The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-19
GERONIMO GIVES UP
At Eighty He Desires to Make
Peace With World
HIS REMARKABLE CAREER
Miles Thinks He Was the
Worlds Wickedest Indian.
HIS REMARKABLE CAREER

Geronimo, Apache Indian chief and the
man whom General Miles mas named The
Human Tiger is to be released from cop
tivity at last and may be given citizen
ship. Geronimo is the most terrible name
in the history of two hundred years of
! bloody Indian fighting
For the last fourteen years Geronimo.
has been a military prisoner at Fort Sal,
! Oklahoma.
Now, at the age OF eighty. he has signi-
| fed his wish to become q docile subject
! Of the Great Father at Washington.
Geronimo is old and weak; Great Faith
| er is young and strong. His arm is like
! withe and his teeth are long and sharp"
said the broken old warrior a few days
ago as he affixed his mark to the legal
papers that go with his application for re-
! lease.
General Frank Armstrong of the regu-
! lar army, has been looking into the ques-
! ton and has recommended that Geronimo
J be paroled and made citizen.
! Geronimo has been free practically for
several years nav, or ever since his re-
| moval from captivity in the Florida Ever
| glades TO marrac'<s at Fort Sill Although
under a constant surveillance, he has a
small farm and receives go & month as
| government scout"
This sum is in the nature Of a bonus
| and Geronimo has been known TO ehuclle
/ shTewdly at the queer tactics OF a great
/ father who hires scouts to watch scouts.
With Geronimo 29S Apaches, the rem-
! nant of the Chircahuas, viii be released.
Geronimo is said by Indian fighters like
General Miles. Leonard Wood and others
20 he the worst Indian that ever lived
| 1t cost the United States government
/ & md HIM Of
him and put him in orihs. Three times he
surrendered and escaped before his final
capture by the late General sawton, then
under command Of General Nelson A.
Miles
Geronimo's death hunts" the annual
excursions for plumber and murder which
the Apache chief carried on for many
years are still remembered with horrible
/ distinctness by settlers of the southwest
Geronimo was born on his fathers ranch
away up on the tableland at the head OF
the ella River in Arizona.
AS a boy" he said in telling the story
Of his life, 81 worked with the rest plant4
ing corn, pulling frass for the cattle and
such things We had to pull UP the grass
by the roots or else twist it of, for we had
no way of cutting it. We did not know
what scythes and siclles were, and the
big knives cost much money, or. what was
the same os money TO US, our corn and
/ wheat and stock and skins"
Geronimo was ten years old before he
ever saw a white man.
His grandfather had been a chief, and
"Giatly," as the Apaches called Geronimo
early became trusted man at the camp
fire councils.
From the first he hated,white men. He
/ despised civilized customs and the dress
Of the Qaleface.
This is his picturesque account Of his
first entry on the warpath:
4 got married. he says, and support
ed my wife and my family by hunting.
! bought horses. The valleys and the
tablelands Of the ella. are good places for
horses. L always liked horses for hunting,
and was getting rich.
zone day some Mexicans came to our
village to steal while I was on a hunt.
During the fight they killed my wife and
my two papOoses, about three and five
years old.
When came back and found my wife
dead and my children dead it made my
heart sorry for myself and hard for the
NIexicansi'
Geronimo became the merciless enemy
Of the Mexican and the paleface and for
( twenty-five years he was dreaded as a
! scorge.
The E1exicans believed he was god and
/ used to sacrifice their cattle in the hope
! Of appeasing his wrath.
From the rocky Businesses of the ella
river he sailed out at intervals with his
! band of Chiricahuas, the fiercest of the
/ Apaches, TO murder and to torture vic
! tins who were so fortunate as to be killed
/ once.
His endurance was wonderful. Once he
/ hode horseback five hundred miles with
/ out rest
/ on another occasion he ran forty miles
on foot III a day to escape from his pur-
! suers.
! lie made an excursion Of twelve hun
/ dred miles with his band in a month.
murdered fifty settlers and reached his
mountain lair in safety before the Unit-
/ ed States troops were on his trail.
/ Sergeant James G. Warren. who saw
/ Geronimo at the height Of his power as
an outlaw, declares that his face was
+ then a demoniacaI ferocitv. His fury
knew no bounds. His temper was so ter
rible that he frothed at the mouth when
enraged.
+ K horse did not do as he wished Ia
/ killed it. II squaws displeased him he or
dcred them put to death
In SIX years - settlers. half the ponula-
I ton of Arizona at that time. were muir
dered by Beronimo and his band
The last death trail in which Geronimo
/ engaged was in 1875. lie and his band
I killed ranchcr named Becker in Arizona.
toruring his Wife and children to death.
/ Before the party of Indians LETT the war
path they killed seventy-siN settlers
! For years General Crook. king Of Indian
/ fighters had camped on the willy Indians
/ TRAN. and tn 1SS3 he persuaded Geronimo /
aud his people To settle peaceably for two
( year on the Mexican border
Then came the terrible outbreak of 1875. +
and Crook asked TO be relieved Of com
mand
General Miles. now coumander-inchief
OF the army. succeeded him and began
the most tirelCss campaign ever waged
against the redskins
Aided by the late General Lawton. then 1
( cap-ain. he succeeded IN sharing Geronimo +
IN 1856.
Gerpnimo ana the remnant Of his FIGHT h
ers Were gun 10 earth on the Yaqui river.
/ in section of the country almost fmpss- +
sable for man or beast
Their saruD was located on 4 small IA
bleiand hordcrel h.- she river on one sida .
and surrounded Tor The rest By high Gifts .
thst ru human being could scale. The .
+ only points ~ entrance were from the +
river ND or down.
Officers un6er Captain I.awton crept NJ. I
and from q bluE 202o feet above looked .
down upon the enemy sd the fires were
burning. The horses grazing and the In
dams enjoying a swin ir the river
Word was despatched Immediately 70 1
the troops and they hurried 70 close up
the exits by water.
Unfortunately IN Indian lockout caught I