The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-15
ON THE MEXICAN TRAIL.
From the Chicago Times.

|
| history of Apache cruelty. Just prior
to the American conquest of Cali
! fornia a number of Mexicans and In
dams formed a settlement on the mesa
or table land near a cluster of springs
from which the railroad station of to,
! day has derived it's name. There were
perhaps forty or fifty settlers in this
Mexican-Indian village, the majority
being women and children. They cul-
tivated patches of maize and corn,
melons and fruits in the well-watered
canyons, and pastured few cattle.
| The springs was hating place for
| emigrants from Sonora and other Mex
| lean states TO California, and frequent
| " parties were intercepted and MUIR
dered by the -blood-thirsty Apaches,
! the Ishmaelites of the west"
The noted Indian scouts, Alexander
| Cooley, Kit Carson and Bill Williams
had in turn made it very warm for the
savages, and usually it was fight to
the death, very little quarter being
shown by either side.
Returning from scout, Bill Williams
and party having finished up lot OF
| savages near the spot where now stands
Williams, Ari., they encamped at the
'Ojo" springs On approaching the
settlement they were surprised by the
quietude and .stillness which pervaded
the apparently deserted country-a
painful quietude which always prepares
the mind for its worst realization.
On approaching closer the party saw
the smoldering embers of the few tule
huts, and on entering the only adobe
house on the rancheria they We're hor-
rified to find the dead bodies of
several men, women and children
lying upon the floor, slashed and
mutilated in the most horrible manner.
A bov about eight years old was found
clinging to the dead and mutilated
body of his mother, crying piteously.
This boy was the only one of the party
who escaped the massacre. How and
in what manner is not known. Around
the child's neck was suspended the
figure of the crucifix and locket bear
ing the name Pablo"
In the rear of the adobe house was
found the charred remains of those
bodies thrown upon the flames after
their person had been mutilated and
scalped.
The bones of the massacred settlers
were gathered and buried in large
grave, and monument of stones placed
upon the spot in memory of the tragedy.
Alexis Cooley and Kit Carson, with a
small party of scouts. took the trail of
the Apaches and killed large number
of them. Other scouting parties on
hearing of the massacre made expedi-
tions TO avenge the outrage. and for a
number of years the Apaches were
hunted as wolves and slaughtered with
out mercy, no quarter being shown
even to prisoners. The scouts knew
that no quarter would be shown them.
for the Apaches had raised the black
fiag-painted their faces and bodies
black, which is their tribal black flag.
No relatives of the little boy appear
ing, Gen. Fremont sent him to Wash
ington. where he was taken in charge
by United States Senator Benton.
father-in-law of Gen. Fremont. Sem
ator Benton gave the Mexican boy
good education, but, being naturally an
migrate, he deserted his benefactor and
came to the pueblo of Los Angeles.
Here the daring and ungrateful Pablo
naturally drifted into the worst ele-
ment of a frontier town. He became
connected with an underground rail-
road" of horse thieves, who stole droves
of horses from the ranchers and spir-
tied them away to Mexico. Finally he
was driven from Los Angeles. He set
tied in Sonora and acted as the receiver
for his confederates, who consigned
bands of stolen animals to his care. In
few years he became prominent IN
Sonorian politics, or rather revolutions
These were also the days of ''flibus-
tering," and there were numerous ex-
petitions by both land and ocean TO
iberate those who did not want iber-
t.. and who perhaps did not deserve it.
One of these was the Inflated Crabbe
expedition, of which, strangely, there
was only one survivor, also a boy of
about the age of Pablo, who survived
the Indian massacre.
The causes which led to the Crab
fihbustering party were, however, not
patriotism, but personal interest, and
this motive really is at the bottom of
all patriotism" A Mexican don.
named Alma. owned some rich silver
mines in Sonora, and the governor, be-
coming Jealous OF his increasing power
in consequence of his great wealth,
confiscated his mines and exiled him on
the usual grounds of conspiring against
the government. Alma came to the
pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles"
with his family, which consisted of his
wife and charming daughters-proud
OF their ancestry, educational accom-
plishments, grace and beauty. Henry
A. Crabbe, a soldier of fortune. Or
misfortune. was at the time of their
arrival in the pueblo. and somewhat in
the condition OF Micawber. De married
one of the three graces. and when the
revolution broke out IN Sonora he
thought he saw an opportunity for the
recovery of the rich silver mines Of his
father-in-law. Organizing an expeci-
ton of about one hundred men he set
out by land for Sonora with the view
of aiding the revolutionists. Pablo
was one of the conspirators, and
through some OF his acquaintance
Crabbe had been placed in communica-
ton with him and the assurance was
given that il the revolution was sue
ceSsful the confscated property would
be restored. After long and tedious
march over the desert the half-starved
and poorly-clad party arrived al Sonoi-
a. Ga lrbr lam -