Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-07-15
SHY'S INDIAN FIGHT.
HE STOOD OFF SEVENTEEN APAcHEs
WITH HIS RIFLE.


at Las Vegas waiting to take the south
ward bound train-a quiet, buslnesslike
man, evidently ranchman or miner. A
resident Of the town called the attention
Of a tourist to him and said:
CHATS John Shy. Never heard of him.
John T. Shy of Deming, manager Of the
Missouri Florida Cattle company? Talk
about your long haired Indian fighters
They amt in 1t with him. That man sim
gle handed fought and stood off II Apaches
all one afternoon. 1t was ten years ago
when Chief Geronimo was on the warpath
and was making things warm for ranch
men and prospectors In southern New
Mexico and Arizona. John Shy at that
time, the same as now, was the manager
of the cattle company, whose range lies
about the Florida mountains, 90 miles
south of Deming. With his wife and little
son he resided upon the ranch in neat
frame house. In cottage close by lived
Mr. and Mrs. Yeager from Missouri Mr..
Yeager was one Of the owners of the cattle
outfit.
son bright autumn morning In 1888
Mr. and Mrs. Yeager drove to Deming In
their carriage. There they made some pur-
chases, called on friends in town, and in
the afternoon started for home. 1t was
the last time they were seen alive by their
friends Meantime at the ranch John Shy,
who had been hunting strayed stock out
on the range, came back to his house at
noon, played with his boy while dinner
was preparing and then the family sat
down at the table.
Something darkened the window, and
Mrs. Shy screamed. An Apache stood just
outside in the act Of aiming a gun at her
husband. As John Shy sprang for his
rifle the Indian fired, missing him. The
wells of band of Indians and the tram
ping of hoofs outside came simultaneous
" with the bursting upward of flames and
smoke, showing that the house had been
fired. Back of the house was a hillside
thickly wooded with low growth Of pinon
and scrub oak. Out through the back door
the inmates broke for the hillside, the
husband covering their retreat with his
rifle. Before they could gain a place of
shelter an Apache bullet wounded the boy.
Dropping behind bowlder, John Shy told
his wife and boy to secrete themselves in
the thicket in the rear and then gave bat
tie to the Indians.
at was a mounted band Of II Apaches
that ne had to deal with. While some of
them fred upon him from a distance,
others dismounted and crept as near him
as they dared taking advantage of every
object and inequality of ground to shelter
their approach. They were well armed and
every time he showed his head 1t brought
rain of bullets about him. While the In
dams nearest him kept up their firing to
compel him to remain closely under cover,
the mounted ones suddenly charged upon
him. Peering from behind his sheltering
rock, John Shy saw ten Apaches riding at
top speed toward him, not 100 yards away.
without needing the bullets from the en-
emies In conccalmcnt about him, he rose
on one knee, and, steadying his elbow
upon the bowlder, worked his repeating
rife with tho skill that comes from cool
ness and lifetime practice. His first shot
dropped ono of the ponies fiat at his sec
ond u warrior rolled to the ground under
his horses belly, and at his fourth or fifth
shot another warrior dropped his gun and
clutched at his elbow. That was enough
for the red riders, who came no farther,
but picking up the fallen Indian from the
ground circled back and got away out of
range rs fast as they could.
Presently the Indians charged again,
but this time they had learned to respect
John Shy's rifle and did not venture so
after that, few of them remained with
the ponies while tho others dismounted
and joined those who We're attacking him
from concealment. All the characteristic
skulking and stratagems of tho Apaches
We're employed In the attempt to kill this
lone white man. Some of the warriors
crcpt round to the hillside ~ as to attack
him on the flank and rear which com.
pclled him to leave the bowlder and crawl
back into the thicket behind him. Here
the Indians We're loath to follow him, not
liking the notion of coming to close quar-
tcrs with man who had shown such nerve
and readiness in the use of his rifle. Some
where among the scrub oak and pinon he
knew his wife and boy We're hiding, but
he did not dare call to them, as every
sound or movement made in the thcket
brought volley from the Indians aimed
Mt the spot.
"A cowboy riding by at distance saw
the burning house and heard the sound of
firing mt the Missouri Florida ranch. He
set spurs to his horse and rode into Deming.
A volunteer party was quickly mustered.
Half way to the ranch they came upon she
first evidences of the Apaches' work. The
carriage of the Yeagers. who had left Dem
ing that afternoon, lay overturned beside
the trail, and near it was stretched Mr..
Yeager, shot to death and mutilated. Far
Their along they found the body of Mrs.
Yeager.
Fastening on through the gathering
darkness, the rescuing party drew near the
ranch. A frightened disheveled woman
came hurrying along the trail to meet
them. 1t was Mrs. Shy, who, the sound of
the firing having long since died away,
had crept from the thicket, laid her
wounded boy near the embers of the house,
thrown over him her calico dress to shield
him from the frosty air and now was on
her way to Deming for help. For dread
that Indians might still be lurking near
she had not dared call out for her hus-
band, who she feared was killed. She
turned and went back to the ranch with
the rescuers, who with calls and signal
shots set out to find John Shy. At last
their voices reached him and We're under
stood. He appeared from the bushes at the
head of the crest, deeply anxious as to the
fate Of his wife and boy.
1.-THE house burned by the Apaches has
never been rebuilt, and the family now
live on a ranch several miles away."-Las
Vegas Cor. New York Sun.
L