The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-09-21
Expedition Organized
To Massacre Indians.


Special Correspondence of The Sunday ReeSsne
Washington. Sept. B-Charles A. Mead
ows. famous In the great Southwest a
ARIZONA Charley" Is about to start GU
on an expedition which involves the exter
mination by him OF an entire tribe OF q,
fierce and warliks eborigines as the world
has ever known. At his back will be TWEEN.
ty tried men and true" who are as typic-
ally representative of the country from
which he comes as he Is himself.
Professor w. J. MCGEE OF the Bureau OF
Ethnology has received reports from Mexico
to the effect that the Mexican holder Of q
title Of a tract Of 800 square miles of land
on Tiburno Island has transferred his con-
c~essions to Arizona Charley" That ven
turesome Individual proposes to set sail
with. his twenty men from Yuma. Ar.z
down the Colorado River to the Gulf of
California, to the Island OF Tiburon. on
board a ship provisioned for four months.
and armed with two 5-inch rapid-ire Max
I'm guns The expedition Is in quest of gold.
as well as other valuable metals. with
which the island IL supposed to abound.
and OF which traces have been found By
Al expedition headed by Professor MCGEE.
Professor MCGEE Is peculiarly we'll quail
fed to give interesting light on this eNpedt-
tion. both because OF different trips he has
made In the interest OF the Bureau OF Eth
nology to Tiburon Island. the home of the
fierce tribe of Sert Indians. and because he
has met and known not only Arizona
Charley" but other members of the invad-
Ing party.
sLAY HUMAN BEINGS TO
ATTAIN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
The striking feature OF this expedition.
however harsh and inhuman." said Mr.. Mo-
Gee. rs that In order to gain the conces-
zion, Arizona Charley agreed to extirpats
the entire tribe of Seri Indians. who now
y,-har h,r % mr. ~ after 10 years az
most continual warfare against every allen
race which has come in contact with them
Apache. Spania.d. Mexican and American
Although the Mexican Government denies
the report, yet It is the opinion OF Professor
MCGEE that though the Mexican Govern
ment may not give this scheme open su-
port. yet 1t will aid It with every means In
its power.
These Indians" raid Professor McGeA,
who believe they attain righteousness by
Staying human beings. have been a source
Of the greatest trouble to Mexico for over
200 years. harassing IL beyond all endur-
ance. and ever since the Government has
had any organization at all 1t has endeav-
cred to bring about their determination.
and spent vast sums OF money in the effort.
but with no success. To Mexico they have
been the fly In the ointment
"Of all the Inhabitants of Hermo0ne.
some miles from Tburon Island. and ths5
number some 5000. there Is not one vino
has not q holy terror Of the very name or
suggestion Of the Sert Indian This dread
encs with this most remarkable tribe OF
Indians. who every now and then descend
upon the nearby settlements, and. with
their bows and poisoned arrows. kin man,
woman and child. And there Is not . man
for miles around who does not number
one such experience with these indiana.
Their island IL so situated that redress
+ impossible. Separated from the mainland
by a turbulent stream-E Infernillo, or
Hellish S~trait-whoee waters race with thu
outgoing tide at the rate Of from fifteen
to twenty miles an hour. access by boat -
almost impossible. The island 10 furthAr
protected By q wide belt Of continuous
desert mainland. a stretch OF saline piayas
and sand dunes something like the Motavs
Desert. over which only the sert Indian
can travel In safety.
PREFER TO LIVE
IN DESERT FASTNESA
The island IS also practically waterfsA
In all the half dozen valleys, the hundred
barrancas and the thousand eorges there
are less than a dozen nominally permanent
and but two or three actually permanent
sources OF fresh water IN the whole Serf
country.
The Seri prefers to live In his desert
By centuries of life In the arid
he has learned to accommodate
himself to his environment. and in the
GAAolCuCc o1Ay INC nj IYD01
have survived. It might be added that only
the httest are allowed to survive; likewise
only the very fit are allowed to have
progeny. Marriage Is their most sacred
and their greatest sin Is inter-
with an alien. which II punish
able BY death.
The Seris arc people Of statuesqus
frame. rugged and capable OF every hard
ship. They are large-chested and splsndidH
iimbed. Their feetness Of foot 10 hardly
conceivable. but Is vouched for by eminent
in Government employ. Half
grown Seri boys are fond Of hunting jack
They usually go out for this pur-
pose in three and fours. and when the hare
Is started they scatter. one following It
slowly. while the others set on obiiqueiy
IN such manner as to head IL OF and keep
L IN a zig-zag or doubling course until sc
and then close In and take the
animal In their hands. frequently bringing
( IN alive to show that Il was fairly caught.
FOR Il Is deemed discreditabie to take game
animals without giving them opportunity
FOR escape. Deer are caught In q similar
by adults.
Their feet are abnormally tough. Ths
skin on the soles has been described az
more like that Of a horse or camel than
he ordinary human type. The Seri have
'een known to run through cactus thickets.
% sharp that even the light coyote leaves
Is trail The Serbs are wanderers OF tho
seiuOIn slecpiuB IOnk IN the same
,lace. A mere himsy skeleton bower OF
ooughs. covered perhaps rudely with turtle
shells and sponges. ~suflces for protection
rom sun and wind. They live chiefly on
urtles. fish and other food Of the sea, Re-
ide land game. eating most of II raw and
he rest of 1t very slightly cooked.
SOIL WORTHY
OF THE NAME
They neither SOW nor cultivate the son,
hough u IS but Just to say that there Is
10 soil worthy OF the name In Seriland. The
cant moisture and slow-growing plants do
lot produce food. The gray or ashen
arth between the scattered plant colonies
lares starkly in the glowing sunlight In
AIMING the ewes OF the traveller as snow
Kindness. and ones knees sink knee deep
Il the ground. honeycombed with the sur
ace holes OF the ground squirrel. The only
rearing apparel of the Serbs IL n kilt or
kirt extending from waist to knee. the
est Of the body being bare"
Such Is me island and country that Ari-
ona Charley and his party intend to In
ade. and such Is the tribe which they IN
end to conquer and annihilate. a tribe
'hich has so inspired the people around
nth an AFFECT fear that they are afraid to
ace them except in an army. and an army
out OF the question in that burning coun-
".
To illustrate the difficulties before Arizona
the case of the Andrade expedition
Z 1874 might be cited. On August Il Colo
Ell Andrnde marched from Hermosillo with
ome 29 infantry and 90 cavalry. besides
considerable corps from Altar. and
.aChcd n nfara Onnoofto T-fNs,ro, At,grret