The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-09-17
GERONIMO'S CAPTURE.

A Detailed Account of the Long Chase
After the Willy Savage -Hardships En-
dured by Captain Lawton's Command
The Prisoners Likely to Be Tried by a
Military Commission.
PAINTED CAVE, Tex, Sept. 11-Friday
morning about one o'clock a special train
OF the Southern Pacific railroad passed
here with Geronimo, Chief Natchez and
thirty seven Apaches in charge of Captain
Fl. w. Lawton, Lieutenants Smith, Walsh
and Brown of the Fourth United States
Cavalry, and pr. Leonard Wood, surgeon
and First Lieutenant of the Tenth Infant
ry. There were twenty eight non-comlnis
stoned officers and privates acting as a
guard to the prisoners. Captain Lawton,
in command OF the party, gave the follow
ing account of the capture OF the Indians:
my command was organized and took
the field May 5, 1885, We were to operate
exclusively south of the national boundary
in Mexico. 1t was presumed that Gero-
nimo would go to his stronghold, the Sierra
Madres On the contrary, his band broke
up into small parties and commenced
series of very damaging raids in South
western Arizona and Northwestern Sonora,
in consequence of which the troops were
compelled to change the original plan to fol-
low the raiding party. Itwas my particular
duty to keep the trail and not to lose sight
of the Apaches, knowing at all times where
they were. This work continued until
after June, when the trail led into
the Azne mountains in Sonora, and
from the fact that the raiding party
suddenly disappeared from the from
tier line it was believed that they had
left for their stronghold in the Sierra
Madre mountains. Up to this time the
command had marched altogether a dis
lance Of 1886 miles. covering that much
aims in that section of the coun-
try. During that time we sur
prised the Indians once and dispersed them
three times. About the last of June we
reorgan1zed for campaign in the Sierra
Madres. Fresh troops and q fresh company
OF thirty Indian scouts were sent me- The
latter were from the Unas and Marjoras
branch tribes of the passes. A supply camp
was established $50 miles from Sonora On the
9Th day of July we left this camp on foot
following the trail, which led to the Yaqui
river, below the mouth of the Aras. The
ly rough that we could not use animals;
the heat was so intense that men tainted,
and the metal part of the arms be-
came SO hot that the men could not
handle them. The command was reduced
one-third by the excessive fatigue and hot
weather. On the 14th day of July an In
dian runner announced that the camp had
been located Lieutenant Brown, the
officer in charge, determined to attack at
once. he did so. capturing the camp and
stock, but failed to get the Indians, they
escaping on foot into the mountain fast
nesses, they having seen our scouts a few
moments before the approach of the troops
Tracks of thirty-one Indians were counted
in this camp.
From this point the hostiles crossed the
Yaqui river going in a southerly course
heavy rain which now set in obliterated
thelr tracks, SO that it was extremely diff
cult to follow them. The Indians
moved rapidly to the Ures district,
toward the north, and commenced
the recent notorious bloody raid,
going into the mountains near
tronteraS. The riverin the meantime had
swollen to torrent, necessitating the con-
structlon of RATS for crossing. The troops
moved rapidly toward Fronteras making
forced marches sometimes of fortv-fye
miles through prickly pear arm palovarfle
often being compelled to chop away with
axes for the passage up the steep mount
ain sides for our pack mules A short
time before arriving at Fronteras [
learned that the hostile Indians had made
overtures of peace and desired to talk.
Lieutenant Gatewood, accompanied by
his two Indian scouts, went forward to
open communication with them. He found
at Fronteras that the Mexicans had already
made efforts to have talk with he Indians
and they objected to our interfering. After
a consultation with the perfecto on july
% we aopaad tn hold oI1Y troor,c bo fc,,
forty-eight hours to await the result of his
negotiations In the meantime Lieuten-
ant Gatewood sent his two scouts to the
hostile camp the next day, the 21st |
overlook Lieutenant Gatewood on the
23d, and found that he was in COM
munication with the, Indians. On the
18th Geronimo and several of his
men came into my camp He agreed to
bring his people down from the mountains
and camp near me until could send word
to General Miles that he was there. The
next day the Mexicans appeared, which
alarmed the hostiles, and | moved their
camp toward the American line. Gen
eral Miles not arriving, the Indians agreed
to go with me to Fort Bowie. In the
meantime General Miles had started and
met us at SHELTON canyon, where Geroni-
mo- Natchez and other Indians had talk
with General Miles, which resulted in their
unconditional surrender. Upon the COM
Geronimo and Natchez, accompanied
General Miles in his ambulance to Fort
Bowie. The other Indians, guarded by the
command reached Fort Bowie on Septem.
Der s, taking the train to st. Augustine,
Fla. The same day thirty-nine Apaches
were captured, and seven were left in the
country-three men, three women and
one child, besides about two hundred
others who are friendly and on their re-
serve.''
WASHINGTON, Sept. 11-General Drum,
acting Secretary OF War, has given in
structions that Geronimo, Natchez and the
other hostiles who surrendered with them
be stopped at San Antonio, and kept i'm
prisoned there until determination is
reached as to what course of procedure
can be undertaken against them.
The determination of q course of proce-
dure will probably be made by the Presi-
dent, but not until the terms of the sur
render and all the attendant circumstances
shall be officially known. With the pres
ent knowledge, it seems probable that
the offenders can neither be tried by
military court-martial nor by the civil
authority, but they may be tried by a.
military commission. This is a tribunal
or institution OF which there are MANY
well-recognized presidents in our own his
tory, Inough III is one which has as yet
no recognition in statutory law.
The commission would, OF course be
composed of military officers, and it's
proceedings would be similar in char
acter to those of a court-martial. Little
doubt is entertained by those who know
the character of the Apaohes that there
will be found among them number who
will hetray Geronimo and the other lead.
ers to save their own necks.
Gagged and Robbed by Masked Men.
WILLIAMsPoRT, Pa, Sept. 11.-News has
been received here of bold and successful
highway robbery by masked men. While
two lumbermen, named Dietz and Gems,
who had sold their effects at Westport,
Pa, for S1,147 on Saturday. were going
along the road three masked men Jumped