Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1890-05-02
OLD GERONIMO.


was Indian agent 10 Arizona Mr..
Ulnm is now in New York on busines, and
to the herald reporter said: "A worse
Indian never lived, than this selfsame
Geronimo. cannot understand why Gen.
eral Crook should say otherwise. He was
tricky, treacherous, deceitful, dishonest.
murderous and in every way lawless.
Words cannot picture the infamy Of his
life during the years that he was terror
on the Arizona borders. The only
tine that he is good iniun is when he is
in chains, and Crook knows 1t as well rs
any one
'Gsrouimo was not known IN til 1876
He was one Of the famous chiefs belong
ing to the Chiricahua branch Of the
Southern Apaches which for many years
had made their homes in the Dragon and
Chiricahua mouRtains. Old Cochise was
their chief He was great warrior, old
Coehise, and did mueh to populate the
earth Of southeastern Arizona with the
clay of white men. In 1872 General How
ard and single aid went into very den Of
Cochise and succeeded in making treaty
Of peace which the verable Indian faith
fully kept till his death. At the same
time a tribe farther south, whose chiefs
we're Geronimo, Hoo and Nolgee, ex.
pressed a desire to be included in the
treaty. as they had su itching to share IN
the rations connected herewith. Coehise
left two sons, Tohzay and Nachee, the
former of whom had to kill old Skin-yea,
the head warrior of bis fathers cohorts,
before be held undisputed possession Of
the ohieftainship. 1t was to keep faith
with the white man that he did this deed,
and the young warrior afterward became
one Of the most trusted heutedants. He
died Of pheumonia in Washington and his
faitful bonee now rest in the COngreession-
al cewstery.
at was at this lime that Geronimo, the
serpent, appeared on the scene. Accom-.
! anied by Hoo and Eolgee be sought me
cut and told me how be joined with
Cochiss IN the Howard treaty They were
terribly anxious to 90 to San Carlos with
he sons Of Cochise and their people
They knew nothing at all, OF course
about the outbreak which had been start
e1 by the wicked skin,yen. They wer'
the very incest. tamest sayages in all th'
r world Would please give them a pas
no that they could go and get their fam
lies who we're aboat thirty miles away
. | said yes; but could not help suspectinl
the Indian, and had him shildowcd b.
my Indian scouts
"lt turned out that his camp was onl
ten miles away instead Of thirty AS sooi
as be get there he gave orders to march
The band was got into light marching or
der The dogs were killed, as their bark
8 lug might lead TO detection; the old AMI
disabled animals ware taken TO cafor
where they would not be likely to be dis
covered, and then away they won't at arar
= id race toward the Mexican line and th
Sierra mountains, which for so many year
+ afterward furnished hiding place AM
fortress for the renegades,
In March, 1877, young officer, Lieu
tenant Henley by name, was passing II
be Rio Graude, when Ds saw and recog
) nlzed Geronimo at Los Palomas, whithe
she latter had come to trade of some q
The stolen stock, as was his custom. Her
lev shrewedly surmised that the Che
was making hts headquarters at tn
Southern Apache Agency at OJo Calient
o or Hot Springs, and telegraphed Geners
: Kautz 10 that effect. The latter tele
graphed to the War Department, Whic
turned the case over to the Department {
the Interior. and got tho following orde
by telegraph:
WAsHINeToN, D. c., March 20, 1877
Agent Clum, san Carlos;
If practical take Indian police some
thing Of my own invention, by the way
and arrest renegade Indians at Souther
Apache Agency, seize stolen stock in theI
possession, restore the property to rightfr
owners, remove renegades to San Carlo
and hold them in confinement for murde
and robbery Call on military for aid
needed.
This meant business for me, tell yov
If | take little pride in the way carrie
out those orders do not think it is with
out reason. left San Carlos on Marc
o %, with l20 of my trusty Indian Police
armed with improved needle guns and
= good supply of Fixed ammunition. Th
distance as we went was about three hur
dred and fifty miles, and it had to be mad
by my little army on foot. In New Mex
co General Hatch had ordered eompanie
to render me all the assistance in thei
! power in case should meet with ssriou
} trouble. Our way was enlivened by th
reports that from two hundred and fifty
four hundreds rsnegadeswere in the mour
tains IN the vicinity of 0io caliente wall
ing to give US warm reception, but "
kept straight on as swiftly and silent a
y We we're able to 60. With my police
Is marched cautiously to within ten miles {
the agency, then left all but 25 in bio
7 ing and rode boldly in. Major Wade wa