News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-05-20
LITTLE M'KIN'S sUALPING TOUR.
The Boys Account of His Seven Months
Captivity Among the Apaches.

A letter from New Mexico says: San
tiago McKin is probably the only H.
year-old lad in America who has been
on scalping tour with party of hos
tile Indians. He has Just left this town
for his home, in the company of his
father, after captivity of seven months
in the Apache camp. When Geronimo
and his band surrendered the other day,
the soldiers were surprised to find a
white boy with them who could speak
no English, though bearing unmistaka-
BILE traces of Celtic parentage. On Sc
curing an interpreter it was found that
the little fellow could talk Spanish quite
fuently, and by this means his story
was obtained.
Santiago's father is an Irishman who
owns ranch on the NIimbres, three
miles from San Lorenzo, and his mother
is a Mexican woman. On the 18th of
last September he and an older brother
were some distance from home, and in
ignorance of the presence of the In
dams, when rifle shot alarmed them.
Looking up they saw six Indians APP
preaching rapidly. SaDtiago's brother
was killed at the next fire, but the boy
escaped unhurt only to be taken prison
er The bucks threatened to cut him
up, but on the intercessiOn of one of
their number he was turned over to the
care of the squaws, who followed in the
rear of the war party.
From that time on the boy was in no
danger of death, but all winter until
two weeks ago he was compelled to keep
up with the hostiles in their rapid
+cf 70 MI
an eyewitness to more than twenty muir
ders. When the savages took Santiago
in charge they were on their way north.
That evening they met Mexican on
the highway whom they killed, and the
next day they surprised two woodchop-
pers, killing one. The other escaped,
and the Indians hunted for hours with
out success. As the savages proceeded
they would fire their rifles into the
houses that they came across, and fire.
quently would set them on fire, but in
most cases the inhabitants had fed.
When white men were seen and they
were to be killed, the squaws would
hide where they could observe what was
going on. Some of the victims were
butchered in the most cowardly manner,
after the warriors he'd made protpsta-
tions of friendship, and in nearly all
cases their bodies were mutilated.
Two days after his capture Santiago
SAYS the Indians went into camp in a
valley few miles north of Cactus Flat,
about twenty miles from the White
House, in the Mogollons, and there they
remained, except as they went off on
brief marauding expeditions for months.
Soon after their arrival at this place
they were joined by other savages, and
the squaws worked industriously to give
the camp an air of comfort. Some of
the bucks would steal away every CAV,
and on their return would be loaded
with the plumber of ranches, travellers,
and prospectors The boys assertion
that during all this time the hostiles
were not once alarmed by the troops,
and that he had not during his entire
with the band seen anything
to indicate the presence of the army,
caused much chagrin among tie sol
diers, as they had repeatedly said that |
there were no savages in the Mongol- |
Ions Coming in with scalps, ammuni
tions, arms, blankets, and clothing, and |
sometimes with money and liquor, the |
braves would pass the evening in dis
playing their trophies, boasting of their |
achievements, and gambling One night |
a war party came in with lot of gro
ceries and candy. The latter was given
to the squaws, and they ate so much of
it that they were made sick. 1t was af-
:erward learned that this stock belonged
20 an old French peddler who had been
murdered
Some time after New Years the In
1ians moved south by forced marches,
'ubsistlng on horse meat. Wherever
they went they burned and killed. So
rapid were their movements and so many
changes of base were made under cover
Of darkness that the boy lost all track of |
his whereabouts, and can now give only |
a vague description of his wand erings
LILA LsSolAeGllon-QI-LG e LIiliEleEa@ laaAL=aas-
witnessed is SO keen, however, that a |
pretty clear idea of the raids of the saw
ages can be had by one who is familiar
with the depredations committed. When
found, the little fellow was almost ex-
and it is probable that month |
more on the warpath would have used |
him up. His parents had mourned him |
as dead, and when they were notified of |
his safety his father ordered him to be |
sent by raj to his place, where the two !
net The lad has been made much of |
by everybody here.