Arizona weekly citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz) 1880-1901, 1893-09-16

short oistaDce eway, and that y
r fused Tn take any part In tbe = -
! ce' digs, though few days later they
| intercepted ana totally destroyed '.ie
Of the flying bands that had esca y d
from WOOisey was rot required TO
make any report to the governnent
respecting Ills proceeding. IL Is thought
| thu tbs report relative to bis killing
the women and children reached army
b ad9uart5rs through the officer
commanding the detachment. ArlzoDans,
however, never lost any sleep. or shed
any tears over it, ever ii 1T have the
opposite effect on some who 1000 miles
distant, knew no more about the Indians
than thy did about the best method OF
their management.
Among the maGy stories related OF
Hug W"olsey IN connection with the
pioneer days of Arizona, one told by
his acqUaIutaaces at Aqua Caliente,
illustrates more than any other bis
utility OF resource and the bravery by
which he was enabled more than once
to cope. almost single handed, and to a
successful issue too, with the blood
thirsty and savage Apache.
About the close OF the war Woolsey
was living at Aqua Caliente, the place |
where he made his home when he |
first came to the courtry and which |
still belongs to his estate. The spring
was like an oasis in the desert and was
a fine resting place for the overland |
enigrsnt on his way to California. The |
trip was long ard lsborious, through |
New Mexico, every train was harrsssed
by the Indians, and they usual y
prnvp6 10 10 fe,I
themselves and animals for q few days
came through and csmped several
weeks a. Woolsey's place. They talked
long and loudly of fights they bad taken
part IN With the Comanches OF Texas
and lnsiDuated that as compared with
them the whole Apache tribe was Q very
Tame affair. Woolsey beard this till be
grew tired # it, and doubtless thinking
Tnat Ii ke most loud takers they were
cowardS, made the proposition that they
go with him into the Bradshaw
mountaIns and examioe some mining
claims he bad, assuring them that they
would undoubtedly get a chance at
; me Apaahee. Woolsey was q man by
no means foolbardy aud il be had any
idea OF their going be perhaps would
Iot have props the thirg, knowing
III VII as he did that the mountains
we're filled with Indians. and Roirg there
vas little les than certain death. The
Texas ans accepte', however, and there
W. no alternative but to 60. II
Packing three burros with supplies to |
do them several months, they started. |
themselves on foot. 1t chanced that
hey meet no savages til they got be-
'ond Wlckeuburg, but when they did
cone, they come in large numbers and {
20 the average man there would have
been little hope of escape. The fghn
asted from early in the morning til
hree or four o'clock in the afternoon. | I
Two Of the burros had beea killed, and {
heir packs lad been hidden 10 the
ocks, but the whites we're cut off from
Ta'e er, and knew that even il the Iodians
lid not press them it would only be a / I
question of a short time till they would
lave To expose themselves, then they 1
would be SHOT down. This was what {
me ndans were waiting for. They I
lever crowded white man, especially If 6
~ ur-s4 n picUs. '-sss.
nd there was any hope OF starving him | 6
ntp the open.
1t IS saii of Woolsey that when every
'tber resource failed he would ask for q
talk" and through these talks he o ten
made escapes. otherwise impossible. On
his occasion hs asked for talk" and c
he chief granted it. Before going he !
,ut sack IF pinole-a kind of parcbed :
neal-on the remaining buFro and with | :
t thoroughly m xed the larger part of
)ottle of sIrychnine that he carried with {
lin. He knew full we'll that the old {
:hief was aware of their straits and .
hat he would never let them out, and
lis object was only to g in time and
1--WE tn Indians a chance to display {
~ ir Inherent adaptab lity OF stealing
lie the conference was going on the 9
= ThIles took care that the burro got be- 4
lind, and concealed from them by all s
edge If rocks. No sooner did this
occur than the warriors crept out and
',ole him. PInole was favorite dish 81
mel g, in fact it is of Indian origin, and {
having had nothing to eat all day they |
began improving their time. makiog way
rot only with the meal but every thing I
Use the pach contained. Without let
ng it be known WooIsey was keeping \
me eye on the proceedings, while he 6
his palaver with the chief, {
hoping 10 gain time till the poison I
.nuld begin t. take effect. In a little {
while the guZzling war; ors began to
lsve hts in manner TO which their {
;ompanions were wholly unacus.omeo.
While one would be looking on and
xoDdering what was the matter with
his fellow, his limbs would begin to
1raw up md in few minutes be too
would oe dead. Pretty soon in their
they come to the conclusion !,
hat the whole thing was sbewitched, and
'uch as were able ran away in a picnic
W hen the fri. ht struch them Woolsey 1
and hls companions took refuge behind
he rocks ard opened up fusillade on
The fleeing savages. In half an, hour
hey come out, hunted up the burro,
oaded 1t from the Two packs concealed
% the rocks and started back to Aqua
having had enough of the
A paches. II
Several years later Woolsey met the
same chief and asked him how many
warriors be lost. In crestfalleu tone
for he attributed the whole thing
10 WOolsey anyway-hs said, "Many.
Indian can fight anymore till warriors
grow up."-R. E. l.. Robinson in Yuma
Times.