Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1894-09-07
ON THE MEXICAN TRAIL
ONE OF THE HEROIC DEEDS OF
KIT CARSON.

| TO and Bill williams Trimmed Out n
Hand of Troublesome savages--Indians
Had mastered All the Inhabitants Of
village Except Ono Small Boy.
Near Peach Springs, Ariz.. on the
"Old Mexican trail' leading from
| Sonora to California, there is pile
OF stones marking the spot where
occurred one of the most bloody
mass cres in the history of Apache
cruelty just prior to the American
conquest of California a number OF
Mexicans and Indians formed a set
! Element on the mesa or table land
near cluster Of springs from which
the railroad station of to-day has de-
rived its name. There were perhaps
forty or fifty settlers in this Mexi-
can-Indian village, the majority be-
ing women and children. They Guilt
waited patches of maize and corn,
melons and fruits in the well-watered
canyons, and pastured few cattle.
/ Tho springs was halting place for
emigrants from Sonora and other
| Mexican states to California, and
frequently parties were Intercepted
and murdered by the ''blood- thirsty
| Apaches, the Ishmaelites of the
Vest
| The noted Indian scouts, Alcxan-
, der Cooley, Kit Carson and Bill
| Williams had in turn made it very
warm for the savages, and usually it
was a fight to the death. very little
quarter being shown by either side.
Returning from a scout Bill Will
Jams and party having finished up
lot of savages near the spot where
now stands Williams, Ariz.. they en-
| camped at the "Ojo" spring. On
! approaching the settlement they
were surprised by the quiet'ude and
stiffness which pervaded the appar-
emily deserted country a painful
quictude which always prepares the
mind for its worst realization.
On approaching closer the party
saw the smonldering embers OF the
few tule huts, and on entering the
only adobe house on the rancheria
they were Mortified to find the dead
DOolcS VI SCSCIdl JlCL, NOtuCu duu
children lying upon the floor,
slashed and mutilated in the most
horrible manner. A boy 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
had escaped massacre. How and in
what manner is not known. Around
the child's neck was suspended the
figure of the crucifix and locket
bearing the name of Pablo
The bones of the 1nassacred set
tiers were buried in large grave
and monument of stones placed
upon the spot in memory of the
tragedy.
Alex Cooley and Kit Carson, with a
small party of scouts, took the trail
of the Apaches and killed a large
number of them, says the Chicago
Times. Other scouting parties on
hearing Of the massacre made expe-
dition to avenge the outrage, and
for a number of years the Apaches
were hunted as wolves and slaugh-
tered without mercy, no quarter be-
ing shown even to prisoners. The
scouts knew that no quarter would
be shown them, for the Apaches had
raised the black flag painted their
faces and bodies black, which is
their tribal black flag.
No relatives of the little boy APP
pearing, General Fremont sent him
to Washington, whore he was taken
in charge by United States Senator
Benton, father-in-l law OF General Ere
mont. Senator Benton gave the
Mexican boy good education, but
being naturally an migrate, he de-
serted his benefactor and came to
the pueblo of Los Angeles. Here
the daring and ungrateful Pa
bio naturally drifted into the
worst element of a frontier
town He became connected with
an underground railroad" OF horse
thieves. who stole droves of horses
from the ranchers and spirited them
away to Mexico. Finally he was
driven from Los Angeles. He set
tied in Sonora and acted as the re-
ceiver for his confederates. who con-
Dis HSu DduoS VI Sboieu dulLuSiS W
his care. In few years he became
prominent in Sonorian politics, or
rather revolutions. A Mexican don,
named Alma, owned some rich sill
yer mines in Sonora, and the gov
ernor, becoming jealous OF his in
creasing power in consequence OF
his great wealth, confiscated his
mines and eSiled him on the usual
alleged grounds of conspiring
against the government. Alma came
to the 'pueblo de la Reina de Los
Angeles" with his family. which con-
sisted of his wife and three charm
ing daughters proud of their an
cestry, educational accomplish
ments, graces and beauty. Henry A.
Crabbe. soldier OF fortune, was at
the pueblo. He married one of the
three graces, and when the revolu-
tion broke out in Sonora he thought
he saw an opportunity for the re-
covery of the rich silver mines of
his father-in-law. Organizing an
expedition of ABOUT 100 men he set
out by land for Sonora with the
view of aiding the revolutionists
Pablo was one of the conspirators.
After a long and tedious march
over the desert the half-starved and
poorly clad party arrived at Sonoita,
in Sonora. There Crabbe learned
that the leaders of the revolution
had been bought off by the govern
ment, and that Pablo. upon whom he