The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-01-20
GAVE THEM HIS EYES.
A Prospector Saved His Life from In
dians by His Remarkable Nerve.

During 1912 Mr.. Rowe resided in
the Black Range country, New Mexico,
and while there had about as close a
call from death at the hands of Apache
Indians as any man who ever entered
the domain of the savage and then
came forth with scalp intact, says the
Butte Miner.
Like all others who went to that
locality while the mineral excitement
there was going on. Mr.. Rowe was
prospecting and made his headquarters
in the little gully leading up from
Wild Horse canyon. One bright
morning in June of 1882 he threw a
pick over one shoulder and a gun over
the other and left camp in search of
the golden treasure. little suspecting
that behind a cliff of rocks almost
directly in his path lurked the Vic
toria-Nana combination of Apache cut
throats. Victoria and Mana were the
most noted Apache chiefs that ever
murdered sheepherder or set a prai-.
rie fire, and to fall into their clutches
was supposed to be sure death.
AS Rowe sauntered down the gully,
picking float rock as he went, the In
dians lay ,and before he was aware
of their presence he was right among
them. Of course, he was astonished-
any one would be under the circum-
stances-yet he neither dropped dead
nor attempted to fight. He stood like
a statue, and the Indians, with guns
leveled. moved up and disarmed him
without saying a word. There were
about twenty in the band. which, under
their existing conditions, was sufficient
to whip the whole United States
government and Mexico thrown in.
Rowe acted in such meek manner
with them and seemed to resign him.
self to his fate in such an Indifferent
way that the red devils arrived at the
conclusion that it would be no fun to
kill him outright; that the cravings OF
their devilish nature would be better
satisfied if they tied him to tree and
tortured him.
With this amiable design Rowe was
tied up with his face toward the In
!; dians. For the purpose of giving him
chance to tear his hair, however
while the torture was in progress his
readiness to begin operations dispute
arose among the savages as to which
part of the body would first be dis
minute. debate the deadlock wa
broken by Chief Mana remarking in hi
, native tongue, which Rowe under
stands quite we'll, that one eye shoult
first be gouged out, then the ears Gu
off, the nose split. and the teet
knocked out one by one. Each Indial
. part, but Chief Geronimo was to hav
! the pleasure of gouging out the frs
1 eve. Jerking a long. ugly lookin;
knife from his belt he advance
: toward the captive, but when with
two feet of him Rowe reached up wit
: one hand and yanked out one of hi
l eyes and tossed it to the chief with tn
= remark: Don't put yourself to S
. much trouble, old man. Here is a
e eye for you, and when you want tn
other just let me know"
The action of Rowe in taking out th
eye was a paralyzer on the whol
h band. and the chief, who had receive
the token, dropped his knife and mad
a critical examination of the optic
y y others gathering about him in an cage
u endeavor to get glimpse of the ey
y that could be lifted out in such a maj
ner. 1t was passed from one to tn
- other and commented on, some of tt
ls remarks being funny in the extrem
- Finally the chief took the eye back
~ Rowe and informed him that if
" could put it back again and make
~ see he would not molest him furthe
>. With this proposition Rowe gent
Is lifted the eye in plain sight of all ar
= replaced it, whereupon he was liberia
:. ed and told to go his way, the Indial
y believing that he was something mo
10 than a human being. The eye. hov
"a "a ever. was glass and is still being ca
~ y, ried by Mr.. Rowe.