Well, SIR calculated the narrator,
, my hogs cleaned the meat Off of Big |
roots remains, aud his bones picked |
up by us Oh our return from Fort Bay
ard and dumped into a hole. The
bodies of the Others killed were left
where they fell 10 bask in the scorcl-
ing rays OF Sol. With Big Foot's' jaw
bone made "A pair of spurs and have
1nei1 to-day as memento. His hair
braided into watCh-chain, a relic |
would not part with for large amount
u money. have neglected to men
tion that the fight took place on the
san krancisco river, near the mouth
d White Water creek, in the Mogol-
on mountains, in Socorro county,
thanking Mr.. Foster for the inter-
SUNG narrative the reporter left,
hi u tntr A. |