Arizona republican., 1895-12-15
BACK FROM THE TRAIL.

I I
 Sheriff Arthur Wight and Posse Back
 From a Determined Pursuit.
 Solomonviile Bulletin: Sheriff Ar Thur Wight, Deputy Sheriff James " Parks, w. H. Parks, John H. Park, Jack Taylor, Joe Terrel, manager of the Gebhard Cattle company, and sev- eral boys from his ranch, who com posed the posse which vert: on the trail of the murderers of H. H. Merrill and daughter last week, returned Sunday last, having been absent five days.
 About 2 o'clock Wednesday, the first day ouE, the posse came up with the Indians, who had stopped at ',he foot of Whitlock mountain. The Indians saw the posse first, and started on run up the mountain, one on foot and one on horseback. The posse got within 800 yards of the Indians, and Jim and Will Parks exchanged shots with them, but the Indians were in the rocks and juniper bushes and only a glimpse of them could occasionally be seen. The posse pushed hard up the mountain, but the Indians easily distanced the officers over the rugged rocks and finally disappeared over the summit. Where the Indians were camped they
 left a pair of moccasins, one blanket and a beargrass saddle, such as are
 used by the Apaches. A blsck horse
 belonging to w. H. Parks herd had
 been killed there and some of his ribs
 taken out, which were left lying on some rocks. The posse followed the trail as fast as they could on their
 tired horses until dark, when they
 spurred on to "Old Camp" a distance of ten miles, for a fresh mount and something to eat. The point where the Indians were encountered was fifty
 miles from Solomonville, which had
 been rode from Solomonville after s
 o'clock, or in seven hours. Consider
 able time was lost at the scene of the
 murder in getting a start on the trail
 which first went north and then turned
 south
 Thursday morning the posse was
 back on the trail at daylight, wf&ch
 they followed to the valley south of
 Wh.Llock Cienega. After leaving the
 mountain the trail was plain and was
 followed on a gallop. During the day
 they found where the Indians had
 killed a steer and cut out a chunk of
 it, but no sign of any stop Wes discoy- cred, and the fleeing Indians had evi- , dently traveled all night When dark
 came Thursday night the posse went to Whitlock ranch to camp and get : fresh horses. Not finding any horses l there Sheriff Wight and John Parke ; rode that night ten miles to a horse , camp, secured a mount, and were back : ready to again take the trail Friday morning. The trail turned west and north toward So.omonville and then back east into the Whitlock mountains through which they had been followed : Wednesday. In the mountains the
 trail was lost Friday and was not re- , gained. On Saturday Frank Richard son, of Whitlock ranch, reinforced the } posse with several of his cowboys. and [ WhiItlock mountain was thoroughly } searched in an effort to again rout the Indians or strike their trail, but neither was accomplished, and reluctantly the } posse disbanded Saturday morning and returned home.
 !, Every man who went out is entitled | to the highest praise for his heroic : self-sacrifice in order to free Arizona 3 from these renegade murderers. Foul 3 days on an Indian trail, riding as only } Arizona frontiersmen alone can ride t requires almost superhuman endur- |, ance which can be sustained only by 8 3 love of country and desire ito rid it ot : the accursed Apache murderers. Sher- 3 if Wight deserves praise for the de- f termined effort he made and he de s sires to thank, through the columns O.
 The Bulletin, each and every man w'hc 3 so bravely and heroical!y assisted hin = in the chase. Joe Terrel, who quit thu t range and neglected the business O. D his company and stayed as long a! e there was hope to effect capture S should also receive the thanks of every S citizen of Arizona
 e Sheriff WighI. only regrets that wher = MT. Walters found the dead bodies O S Merrill and daughter, he did not re y turn to Solomonville instead of goins e to Duncan. Had he done 50 the sher e ifs posse could have been on the trai y several hours earlier than they were e and the Indians would have been over e taken before they reached the rougl e mountains. The result would havt