The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-17

his first wife and he could not agree. and
that he did not want 70 live with her
any longer.
every wel," said the captain. "if you
are unhappy together. 1 shall not foce
you 70 share one home: but in the eye
Of the law. which you must respect, that
woman is still your wife, and You have
No right TO live with any other
'sWhet win happen If continue to do
so?" asked the Indian
II shall be obliged to put you in the
guard house, and keep you on bread and
water az long as the military regulations
allow"
The young man protested that this was
a pretty harsh punishment, but Captain
Scott explained to him that bigamy was
punishable by imprisonment in the case
OF white man, and an Indian must not
exepct to find the way OF the lawbreaker
any easier because Of the color Of his
skin. Now go and think this over. and
come back tomorrow and tell me what
you have decided to do" said ne in con-
clusion. The next day the offender ap-
peared, and rather doggedly announced
that he would prefer bachelorhood to i'm
prisonment. The captain commended
the common sense Of this view. and dis
missed the case withou. making any
more edo about il. When I saw the man
the other day he had evidently not yet
overcome his chagrin, but he knew with
whom ne had TO deal, and was making
the best Of the inevitable.
AS has been said, the people Of Arizona
cherish a very ugly feeling toward the
Chiricahuas, which is not unna tural.
They do not hesitate to say that il the
band or any Of its more active members
should come back their old hsunts, they
would be given short shrift- The Ari-
IONA feeling was shared at first by tie
Oklahoma people, who denounced in I'M
measured terms the planting Of the dan
gerous band in the territory as a menace
to the safety Of the white people. This
engrafted sentiment appears 10 have
died out almost il not entirely. At any
rate. both people and press have ceased
10 express it, and no longer have any
more TO say about the Apaches than
about any class Of white emigrant who
have settled among them. The Indians
can scarcely have failed TO discover this
change due TO their good behavior. They
are also doubtless we'll aware of what
would result il they should run away
and return to their former homes. But
Captain Scott has not felt justified in
leaving such a possibility subject TO
mere moral influence. He has taken
the precaution to obtain, from a trusiy
Indian who thoroughly acquainted with
the country, a may Of the trail leading
from Fort Sill to Fort Stanton, New
Mexico, which the one the Rpacne pris-
oners would take If they should attempt
an escape. A copy OF il has been flied
with the adjutant general of the dapart-
ment OF the Missouri, so that il the In
dians should slip away in the night,
Geographic despatc in the morning
would start a body Of troops at once for
some point where the fusitives could be
promptly headed off and recaptured.
II is not likely that such an attempt
will be made as long as Captain Scott
remains in charge, or II he is succeeded
by an officer competent and willing 10
carry ont his policy. Should circun-
stances render such change necessary.
however. the government could make no
worse mistake than to reduce in num-
her er weaken in force OF subordinateS
now assisting in the work with the
Apaches. Two particularly strong men
IN This corps are Lieutenant Capron. VINO
is Captain SCOTS good right hand, and
DR.. Glennap. the army surgeon. who has.
by his kindness as well as his profess
sional skill, done much to win the In
dians away from the thraldom Of their
medicine men. Five others. inclu1ing
three non-commisSioned officers Of the
Seventh Cavalry and two civilian en-
ployes make up the contingent, every one
of whom is needed TO continue this large
and highly important work. The wonder
is not that so many persons can find in
it full employment for their time, but
that a service OF such magnitude can be
efficiently performed by-so few.