The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-28
A HEAD FROM ARIZONA.
It Once Belonged 10 an Outlaw and
Ought to Be Worth Thousands.

over .Years-other Criminals Who
Dignifed Their Crime with His
Name.
From the San Francisco Examiner.
Early in the '7Os a young Mexican came
up from Chihuahua and went to work on
a cattle ranch in Arizona. He was Just
like any other vaquero for quite while.
He could ride anything thathad hoofs and
spent more on his hat and bride than he
did on all the rest of his outfit. He got
drunk every pay day just like any of the
other boys, played monte and growled
when he had to stand the night watch.
One day, just after getting the $50,
which was his months. earnings, he got
on a worse tear than usual, and he had
not got the mescal thoroughly out of his
system when he was selected by the
major domo to bring band of cattle in
from one of the outer ranches. It was
an all-night job and the young Mexi-
can did not like it. However, he
went along and got the COWS.
He ought to have been back the next Gay,
but he wasn't, and he was missing the
dav after that. Then the major domo
went after him. He didn't find him at
the upper ranch, nor had he passed the
branding corral on his way home. At the
little ranch where he had gathered up
cattle all the tracks pointed the other
way. He had not even started to come
back. They found some of the hides and
more of the beef in a butcher shop at Tue
son, and pretty soon it was the sheriff
who was looking for the young Mexican.
He found him eating supper at ranch
on the QuijOtoa road and arrested him.
+oI no al h11t thaxr
never got to Tucson. Next day the dep
uty sheriff's body was found by the road
side.
The young Mexican's name was Ge-
ronimo. Geronimo Balloon, they called
him on the company's payroll, but.
through the years that followed, he
changed his name every time he changed
his horse, and that was whenever he
found better one.
Geronimos head is now in San Fran
cisco His body was food for coyotes
years ago.
Geronimo never was pretty to look at,
and death and naturalization have not i'm
proved his features.
That head before he got through with
it, assumed a great value To begin with,
there was the reward offered for him be-
cause of the murder of the deputy sheriff
and the cOmpanys reward for his appre-
hension as cattle thief. He wore the head
for ten years after this and each year saw
an increase in its value. When he
killed the deputy, Geronimo found
himself with two good horses, a rife, a
slX-sh0Oteran an excellent stock of am
munition. He knew there would be other
deputy sheritfs after him, and he knew
that no matter what he did now his pun
ishment would be no greater. So he
went into the bandit business and soon
arose to the head of his profession in the
territory. There were stages running all
over the southern country at that time
and most of them carried bullion. If
they didn't have bullion on board there
was pretty sure to be q mining expert or
visiting mining president, or something
OF that sort to make a hold-up worth
while. 1t got so that the mere appear
ance Of Geronimo along the roadside
would stop stage
lie was not a courteous highwayman
like Claude Duyal,. and he did not write
poetry like Black Bart, but he was prob
ably more effective as a stage robber
than either; nor did he contine his at
tentlon entirely to the road There were
lots like him in that section of Arizona
and he could always get men to help him
run off band of cattle or rob a lonely
mountain store He didn't get away
with all his enterprises, however, and
he saw the inside of several iails in the
"
willing TO take chances, and no adobe
prison could hold him. If there was a
lailer in the way Geronimo or his
friends attended to him Once he
nearly reached the end of his rope in
SolOmonville. A posse got him in a blind
canyon in the San Francisco mountains
and after shooting few holes through
his legs and arms, secured him. 1t was
some time before he was well enough to
be tried. He had sufficient sense to keep
up the appearance of weakness as long as
possible By the time the doctors and
the county authorities thought he was
well enough to totter to the court house,
ne was really in condition for a prize
night or foot race. No one knows yet
exactly how he did it, but on the morning
mat ne was to go to court, the iaiier en-
tered his cell to wake him and found I'M
Ger the covers no bandit at all, but merely
pillows and other things bundled up to
look like a man.
He of course knew every foot of the
mountains and deserts in the southeastern
corner of the territory, and had friends in
hlulng places in all sorts of unlikely
Spots. He was heard Of after his escape
III Yavapai county. A saloon row started
over some alleged crooked dealing in a
faro game, and when the smoke of the
pistols had cleared away there were three
uead men on the floor. The smoke was
not all that disappeared. The Mexican
VINO started the light was gone, and so
was the money that the faro dealer had
SACKED on his table-iust as shopkeepers
nave their displays in show windows.
Inc Mexican was Geronimo Balloon One
OF the dead men was his partner; the
oIher two were the dealer and lookout of
the faro game.
Alter Gerenimo had got his reputation
up IN Arizona as a killer and all-ar0und
criminal, he was identified as Cipriano
Aoelals, for whom the Mexican authori-
ues had stone wall and file of soldiers
NalIlng for a number of years. Cipriano
was the head of quite band of bandits
VINO rendezvoused in the Sierra Madre
.1ney committed all manner of depreda-
tlohs and defed the soldiers and civil au-
,thoIlCes of Chihauhau and Sonora for
-oHS llmc. Their last big achievement
was the conquest of the town of Las
ttafPas. They actually held the town for
Two days and finally went of laden with
.Gol. 80 much did they attempt to carry
."dg the soldiers overlook them and in
.ue battle that followed the bandits were
pretty well cleaned out Cipriano es-
oaPed nor was he heard of again until
So Geronimo he was continuing this same
the line
ne rewards on his head in Arizona
f frNe New Mexico reached an astonishing
ii tre' out'there were not great many
- tIe territory who cared to attempt TO