Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-11
Remarkable Story Of an Indian Who
Was Once a Hostile.
MISFORTUNE OF A BAD REPUTATION
He Was Always Under Suspicion
and Now is in Prison.
HIS RELEASE PROPOSED

| Es-kim-in-zn, an Apache chief, held as "a
prisoner Of war at Mount Vernon barracks,
Alabama, is the subject Of correspondence
between the Interior and the War Depart
ents. The case is an interesting one.
| The War Department alleges that Es-kim-
| in-zin is a treacherous cruel and bad In
dian, while the par tisans Of Es-kim-in- Yin
assert that these charges are false, and
| that the Indian has been sentenced and ex-
lied without trial and without the filing Of
specific charges. An application for the re-
lease Of Es-kim-n- Yin was made to the In
terror Department four years ago, and by
the Indian bureau was referred to the War
Department, which reported adversely to
the Indian Recently the case was brought
to the attention of Mr.. Sims first assistant
| secretary Of the interior, by Mr.. John P.
Clum, at present post office inspector, but
forE. erly agent at the San Carlos reserva-
ton, Arizona.
The case has been referred by Mr.. Sims
to Darrell NJ. Browning, commissioner Of
Indian affairs. and in turn referred by him
to the War Department. There the case
rests, but an investigation is promised.
Gen. Howard, U. 8. A., is friend Of the
exiled Apache, and believes that he should
be released. 1t is claimed by those inter-
ested in the exile that. the order expelling
him from Arizona was. at best, a military
precaution, and certainly could never have
been regarded as a military necessity.
Capt. Wothsrspoon, commandant at Mount
Vernon barracks, is also sympathixer
with the imprisoned chief Vincent Colyer
states to the authorities that Es-kim-in- Gin
was the first Indian chief who came into
the military post at old Camp Grant,
Arizona, In the spring of 1871, and asked TO
be allowed to live In peace. 1t Is asserted
that while there under the protection OF the
American flag, and assured by the army Of
fiecrs that he and his people could sleep In
their camp in as perfect security as the sol.
diers could in theirs. they were, In the early
dawn, set upon by band OF assassins un-
der the leadership of Americans. and l2s
of his tribe, his family, relatives and friends,
old men. women and children, were brutal
ly murdered and their bodies mutilated
Again Assaulted.
Es-kim-in-zin saved only one member Of
his family from the slaughter, and this
was little girl, two and half years old,
whom he caught in his arms he fled.
Es-kim-in-zin, the day after the massacre,
returned to Camp Grant where the COM
handing officer assured him that no soldier
had any part in or sympathy with this
brutal butchery. With this assurance he
returned with the survivors of his band,
and once more placed themselves under the
protection Of the troops. Within six weeks
his camp was charged by a troop of white
soldiers, his people assaulted and driven
into the mountains. 1t was stated in ex-
tenuation' by the authorities that this was
very unfortunate blunder. 1t appeared to
Es-kim-in-zin like trickery and he became
erraged. He was stirred to revenge, and
later, either he, or one of his friends, killed
white man.
His friends maintain that it was wonder
full that he stopped at the death Of only one
OF race with which he had formerly main
tanned relations Of perpetual war and who
since truce was declared had exercised, as
he believed and had reason to believe, so
VI n roc RharHT
and his people.
The enemies of Es-kim- in-zin emphasize
his crime by saying that the man who was
KILLED had befriended him. His friends say
mat these people appear to lose sight of the
fact that all this treachery, cruelty and
murder toward the Apaches was enacted
after the most solemn assurances of friend
ship and protection had been made to the
Indians by The commissioned officers of the
American government.
Injustice Pointed Out.
1t is said that one of the papers filed in
the case in behalf of Es-kim-in-zi con-
tains the following paragraph: rs II not
strange that we can pass lightly over the
Us treacherous and cowarly murders in
stlgated by white men, while we carefully
treasure the memory of q single killing by
an Indian, and after the lapse of TWENTY
tnree years point to him and say: This man
murdered his friend without even giving
him the benefit of the circumstances which
instiga ted the crime
Within the two years which followed the
missioner Colyer and Gen. o. @. Howard
visited Arizona. Post Office INSPECTOR CHM,
TOLD The Star reporter that these officers
dld not find Es-kim- in-zin "treacherous,
cruel and bad, but that, on the contrary
they had great confidence in him. and that
Gen. Howard believes in the old chief 10
tnls DAY. MIR. Clum states that when he
went to Arizona in 1874 as the Indian agent
hn IL
prisoner Of war at new Camp Grant IN
irons. engaged in making adobes for the
soldiers and that then, as now there were
no specinc charges against him. Mr.. Clum
saiu mat the officers at the post told him
the indian was confined because a certain
major of the United States army did not
ike him, and regarded him as q bad In
dian. '"N III
He Was Suspected.
In 1874 Agent Clum made an official re-
quest for the release Of Es-kim-in-xn. which
was complied with without opposition on
the part of the military. From the time of
his release to the time that Agent Clum Ieft
San Carlos no man was more faithful to
the interests of the reservation than tbis
indian. Agent Clum has stated to the an
tnoriues that in the trying times at San
Carlos In 1874 to 1877 this chief was never
round wanting in action or advice The
agent frequently depended upon mis- support
when he felt his life in danger, and the old
chief never failed to do his duty well When
Mr.. Clum left San Carlos Es-kim-fn- zin ey
pressed fear that there might again no
trouble at the reservation, and he said that
ne would go down on the San Pedro and
take up some land and live like a white
man. that the authorities might not blame
him for what should afterward happen at
the reservation. Es-kim-in- gin took IN a
ranch on the San Pedro in 1877 improyed
1t with irrigation bitches and stocked II
When Victoria and his outfit left the reser-
Vauon IL was at once rumored that Es-
klm-in-zin was in sympathy with the rene
gades. At every fresh rumor of trouble Wit h
the Indians at San Carlos fresh charges
We're made against the ex-chief of the San
Pedro, accompanied by frequent demands
that he should be imprisoned or killed The
Arizona Citize1 was about the only paper in
al that region which said good word for
the old Indian. 0'
He TeIIs-His Story.
The subsequent story of Es-kim-in-z in is
best told by himself ir a statement made IN
Capt. Wetherspcon, under date of March
1882. and which is now on file at the War
Department. Substantially it is as follows.
Seventeen years ago 1 took I'D a ranch
on the San Pedro, cleared the brush and
took out water ditch ybicl, 7 ,,,o3o