The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-27
HE SHOT GERONIMO
Story of How Arizona Charley Per-
formed the Deed.
A CHEVALIER OF THE PLAINS
Stands Six Feet Four. Is 80 Years
Old. Modest and Gentle in Man
ner, and One of the Most In
terestinR Characters.

All of this story was not extracted in
one interview. which illustrates the
fact that its hero. Charley Meadows. is
not an egotist.
Undoubtedly Arizona Charley is one
OF the most interesting characters in
the West to-day not only because of
his marked personality, but as his rec
ord as government scout, wicked In
dian fighter, trapper and cowboy. Even
whiskey failed as a means of getting
Charley to talk at frst-and this fact
is cited as most unusual one in the
West. He proved that our interest was
genuine before he told us anything of
his personal history.
In stature this chevalier of the plains
is about feet, 4 inches; i'm years he is
30; in manners as modest as a hazed
freshman and as polished as a With
aveue swell without frills.
This is part of his history. When
mere child he was brought from Cali
fornia To Arizona; later on, all of his
family, with the exception of himself
and one sister, were killed by the To-
ronto Apaches. These Indians were led
by tn famous chief. Victorio and they
were on the warpath for seven years
afterward, so that young Meadows
was furnished the opportunity of
aVenging his kindred
1t was not, however. until the mar
riage of his sister that Charley was
able to make Indian-hunting his bus
mess. This marriage was a novel one.
Some years ago the marriage of Miss
Meadows To ella county stockman,
was performed on horseback, all of the
party being mounted. Charley's present
TO the young couple consisted of all the
cattle the bride and groom could lasso
and brand before night They were SO
successful that by nightfall Meadows
had lost 80 head of cattle.
The Indian wars following this novel
event gave Charley the chance he had
been waiting for. for he hated the
Apaches as he hated a RATHER. These
wars were caused by the outbreaks of
Chiefs Geronimo and Victoria.
Meadows was engaged in many con-
flicts, often single-handed, but. owing
to his unerring aim with rifle and re-
volver, and his expert handling of the
lasso, the favorite weapon of the Co
manches, he always came out unscath-
ed, having inspired the Indians with n
wholesome fear of him. When Geroni-
mo left the reservation, in the raid that
began the last Apache war, in which
colonel Lawton figured so conspicuous
ly. Meadows owned extensive cattle in
terests in ella county, the very spot of
the Indian operations. Charley gather
ed together an experienced band of
cowboys and for more than a year they
never slept without putting out pickets
to give the alarm in case of the slight
est suspicious incident. The only wound
Geronimo received during the campaign
was inflicted by Meadows during the
Battle Creek canyon fight Sept 8. 1886.
and this wound led to his final CAPTURE
The soldiers had been closely following
the band of 30 Indians for more than 4
week, and the cowboys had taken adj
vantage of this fact to attend to the |
branding of their cattle which they |
had neglected for more than a year. |
They thought that the Indians were be- |
ing so closely pursued that they would |
be entirely occupied i'm trying to evade |
the soldiers and, as they were supposed |
TO be up In the Mogollon mountains. |
the cowboys relaxed their vigilance. |
As has always been the case, the In |
dlans came when they were least ex- |
pected, and on this occasion the over
confidence of the cowboys came near
causing their humiliation.
During the night of Sept. nine of
the cowboys camped at Bear Springs
on Battle creek. At that point the con-
Non Is about 200 yards wide, and il is
walled in by almost perpendicular cliffs
from 100 to 200 feet high. The bottom
OF the defile was covered with thick
grass and afforded "A fine grazing
ground Tor the cattle. So the COWBOYS
NAt'ehhhith NllflI horses. n0DDlC0 them |
ana turned them loose. knowing that
they would not wander from the grass
ana so could easily be found i'm the
morning.
After supper the boys wrapped them
selves in their blankets and went to
sleep.
The Apaches happened to pass the
camp in the night, and seeing its I'M
guarded condition, determined to make
an attack on ii at daybreak. At early
GAVIN about 30 Of them, with the aid of
their riatas, swung themselves over the
precipice and hid within a few hundred
feet of the camp fire until il should be
light enough to see what they were do
ing
The frontier instinct Of the covbovs
saved their lives. for instead of sleeping
near the fire they had unrolled their
blankets about 100 feet from H. where |
powders protected them from the blow
ng sand. The horses had wandered
noWn the canyon, and the Indians see.
hg me scattered saddles, mistook them
Tor the whites, and thinking that fur
lher delay on account of the dimness of
The light was unnecessary, fired on the
saddles. As nothing moved they sus- |
Dected some strategy. and moved quick
Y away in the direction Of the boulders
where the cowboys. aroused by the
noise, were waiting FOR them. Before
- aAAAshAA7 iftAALfA AItlE DANGER nine |
d their foremost bucks fell dead The |
Indians retreated. but they did not give
up the light. Those on the cliffs fired
Town and wounded two of the owboys.
The Indians were obliged To hide he
hind the scrub oaks. and the firing con
inued until 10 o'clock. resulting i'm the
vounding Of a number of the red skins
Finally. Geronimo. finding that he
'ould not dislodge the cowboys without
treat loss Of his braves went down tba |
'anyon with the warriors TO look for an
entrance into the dehle. by which he
ould descend and overpower the whites
~ force Of numbers.
In his search he went below the
lorses. which became frightened and
eturned quickly TO camp The COWBOYS
lad made their way TO where their
adde's lay, as the point was a protect
q one. As the horses passed quickly
hey captured them with lassos. quick
y saddled them and dashed down the
-orge in the face Of 200 red skins.