Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-06-29
A Good Story.


hates every other Indian of the
West, and is ready to make war up
on him. No white man has ever
fallen into his clutches and escaped
the torture. Ordinary tortures are
tame to the Apache. He invents
new ones. On his own agency, and
in time of profound peace, the APP
ache is a devil lying in wait for
white victims.
Two weeks before it was known
that Geronimo had left the San
Carlos Reservation settler on the
Upper Gila named Bellair, whose
former home was in Wisconsin, sat
smoking his pipe after dinner. On
his knee he had his daughter, a
child five years old, and the wife
was busy clearing the table. Five
Indians suddenly entered the back
door. Red men had often visited
the cabin and been Hospitality en-
tertained, but the moment the five
stepped in Bellair realized that they
were bent on mischief. AS he
started to his feet an Indian sprang
forward and struck at him with a
rifle. The blow fell upon the child's
head and crushed it like paper.
Bellair seized the gun, wrested it
away, and set upon the five to drive
them out. Two of them had seized
the wife, and were trying to pull
her out doors. The husband laid
about him with such desperation
that the Indians were seized with a
momentary panic, and retreated.
He turned the gun and shot one of
them dead at the door, and the other
four ran about so rods to cover.
1t was plain enough that it was a
raiding party from the reservation
after scalps and plunder.
About Is rods from the house on
the opposite side from which the
Indians had taken cover, the ranch
men had constructed an outdoor
cellar. This had been accomplish
ed by digging into hill for several
feet and inclosing the front with a
double row of planks. There was a
stout door, and two or three places
had been left for ventilation. Bel
lair instantly decided to occupy the
cellar and make the best defense
possible. While the wife was COL
lecting few articles, he carried the
dead body of his child to the place.
Returning he got his rifle, revolver
and ammunition, and she took a Jug
of water and all the ready-cooked
food in the house.
Thus far the Indians could have
had no suspicious that the house
was being deserted, but as Bellair
made another trip to secure a sum
of money he had in the house, he
was seen and fired upon. He ran
about half the distance to the cellar,
and then received bullet in the
heart and fell dead. The four In
dians dashed forward to scalp him,
but the wife stood in the doorway
and wounded one in the side with a
shot from the revolver, and the
gang sought cover. Had the hus-
band lying there before her eyes ex-
hibited the faintest sign Of life the
wife would have chanced all to
bring him in, but as she fully re-
allied that he was dead she with
drew to the cellar to await the next
movement of the Indians. Fortu
nately for her the door swung in
ward. The cellar had not been put
to use yet, and she had plenty of
room to move about. One of the
planks left inside furnished a prop
for the door, and she was in a situa-
tion to stand a siege from half the
band.
As soon as the woman had escap-
ed them temporarily the redskins
turned their attention to the house.
They did not dare to set it on fire,
for fear the smoke might bring
help, but every article which they
coveted was carried out, and they
then took axes and demolished every
article of furniture and chopped up
the floor. This work occupied them
for about an hour, after which they
turned their attention to the wom-
an. A dead child in the darkness
with her, dead husband in the
sunlight under her eyes, the saw
ages reasoned that she must be
overcome by her emotions. They
attempted to approach her under
cover Of flag of truce, but a shot
proved that she saw through their
villainous design. There were only
three to take an active part, and
she had no fear that they could