The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1893-12-02
THE SAND OF AN OLD TIMER.
Fatal Bravery That Won u Rare Tributs
From Q Band Of Apachea.

| III oVNO Vt AN OcO INNER.
Fatal Bravery That Won u Rare Tributs
From Band Of Apaches.
A company of ranchmen sat about the
railroad station in Pomona the other aft
ernoon waiting for the belated overland
train for Los Angeles. Every man in
the party knew the others, and there be-
ing an hour or two to wait story telling
OF the early days on the border and in
Arizona and California came natural.
Stories Of old times, when Indians were
bad and the white pioneers knew what
bravery meant, were related. John Will
son Of Ell Monte told the most absorbing
story Of the hour:
Talk about sand in q man, gentle
men! am telling you that it takes sand
OF the genuine article in any man to try
and stand off single handed 40 or so
Apaches when he knows just how the
scrap will end, and that the end will be
his own death. But that was just the
kind Of sand that was in Felix Knox
when he was killed by the Apaches.
You see Knox was an all round gambler,
such as the tenderfoot from the east
scorns 30 much and knows 80 little
about. but he had heart in him bigger
than any tenderfoot's head. Well, it
was in the spring Of 1879 Knox, with his
wife and baby and a Mexican driver.
was coming from Silver City to Clifton,
down in Arizona. They got to York's
ranch, WHICH is on the Gila river, about
80 miles from Clifton, all right, but
were told there that signs of Apaches
had been seen, and that they had better
go in camp there for few days, but
Knox-whQ had fought the Apaches
dozens Of times and didn't know what
fear was-said he wanted to make Cliff
ton that day. Indians or no Indians,
well, the Kpoxes drove on. When
they were about two miles from York's
ranch, sure enough big buck Indian
came from behind q low, round top
mesa. Knox knew there were plenty
more Of the red devils hid there and
that it meant fight to death for him.
He was as cool as cucumber. He
jumped out of the wagon, filed his pock-
cts with two boxes Of cartridges, and
then kissed his wife and baby for the
last time, but saying that he would have |
the redskins quieted in q few minutes.
He ordered the Mexican driver to lash
the team for all he was worth and to |
drive back to York's ranch as fast as the |
horses could jump. Then Knox waved |
his hand to his wife and said he was go
ing to stand off few Apaches, although |
he was sure there was a big band of |
them. As the team and wagon few back
to the ranch Knox, rifle in hand, started
toward the hill for his last fight. He
burned once and waved his sombrero to
his wife and child and then strobe on to
mis- certain death.
''The Apaches second later rushed
'ut from behind the hill where they
we're secreted. Knox faced his foes, and
stock still pumped lead at
hem until he fell down dead. The
next day q party Of us was made up,
md we went out where the fight took
place. Knoxs body lay there amid the
cactus in the sun. The Apaches, con-
rary to their usual custom, had not mu-
,ilated the fellows body in the least.
They had taken clean pocket handker-
chief out of Knox's pocket and carefully
spread it over his face and had fastened
t there by putting small stone on each
,orner OF 1t to hold it in its place and
reep the hot sun from the dead mans
ACE. That was their tribute to the
and In Knox. Seventy empty shells
we're found that had been emptied from
znox's winchester, and one of the raid
ng Indians afterward said that their
,arty numbered AZ and that Knox had
Tiled seven Of them."-Pomona Prog
ees,