Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-03
THE HARDIE MURDER
General Grierson's Theory
Exploded.
10.
Indians Proved to Have Been
the Murderers.
Their Trail Followed to the Mexi-
can Line.
Signs That Seem to Indicate That They
Were Indians From San Carlos
Reservation.
Associated Press Dispatches.


SAN Francisco, June 2.-The Chroni-
cle's Tombstone, Arizona, special says +:
The assertion of General Grierson that
no Indians were out, and that Hardie
had not been killed by Apaches, was
disposed of today by the arrival OF
Lieutenant Fitch from the Mexican
line. Fitch said: "I was ordered to
Rucker caf1on after Hardie's murder,
and arrived there to find that Lieuten-
ant McGrath, of Bowie, had been there
before, and was on the trail of the
Apaches. l followed him, and camped
the same night with him, near Les lies
ranch. Next day we came up to dead
mare and colt. The latter had been
skinned and all the flesh packed off.
Both animals had been stabbed to death,
no doubt to save ammunition. Nine
animals had been stolen. We followed the
trail to within four miles of the line,
where a heavy sand storm covered it.
Remained there till yesterday morning,
when orders came from Bowie by hello
graph signals for Lieutenant McGrath
and myself to return to our posts. There
is no question about the murderers of
Hardie being Indians. The trail indi-
Gated that there were at least five of
them. They have gone into Mexico. l
do not know why we were ordered back
to our quarters"
A special to the Chronicle from Phe-
nix, Arizona, says: A report received
here TODAY from Tombstone saws that
Friday night between r. and l
O'Clock fires were seen in the
Milestone mountains, which, from
the way they were handled, were
undoubtedly Indian signal fires, prob
ably to communicate with another band
in the Chiricahuas. The fires were on
the highest peak OF the mountains, and
were allowed to blaze for a short time,
when they were suddenly extinguished.
1t is evident that this is fresh band,
direct from the reservation, who also
will make their way into Sonora on, the
other side of the Huachucas, and when
across the line, join those already there.
James Price arrived in Tucson last
evening from the eastern part of COchise
county. On the Friday preceding the
killing of Hardie, he struck the trail of
the band that did the killing, and
the trail, instead of leading to-
ward the reservation, was lead
ing away from it, and toward
Sonora, showing that the murderers
were not the band that had been raiding
along the border, but fresh lot direct
from the reservation. After killing
Hardie, they stole nine head of horses
from Frank Leslie, an old rancher. Will
iamReynold, who had charge Of the ranch,
missing, the horses, started in search
of them, and found an Indian trail,
which he followed some distance, COM
ing to place where they killed colt
and roasted it. At this place was small
fire, and judging from it and the size of
the trail, it is presumed that there were
at least six Indians in the party. They
abandoned at the ranch an Indian pony
broken down, which is another evidence
that they were direct from the reserva-
ton.
1t is also reported that Indian bucks
have been seen in the middle OF a pass
of the Dragon mountains.
1t is further reported that the Indians
have fathomed the mystery of heliog-
raphy, and with looking glasses are using
the stations for their owo purpose, and
to mislead the troops, thus further COM
plicating matters. 1t is possible, how
ever, that it is American bandits who
have mastered the heliograph system,
and are using the knowledge for their
own purpose