The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-09-05
IN His Old Age the Famous Apache
Chief Boasts Of His Bloody
Record.
SAYS HE ALWAYS SPARED BABIES
But Of White Men and Women He Killed
SO Many, He Declares, He Cannot
Remember tho Number-An
Inyeteratc Gambler.

come from all appearances, Geronimo,
the famous warrior, says a writer i'll
the New York Sun, is good Indian
nowadays. Not from choice however,
for it bores him extremely. The rea-
son he is good is that, as a prisoner Of
war, at Fort SILL o. r., he has to be-
He who was once the meanest and
most bloodthirsty Indian chief that
ever fought the government, now
leads quiet and peaceful life that is
in striking contrast to the old days.
He is not ashamed Of his bloody rec
ord. In fact he is rather proud
OF it. In moments of conf
dence he admits that he would
like to do it all over again. One
OF the things over which he gloats is
that he personally has killed ten whites
In single battle. 1t is also a matter
OF pride to his old age that he has led
Iorays where as many as 500 palefaces
were slaughtered. He has a deep-set
bred the-bone taste for murder.
Must BE Paid to Talk.
Such is Geronimo's English that it
is well to hire an Interpreter if one de-
sires to get an intelligent talk out of
him. Also 1t is necessary to hire Ger
onimo He does not talk for nothing,
-
Immediately upon questioning him. A
dollar bill loosened his tongue, but to
the first question asked how he liked
his present position, he gave answers
rather difficult to reconcile.
First, he liked the place. Then he
said that the soldiers treated him bad
ly. AS a corolary, he added that he
wished to die In the subsequent con-
ton his allegations Of ill-treat-
ment and his pining for death cropped
out with suspicious frequency. 1t is
said by the officers that he repeats this
to all white visitors, whereby their
pity is aroused and they buy his bead
work and trinkets at an advance over
the market rates.
Apparently the old chief has an easy
and pleasant life. The officers at the
fort treat him with kindness and con-
SHERATON. allowing him all the priv
ileges possible under the rules govern
ing the conduct Of prisoners Of war.
Ellis position Is peculiar in this respect,
that although a prisoner he is also a
PAID employe Of the government He
draws $50 per month as scout though
he is not permitted to carry a loaded
gun. He has no work to do and
| spends most OF his time making bead
| work and other fancy articles to sell
| to white visitors.
out of this trade the soldiers think
ne makes no less than $4,000 q year.
| When asked IL he had any money laid
| cultural English:
Me no save money. Me spend it for
Eva, squaws and heap gladness Me
like to have gladness and see fun"
An Inveterate Gambler.
Eva is his favorite daughter. BY
| squaWs he means his wives In the In
| dian Vernacular gladness is synony-
nous with gambling, and a great deal
| of the old mans money goes into the
game and never comes out again. He
is a very poor gambler, so far as win
ming goes, but he plays with that un-
| falling courage which, when coupled
with skill. make the most successful
| gamesters.
He Is reckless better and runs a.
| strong bluff. He never hesitates about
a bet and If you raise him he will look
you straight in the eyes and if he
thinks you are bluffing will raise you a.
stir sum. One can never read by his
face whether or not he has good hand
But the weakness Of his poker game is
that he almost invariably overplays his
hand. Poker and monte are his favor
lite games and the Geronimo tepee is
the scene of many highly exciting sit
tings. Soldiers and cowboys often sit
in the game with the Indians.
One curious trait Of the old chief is
that when he makes a big winning at
cards or has large sale of trinkets he
| gives the proceeds to the little children
in camp to spend for school books.
Much of his money goes to his favor
lite daughter, Eva, and his favorite
squaw Ketona. The daughter Of Ke-
tona gets little love from her father.
This is because she married q white
man, and what was still worse in the
eyes of the father-a cowboy.
! Geronimo is said to be eighty. He
does not know his age. He was with
Victoria when that chieftain went
against the Mexicans and later he de-
veloped into a leader himself He is a
born leader of redskins for the rea-
son that he Is not only fighting man
but also medicine man, and it takes
man who can talk with unseen be-
ings to make really deep impression
on the Indian.
His Personal Appearance.
Geronimo is small in stature, pos
sessed of a keen face and piercing
eye. The blue in his eye is of that
peculiar steely color that arouses UNI
pleasant sensations in the mind His
face is wrinkled and his hands are
small and rough. His color is a dark
red. Geronimo smokes cigarets these
days and would drink firewater had he
the privilege. He has six wives, but
lives with none Of them. His favorite
daughter, Eva, lives with him when she
Is at home. He gives her sufficient
money to send her to an eastern school
4 eight months in the year.
Geronimo does no work; that is
such as raising q crop Of corn or mil
let. He gets rent free two-roou
house to live In. but he keeps his ponies
therein and resides himself in q tepee
4 All OF the Apaches who are held as war
prisoners live in tents and keep their
horses In the houses furnished to them
The Apache village Is on an open plair
Il In sight of Fort Sill. In summer the
tepees catch all Of the dust and in the
winter the snow fiurries into the doors
It would not be q white mans notion
OF comfort. but the Indians like it,
II "A few weeks ago Geronimo's daugh.
ter Eva was taken Ill with some Skin
disease and was placed at the govern.
ment hospital at the fort. a large
boil appeared on her neck. Geronimo
told the white physician In charge tina,
II should be opened. The white naedi.
cine man told Geronimo that 1t shouls
| not. When the doctor was mt watch.