Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-04-25

Nearly six years ago Judge a. @. Nc
Comas, with his wife and young son
named Charley, were murdered by a
band of rowing hostile Apaches not far
from Silver City, in Southern New Mex
leo. The leader of the band was a rene
gade Mescalero Apache named Chatto,
who had left his own tribe and joined
the Chiricahuas, that band of the great
Apache family which has left such a
murderous record behind throughout
New Mexico and Arizona, chihuahua
and Sonora, and the last remnant of
which, with old Geronimo at its head, is
now kept in quasi confinement at the
Mount Vernon military post in Alabama.
This wanton and cruel murder caused
an immense excitement in New Mexico,
where Judge McComas, as well as his
wife, were members Of extensive and in
huential families, and where they had
been universally esteemed and respect
ed His body and that of his wife were
found, horribly mutilated, at the scene
of the massacre, but the little boy
Charlie had evidently been carried off
alive. An active pursuit was made,
both by the military forces stationed at
Fort Bayard and by squads of we'll
armed private citizens, but, like most OF
the pursuits of hostile Indians, they re-
suited in nothing tangible.
/ 1t was ascertained from a captive and
the squaw that three days after the muir
der'of his parents little Charlie was still
alive, and that he was hurriedly abduct-
/ ed from New Mexico across the border
T line into chihuahua, where, among the
4 wild crests of the Sierra Mndre, near
4 the dividing line of chihuahua and So
nora, the hostile Apaches had several
+ almost inaccessible retreats to which
i they invariably hastened after indulg
4 ing in their periodical bloody raids on
i the peaceful farmers, ranchers and pros
7 pectors of the two American Territories.
i They often captured young boys for the
purpose of adopting them into their
i tribe, and thus replenishing their own
ranks, which were constantly thinned
during the predatory, wolf-like career
which they had adopted. A general de-
sire was expressed throughout the South
west that Charley McComas might be
saved, if possible, from this horrible
fate, and large rewards were promised
to any one who might succeed in rescu-
ing him.
About this time young Englishman,
Sidney Shaw Eady, made his appear
ance in Ell Paso. He was very retcent
about his antecedents, but it is known
that he came of good family in Eng
land, and that he made his entrance
into active life as a midshipman in the
British Navy. There was no doubt
about his having first-class education,
both classical and practical. He spoke
several languages iuently, was good
engineer, surveyor, miner and smelter,
physician, book-keeper, bankerand what
not. In fact. he was n modern edition
of the Admirable Crichton. To this was
added an insinuating manner Of address
and persect conversational powers,
Joined with an appearance of great
frankness and bluff honesty. He soon
obtained a position as travelling cores
pondent of the El Paso Times, daily
newspaper then under the control of
Colonel Richard Hinton, who had
achieved considerable notoliety in Kan
sas during 1856 as companion of Ossa-
wattomie Brown. Shaw-Eady was sent,
after fairly successful drumming ex-
petition as advertising solicitor through
out Southern New Mexico for the Times,
as special correspondent with Crooks
expedition after the hostile Apaches in
to Northern Sonora, in company with
noted border character named Cornelius
Mahoney They returned safely from
this trip, and forwarded interesting de-
scriptions of the unsuccessful expedition
to the Neac York Herald the Chicago
Times and other leading papers.
About the time of Shaw ady's return
from this trip to FL Paso, the McComas
massacre took place, and rewards were
offered for little Charley's rescue. 1t did
not take him long to make up his mind
to attempt this hazardous feat. The
leading motive that actuated him was,
perhaps, desire to obtain the large re-
ward offered, but there was also, no
doubt, lurking ambition to make a
name for himself and to do some daring
deed that would make him known
throughout the Southwest, and thus
enable him to get a good footlrold to-
ward any further schemes and enter
prises that he may have had in view.
To search for Charley McComas, it
was generally known that the daring adj
venturer undertaking the task would
have to go first to Janos, in Northwest
ern Chihuahua, and then about twenty
miles Southwest into the widest part of
the Sierra Madre, where the principal
camp of the hostile Apaches had been
for generation past. Here the reigning
Chief was old Ju, the war chief of :he
Chiricahuas, who had been in a chronic
state of hostility and rapine Tor many
years, but who had not been seen or
heard of for year or two. 1t was gen
orally supposed that if he was alive at
all he was somewhere near .Janos, but
Geronimo, who had led the last revolt /
and headed the escape from San Carlos /
Reservation, was known to a certainty /
to be there. The Indian warriors them
selves remained in their secure fastness, /
southwest of Janos, but the Apache (
squaws visited the town constantly, and {
without molestation from the Mexican /
garrison that was quartered IN Janos.
These squaws were in the habit OF buy
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