The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-09-27
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ELWOOD AND THE APICHES,
"A circumstance That Aided Him In Get
ting Knowledge of Their Wavs.

"A circumstance That Aided Him Ia Get
ting knowledge of Their WAYS.
IRON the Chicago Daily Inter-ocean.l
superstition forms the greater part
OF the Indians character" said John
Elwood yesterday. There are few peo.
pie that are in closer touch with the
lnolians, and especially the Apaches,
than Jack Elwood, as he is Familiarity
known through the Rockies. Jack is a
character Early in the sixties Jack
went to California. His fortune did NOT
come at once, and finally Jack drifted
pdcK toward the land of the rising sun.
ne landed in Arizona, and for years
mas peen one of the best known pros
pectors IN that territory He lives at
FhoenlX, and is getting almost too old.
one would think, to keep up his efforts
10 uncover a fortune, but it would not
De safe to tell Jack Elwood that. In
the latter part of the eighties Jack had
an experience while crossing the plains
tnat LED to his close relations with the
Apaches, and since then he has been
one OF the few who have the confidence
OF this band Of warriors.
How did I get my great stand-in
with the Apaches?' Well, TIL tell you,
hardly know" continued Elwood II
sort OF grew into their confidence, and
nave shared it more or less since about
1886. Long in January of that year
mad an occasion to get pretty intimate
ly acquainted with the Apaches.
In Phoenix in back street stands q
little adobe house. 1t is off by itself,
and its occupants have no communion
with any of their neighbors. 1t is the
nome Of an Indian by the name of
Melo, who, with his wife and two chill
dren, lives a quiet and solitary life.
They, like all Indians, are clannish,
They do not want to associate with the
outside world, and have little or moth
ing to do with their own people. I am
about the only one who ever gets inside
the threshold of that little adobe cot
tage From its doorway, to the east
can be seen in the distance -Four
Peaks with their SUBMITS covered
with snow. Between Phoenix and
these mountains is broad desert.
EARLY in January, 1885, l was cross
ing that desert with team. 1t is quite
trip, and the valley is quite warm
even In January. 1t is necessary to |
carry water across this plain, and I |
had a goodly supply in barrel on the |
wagon. Everything was going along |
In good shape until nearly noon. when |
an accident resulted in the loss of eve
ry drop of water we had. 1t was i'm |
possible to proceed far without water. |
and yet to remain there would be |
equally as serious. We did our best. |
Long in the evening / was picked IN
~ a band of Apaches in an almost ex-
lausted condition. They gave me wa
ers and one young couple who seemed
o be superior in intelligence fed me
, however, did not have my full senses.
The terrible strain on a dry alkali plain
without water and In burning sun |
vas enough to turn any ones brain,
ell you.
Indians are superstitious, illogical
lnd childish to a. degree of which no
lYilized man has any conception.
his was to my advantage. They
hought me insane, and, as they regard
ne out of his natural mind as some
hlng supernatural and to be reyered. |
hey treated me with the greatest kind
ess. l did not trust the Indians, and
ence when I began to recover my
mental balance I tried to give no out
yard evidence of this fact, and wan
cred among them in "a solitary and
peechless manner. / was shamming
Q get away all the time.
A few days after my arrival at camp
win boys were born to the young wife
the Indian who had fed me and
AIRED for me. This Is not any more
neommon among the Indians than
lseWhere, and although the red man is
assionately fond of children, yet they
Tpearance of twins and a crazy man
rs they thought me) forbode them evil.
nd the medicine man said that Mrs.
lelo was a witch, and that she and
er infants must be sacrificed. Melo
loaded for his wife, without avail.
he did not attempt to escape. / was
OF yet able to understand the Indian
and it was some time before
was aware of what troubled my
Dung friends. Already the dance had
and only a few hours re-
lained before the mother and her chill
rem would be burned. l made my es-
ape and succeeded in reaching the
gency Here, with much trouble, /
scured detachment of cavalry and
d them back to the Indian camp.
Il had no hope of being in time; but, |
the chief had eaten some
ling that did not agree with him, and
lie sacrifice was postponed a few
ours. When we rode up the noise Of
lie beating of tomtoms and the singing r
dancers drowned out the sound of
Y