Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-05-06

a Hostile Apache who Was Once
the Captive of "A New Castle IEOy.

| The Silver City, N. NJ, Enterprise of
April 23d, prints tho following story;
"Chief AIangus, one OF the most noted
leaders of the Chiricahua hostiles, was at
one time, when boy, resident Of this
city, and would now doubtless have been
Leading civilized life but for the inter
ference Of the government. In the year
1871, young Mangus, the only son of the
great chief, Napgus Colorado was cap
tured by Sam Eckles, in fight in which
John Bulhrd was killed. The young
chief was brought to this city aud pre-
sented to William EclIles, then editor Of
newspaper here. At that time the
young chief would not sleep in blankets,
but would wait until all the rest had re-
tired, then he would stealthily rake all
the Goals ont of the fireplace and curl up
in the hot ashes. Eckles finally got
tired of the hoy and turned him over to
Mrs. Webb, who gave him her baby to
take care of. Things went ON pleasantly
for two days, and then the relation
ship between the captive chief and
the lady came near eliminating III II
tragedy. Mrs. Webb happened TO go
out into the yard where she found young
Mangus, true to the instincts of his
nature, engaged with hammer in an
attempt TO brain the baby After this
little circumstance he was not considered
n safe nurse, and was turned over to Mr..
Wardwell, who instructed him in the art of
roping and handling cattle, in which occll-
patton he showed great deal of interest.
After he had been here for four years, the
Indians on the reservation began to
clamor for the young chief, and the gov
ernment sent an escort to bring him
home. He was turned over to the gov
ernment upon the payment to Mr.. Ward
well of 800 for his trouble and expense
in keeping him. Mangus is now about |
twenty-three or four years old, and is one |
of the most cunning, cruel, and long |
headed chiefs among the hostiles. At the |
time of Geronimo's surrender Mangus |
was 300 hundred miles further south in |
the fastness of the Sierra Madres with a |
band of 90 bucks. Geronimo has, since |
his escape, gone to join Mangus, and the
two will doubtless let make it quite inter-
esting for General Miles before they are
or killed
Samuel Eckles, who is now In Whining
ton on visit to relatives and old friends,
was seen Thursday afternoon by
GAZETTE representative and endorsed the
foregoing story as correct in the main. II
was in February 1871 that company of
30 men under command of John Bullard,
after severe march on foot during
which they waded the Frisco river no less
than 50 times, encountered the Apaches
in the mountains fully 150 miles from
Silver City. Bullard fell at the first fire
and the leadership devolved upon Mr..
Eckles, his second in command. In the
not encounter which followed IA Indians
we're killed in five minutes; the death of
Bullard being the only loss on the side
of the whites. After the firing
had ceased young Mangus, then
1 boy of seven or eight years,
,ame out of the brush holding up both
hands. jim Copely, one of the party,
the lad to approach and took
are of him, telling comrade who pro-
posed to shoot Mangus that he would
nave to kill him (Copely) if he did.
Jopely, like Eckles, was formerly New
Castle boy and will be remembered by
many of the older residents of that city.
He turned his captive over to Mr.. Eckles
md the subsequent career of Mangus is
'elated above. An incident of the cant
Daign was the packing" of the dead
body Of their fallen chief all the distance
back to Silver City for burial by these
men, marching on foot and in the heart
Of winter.