Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-24
-
BAD SAND.
Gave Up His Life to Protect His W ife and
Baby.

Baby.
company of ranchmen sat about the rail-
road station in Pomona The other afternoon
waiting for the belated overland train for Los
Angeles, says the Pomona Progress. Every
man IN the party knew the others, and there
being an hour or two to watt story telling Of
the early days on the border and in Arizona
and California came natural. Stories Of old
times. when Indians we're bad and the white
pioneers knew wha. bravery meant we're re-
lated. John Wilson of Ell Monte told the most
absorbing story Of the hour, as follows:
Talk about sand in a man, gentlemanl
am telling you that it takes sand of the gen.
uine article In any man to try and stand off
single handed forty or fifty Apaches. when he
knows just how the scrap will end and that the
end will be his own death. But that is just the
kind of sand that was in Felix Knox when he
WAS killed by the Apaches. You see Knox was
an all-around gambler such the tenderfoot
from the east scorp SO much and know SO little
about. but he had heart in him bigger than
any tenderfoots head. Well, it was in the
spring Of '79. Knox, with his wife and baby
and Mexican driver, were coming from Silver
City to Clifton. down in Arizona. They got to
fork's ranch, which is on the ella river, about
thirty 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 a
few days. but knox-who had fought the
Apaches dozens of times and didn't know what
fear wss-said he wanted to make Clifton that
day Indians or no Indians
"Well. the Knoxes drove on. When they
were about two miles from Yorks ranch sure
enough q big buck Indian came from behind \
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 OK the
filed hia pOcEats with two hOyaa of
cartridges, and then kissed his wife and baby
for the last time, but saying that he would
have the red skins quoted in a few minutes.
He ordered the Mexican driver TO lash the
team for all he was worth and to drive back to
fork's ranch as fast as the horses could jump.
Then Knox waved his hand to his wife, and
said he was going to stand off few Apaches-
although he was sure there was big band Of
them. As the team and wagon flew back to the
ranch Knox. rifle in hand. started toward the
hill for his last fight He turned once and
waved his sombrero to his vito and child, and
then strobe on to his certain death.
The Apaches a second later rushed out from
behind the hill where they were secreted Knox
faced his foes, and standing stock still pumped
lead at them until he fell down dead. The next
day party of made up, and We went
out where the fight took place. Kncx's body
lay there amid the cactus in the sun. The
Apaches, contrary to their usual custom, had
not mutilated the fellows body in the least
They had taken q clean pocket handkerchief
out Of Knox's pocket and carefully spread it
over his face, and had fastened it there by put
ting q small stone on each corner of il to hold it
in Its place and keep the hot sun from tine dead
mans face. That was their tribute to the sand
in Knox. Seventy empty shells we're found
that had been emptied from Kuox's Winchester,
and one Of the raiding Indians afterward said
that their party numbered forty-two and that
Knox had killed seven OF them