Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1890-07-25

all Of their horses aud camp outfit captur-
ed. This captured property the scOuts
claimed, as had bsen the custom in the
past, and after a second surprise had
occurred every one Of tho Indians
who had started out on ioot was in poss-
sssion Of hOrse aad saddle, all Of which
had been taken Origiaally iron Msxicans.
In July The 6rst company Of seouh we're
Ssat il, and lhirto-tws nsw ones took their
places Again the hostile cinp was sur-
prissd. and again their stolen properly fell
nte the handa Of the scouts. Captain
l.Awtsn was always in favor of returning
captured property to the MsxieanS 10
whom il belonged but was uAabls to do
aaytbiRg, owing 10 the long established
custom 10 the eoattary. On one occasion
some Msxiesns in the district Of saueripi
identified the brand on thu horses, but the
Indian seouts refused to give them up IL.
the closing scenes Of the campaign, whsn
Geronimo came into Fert BOwis on the
morning Of September 4, 1886, his band
some ffty horsss, atolen in tse district Of
Ures, which wsrs turned ihtO the govern
meat corral. The Ihdians left the next
day for Florida, but were stepped in San
Antonio, Texas, and when the writer re-
turned to Bowie. after the lapse Of some
tive weeks. he found that all Of the horses
had been sold.
1t has besn the iuvariabls custom to
consider stock taken from the hostile In
dians as captured property, and, as al
ready stated, it sometimes passes into the
hands OF the Indian scouts, And is carried
back to the reservations and at other
tunes is sold by the gOvsrnmsut, but in no
instance is 1t ever returned to the rightful
Asxiean owners.
The MexlcAns have good cause to CON
PLAIN Of the failure of our government to
protect their citizens, and there are even
instances Of Mexieahs being killed in Son
ora by lEdlsa scouts while in the service
of the United States and wearing the
army uniform. The truth Of this is
vouched for, not only by many Mexlcans,
but by Americans resident OF Sonora. la
ems instance Mr.. George Woodward, a
well-to-do miner Of Guasabas, came upon
three OF Captain Crawford's scouts in the
mountains. and they tried to kill him; but
ne, being an old fronhersman, knew how
to protect himself, and after a long fight
succeesled in killing one Indian and
wOuadug the other tive, There are many
other cases equally we'll auth nticdted,
which shsw that the Apache scouts com
mitted Jspredatiens while ia the service Of
eur government. At the time the gallant
Captain Enmit Crawford was killed by
Mexican troops 4 cry Of Mexican out
rage was raised all over the country but
the facts are that the scouts and hosties
were encamped so close together that it
was I'm possible for the MexicAns to dstin-
guish them, aad from SVidSnes Of the
two or three white men who we're ia the
6ght it is almost certain that GeronlmOs
Land jolHsd the battle, and helped tue
scouts 10 drive off the Mexicans. The
Apache scents we're always treacherouS,
aud when General Miles replaced the
Chiricahaa scouts with White Msnntain
and San Carlos it was a step in the right
direction; but even thtss wore not to be
depSndsd upon, and Lawton's sueeeSs was
due in y measure to the fact that he mis-
trusted his Indian scouts and relied upon
his own troops to do the work
The treacherous character Of the Apache
Indian is str,kingly illustrated by the re-
cent outbreak at the San Carlos agency.
The Indians interested are some of the
very same ones who served as scouts With
the American troops in pursuit Of Gsroni-
mo aud his bAAd They we're well treat
ed, well paid, and well fed, but their love
Tor excitement aud bloodshsd is so great
that they have besn unable to romaiR
quietly on the reservation, and now that
they haYe ne more Chiricahuas to fight.
have gone on a raid of their own. Off
cial reports show that several friendly
Indians have already been killed and the
Arizona papers state positively that ten
Indians hsYe LETT The reservations and have
net bseu overtaksn by the troops in pur
suit. The probabilities are that they have
gene south, heading for their cid stamp
iHR.grcAnds in Sonora. II such is the case
thsir raid will certainly be the Iloodlest
in modern times, for the moantains are
full Of Americans, who are in utter ignor-
ance Of aRy IndiAh trouble.
If IN the present raid Mexican citizens
are killed and their property destroyed
the American government will be more to
blamt than oa any former occasion, fer
the southwest froR.ier has been left with
out the protsetiOa which ordiaary eauhoa
wOuld have suggested Whsa Geronimo
was csptursd the pack trains ID the Terri
tory we're sent 10 the Northwest. The
white and IAdian scouts we're discharged.
with the exceptions Of two companies for
Arizsna snd New Mexico, And all Of the
helioeFGph stations Wers disesatiAued.
According TO reliable, reports the troops
in the Territory were practically stripped