The copper era., 1901-10-31

5 0LD-TIME SKETCHES
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town last week and made the ERA a
 pleasant call. Mr. Stocking was a
 member of the famous California col
 umn, which was organized at Sacra-
 mento and marched through the desert
 to La Mesllla and Fl Paso in 1862. The Column was picked from the most
 hardy young men Of that section, all
 Of whom had seen much experience in ] the west. After the war was over they were disbanded at Fl Paso and La Mesilla. and many of them have ever since remained in this country. Many
 Of the most prominent citizens of the two territories were "column men,
 and will doubtless remember some of
 the following incidents as related to
 the ERA by MT. Stocking:
 In the winter of ls62-63 the Califor-
 nia volunteers wintered in Arizona and
 New Mexico. Some 30O0 men were in
 La Mesilla and very near that many
 soldiers were stationed in Las Cruces.
 A large powerful Mexican had robbed
 a soldier and had been placed in the
 guard house in Las Cruces. He start
 ed to run from the guard and was shot
 in the leg, but succeeded in reaching
 La Mesilla. The L. $. marshal, MT.
 Lemmons, found him and started back
 to Las Cruses. By chance two soldiers
 of the fifth infantry came up and the
 marshal told them to take the man
 over with them, which they proceeded
 to do. As they passed a little store
 the prisoner asked them to let him
 buy few things to eat. One Of the
 guards went ahead in the store, then
 come the prisoner, then followed Dew ey. the other soldier. As the prisoner
 passed q hatchet that laid on a barrel
 he grabbed it and struck the soldier in front, killing him dead. By that time
 Dewey shot him, but the Mexican
 jumped upon the counter and got pistol from the shelf and killed Dewey, but Dewey had shot him three times through the breast. The L. 5. marshal heard the shooting and as the Mexican ran out of the store he put the contents of q double barrel shot gun into him, but he continued to run down the street, and one of our soldiers by the name of Spencer shot him six times with q small Colts pistol. The Mex ican grabbed Spencer and Spencer grabbed the Mexican's wrist that held the hatchet. The Mexican lifted Spencer from the ground and threw him down. and as he raised the batchet to strike Spencer a gambler ran up with a small pistol and shot him through the head. This stunned the Mexican q little, giving Spencer a chance to get up. Spencer then seized the hatchet and sank it up to the ham de in the MeXican's brain. The MeXi can lived fully an hour, during which time his father came and told the officers that it was the first moment in many years that he was easy in mind, as he expected to be killed any day by his bad son.
 IT am not mistaken Judge Wright, | of Clifton, was there at the time; also NIdIltS Os DlON IT, Ol I uCSOus
 Among the many hard cases that came with us was cavalry man by | the name of Burk. This Burk was the | terror of his company ny-continually in q TOW. One day at Tucson he went down among the Papago Indians and | got into TOW. One Indian struck | Burk with d club, knocking him into | the fire, and as the cOalS were of mes- | quite wood they were hot. He shot | the Indian dead. \ squaw raised d stick to strike him, but he let go shot | and the bullet struck her elbow. Then | u Mexican started for Burk with a | machetc or long knife. Burk shot him in the head, killing him instantly. | Burk got out of the iackel and his | blouse and shirt were on fire. His | flesh was burned to tho bone, but he ran up to his quarters and changed clothes.
 The long roll was beat and every soldier had to fall in. The Indiaps and squaws came up and examined every soldier in the ranks. When they came to Burk, he stood up man. fully and declared he knew nothing about it, but one old Indian said take Otf his shirt and you will see what the fire has done.' He was stripped and then he owned up. Of course, he was tried for the killing and wounding Of so many innocent people. He was .ried by d military court, and as he ,ame to trial the judge advocate asked lim if he would want lawyer and 5urk said: No sir, not any" The erious case aud that it would be a hard entence if he was proven guilty, and ( Surk said: Judge, 1 want to ask you md all Of this court one question and irst want to know if you will answer { truthfully. 1 don't need an attor- ley, but l want you to answer my ques- ion" It took:the court and all Of the , Ulcers back, but the judge said: "Yes, ;urk, ask the question and l will do ny best for you" "Well, then, may t please your honor, tell me what you 'ould do if you was knocked down on i
 hot mesquite fire and three men were t you with clubs and knives? Would ou lay there and let them kill you, or . 'ould you fight your way out?" His Ionor said: II would fight" And Surk was exonerated on the spot, and