Arizona silver belt., 1890-03-08
THE ApAeHES.
wha: Gov, wolfiey Told t,se cassnsittee on
 Enasan AHairs concerning Them.

pVNSt Hot t7eNls " SihcS III " Hsh ington, on February 18th, appeared before the Committee on Indian Ar fairs and addressed them as follows: Mir Chairman and gentlemen of the
 Committee;
 if the Apache Indians now at Mt. Vernon Barracks, Alabama, are sent to Fort Sill, and allowed to farm, or nave herds of stock, as proposed by the Secretary of War. you had as well return them 10 thelr old haunts at San Carlos. There are Apaches now at Fort Sill, Plates band, having re- laGons at the Mescalero Agency in southern New Mexco, and between them there IS constant interchange of visits, though the distance IS three hundred miles
 From the Mescaiero Agency to the Sierra Madre Mountain in old Mexico. or the san Carlos Agency, is region of country well known to these 4 pa ches and their friends. It would therefore, only be question, as to when they concluded to go, for the country is thinly settled and just in tue condition to suit their purposes that IS enough stock tor them 10 steal, enough settlers for them to murder, and yet net so many as 10 make if dangerous for them.
 If they are taken to Fort Sill, and detained as prisoners, what advantage is to be gained? Fort Sill is by far a more slckly place than Mt, Vernon Barracks General Crook, in hs of ticial report to the Secretary of War of January 6th, 1890, says:
 "With regard to the present condi- tioa oftbssa iRdisnz, they appeared with 3 few exceptions, to be healthy and strong There has, however, been a great number of deaths among them. This mortality has been much more normal, and would seem due to home sickness, change of climate, and the drca y monetony of empty lives. They need something 10 do, something to occupy their heads and hands"
 It would, therefore. seem entirely unnecessary to mose them for reasons of health; on the contrary, it wouid be much worse for the Indians, as they would certainly be "homesick and tbe change of climate would again serious ly affect them, especially so, as Fort Sill, is a more sickly place, as shown by the army records of health at both places.
 Does 1t occur to apy of you gentle. men, that boioeoickness is singular reason 10 apply to criminals. Would you, gentlemen, think that l, as gov. ernor, would be justified for any sucL reason in extending executive elem ency to prisoners in the penitentiary Certainly you do not think 1t iusti liable reason. Yet m this case, i seems to stand as the foremost reason ! for the change. The only ether reason 1 I can think of, is the fact that il 1 March, 1886, General Crook accepted i the terms of Geronimo, that they should take a trip east for not exceed i ing two years, but this was promptly l refused by t5e President Yet nigh rot this be the reason why Genera Crao& now comes forward with thi proposition that they should go back because he did make this agreeinen that two years sheuld be the term o i the exile and that he now finds it con yenient to forget that the Presiden dlsapproyed hls ahjcct terms
 Governor W olhey read the follow ing extracts from the report of th' Secretary of War, of 1886;
 1. That they should be sent t,as for not exceeding two years, takin, with them such of their families a they desired.
 ,. That they should all return |, the reservation on the old status.
 3. "To the war-path with all it's at tending horrors. :"
 He was obliged 10 decide quickly and accepted their surrender on tn first proposal, and the whole part. started, escorted by the Apache scout under Lieut. Mans, for Fort Bowie.
 The terms ot the surrender were re cejved here March 30th The respons of the President was, that their i'm prisonment in the East for two year and their return to the reservation could not be approved. Certain in struetions were given, but before Gen eraI Crook received the dispatch Geronimo amt Matches with twent men and thirteen .wotnen left Lieut.
 Maus camp on the night of the 29ti and escaped to the mountains. Tn remainder of tue band, numbern
 sixty, under Chihuahua, were sent [ l Fort Marion, Florida, where they ar
 now held as prisoners. The childre have baen sent to the Indian school a