The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-03
WHY HIS HAIR CHANGED COLOR
Colonel Casey's story CT an Expert
ence With an Indian Party.
From the Clifton Era


One night this week party of oId-ti1ne
New Mexicans accidentally met here. and
after talking over old times they proceed
ed to congratulate each other on their
youthful appearance Col D c. Casey,
superintendent of the -TedIer Mines. was
one of the group Some one remarked
that while the spring of youth seemed to
abide with the colonel. the frosts Of win
ter had siIyered his erstwhile raven
locks
WELL said the colonel. I'll tell you
how it happened. boys. and never told
the story before. 1t was the year that
Judge 8GcConaas and his wife were killed
. by the Indians in the Burro Mountains
So or 81, / have forgotten which It
was some CiIne after that event however.
when things had quoted down a bit. 1
I had been in the hills for some time and
was returning to Silver City through the
Rurro Mountains, and, Of course, was on
the lookout for Indians. Ny horse be
came sick and stopped TO let him rest. I
pulled off the saddle, tied him 10 tree,
spread out my blankets and lay down
was soon fast asleep. but how long l
slept I do not know. l vas awakened By
some one prodding me in the back As
soon as my eyes were open I saw that l
was surrounded by twelve or fifteen In
dams They all carried Long Toms and
had them IN their hands.
We'll. sir. l was SO badly scared that
could not speak or uove-I was par
2lyZed- 1 sat there and looked at the
Indians and they looked - ne l felt
ny hair straighten out. and l knew that
II was standing straight up l thought Of
every mean thing l had done in all my
life Pray No, I couldn't lift a hand to
bless myself. l knew they would kill me
and my Only hope was that they would
shoot me- 1 could almost feel their lances
sticking through my body 1t seemed to
ne that they stood there an age and look
ed at me and l looked at them Their
Ig4E mugs slammed
forever 1 would recognize any one OF
them IN q crowd today If l should meet
him Soon I noticed two or three other
Indians fooling with my horse, as he
was too sick to try to get away from
them Presently they commenced to 90
one at time, and soon they were all
gone but one, who seemed 70 be the boss
OF the outfit. After they had all gone he
addressed me in good English and said.
Good day, Dan Casey How the devil
he knew my name has always been Il
mystery TO me he may have seen ne
on the reservation. or possibly my name
may have been on some part of nv out
NJ ana ne could read, as many of them
After he had gone I s-m sat there. so
Dadty scared that | was unable to move
for I don't know how long 7 Thought
they would come back and would kin me
should attempt to get up. Then like q
fash of lightning. Il came 10 me that
they were Government scouts! I Ieaped
10 my feet. threw the saddle onto my
horse. and although he was sick l am
sure that I beat all records in covering
the distance to Silver civ feIr %
good when I got into that town thar 7
set en- up to everybody / told them Ii
was my birthday, and that l never was
50 happy IN all my life. and that was the
truth ] have been blown up i'm a mine
have had my body crushed and filed with
dynamite caps. which kept the doctors
busy for week picking them out but
never was scared before or since There
Is no scare on earth Ike that Of an IN
dian scare Wen. inside of a week frnr,
that time my hair was well sprinkIed with
grey. and inside of a year il was as
white as il is today