Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-04-08

April 81, when Geronimo made his
bloody raid into the Santa Cruz valley,
he killed Mrs. Peck and her young
child, but carried Aniceta into captiv-
ity. That he should do 80 surprising
thing as to spare her life was due
probably to the fact that in case OF
intimately being compelled to surren-
der to the United States troops he
might secure better terms by having
prisoner to deliver up to thew | les.
So the girl was hurried along with
her captors and compelled to witness
the other murders that they commit.
ted after their slaughter at the Peck
ranch.
1T was hard work for her to keep
up with her captors, but her life de-
pended on it. Several times that day
the squaws would have killed her,
but Geronimo would not suffer it,
though he allowed them to abuse and
beat her to their hearts content. But
she was only at the beginning of her
troubles. From the Santa Cruez val
ley the Indians swung back to the
Sierra Madre, and their long journey
through mountains and desert was
rough and cruel one. The Indians,
pursued carelessly by troops on both
sides of the Mexican border, travelled
all day, never stopping for two nights
in the same place. Their one meal
day, which they ate at night, consist
ed usually of horsefesh, but if this
were lacking and they were not too
closely followed the band scattered,
the bucks in search of small game
and the women to gather snakes, liz
yards, grubs and edible roofs and
plants with which to make out
satisfying meal. Their only baggage,
handled always by the squaws, con-
sisted Of bl~4kets and rapooses in
baskets, together with any plunder
they desired to take along. The
lcks carried their rifles and two
b ,lts of cartridges each. Usually the
Indians had plenty of horses to ride,
bat they did their fighting on foot.
They had excellent feldglasses, capt
ured from the, whites, and. these they
used constantly. In travelling, one
Indian rode in advance of the band,
exploring for dangers ahead, while
another, mounted on a specially
good horse, rode far in the rear to
signal to the others information of
any signs he might see of pursuit and
ready at the right time to spur for
war1 and warn them.
The Indian bucks, while they
took little notice of Aniceta, were
not uakind to her, but to keep up
with the party in its endless march
ing through a mountainous country
was a fearful task for child. Some
times they followed trails and again
traversed trackless region, often
climbing heights so steep that the
Indians had to dismount and lead
their horses. When travelling afoot,
she was cautioned never to set her
foot on soft soil, but only on locks or
grass. This was that her footprints
might not betray the route the party
taking. When pursuit was not hot
often and there was no danger in
sight, Geronimo would carry her on
his horse In their flight the Indians
found time for considerable murder
ing and plundering OF the whites.
She found the squaws more blood
thirsty and cruel than the buc6s,
and they were eager to hack and
mutilate the bodies on any white per-
son whom the warriors had killed.
Where the Indians travelled she
had no idea, except that they kept al
most altogether in the mountains.
From the character of the scenery as
she described it and the few build
ings she saw the Indians must have
kept mos' of the time wholly south
OF tho Mexican border. 1t was the
suddenness of the attack by the Mexi-
can troops that saved the glrl's life,
for If the squaws had not been for
the moment panic stricken they
would have killed her to prevent her
being recaptured. But fortunately,
becoming sepsrAted from them in the
confusion, she remained In hiding
while they fled. When found by the
Mexicans, she was in good condition
physically and mentally, except that
she was by fatigue and exposure, and
her face was swollen from the beat :
ings of the squaws. Soon after her
recapture the Mexlcans delivered he.
to the United States authorities, who
took measures to restore her to her
friends. ! saw her soon after her
return to Arizona-a brown-faced,