Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-08-01
JOINS The CHURCH.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS,

In news which comes from Fort Sill,
[. r.. there is a striking sequel to
recent article on this page which re-
called the banquet gwen to General
Miles and stan at Albuquerque, n. NJ,
in 1886, "for their energetic pursuit OF
the hostile Apaches, and the capture
OF Geronimo and his cruel followers
says the Springfield Republican. The
word from Fort Sill tells no last
Sunday ,ieronimo and a dozen ct his
Apache warriors were baptized In the
presence OF large gathering of In
dians and whites. and joined the Meth
odist church Thus runs the account:
with the Comanches sitting on one
side OF the tabernacle and the Apaches
on the other, each tribe with its inter.
prefer standing In the foreground re-
peating the worus of the white preach
er. the minister stood and told the
story of Christ. At the close OF the
sermon, Geronimo and twelve Of his
warriors, prisoners at TT. Sill. went
forward and asked TO he received into
the church IN the afternoon the bap-
tismal ceremony took place.
II is worth while To see out of what
background this Christian conquest
as represented by the Methodist Epis-
copal church has come These Indians
have taken the step recorded above
OF choice, and not through force. Sew.
enteen years ago the people OF New
Mexico and Arizona hailed with deep
JOY the departure of the last car load
of these hostile Apaches. We'll they
might, Their going made life and
property as safe in those territories
and in other parts of the United States
and this for the first time in the his
tory of that region. extending back
hundreds of years.
In its distant past the Apache nation
dominated New Mexico. Arizona and
northwestern Mexico. Their very name
whether assumed or given to them by
those against whom they fought. slgni.
Tying master or lord" exhibited
their dominance over the Pueblos or
Aztecs The Spanish found the sub
iugation of the peaceful Aztecs com
paratlvely easy, but in the Apaches
they encountered a firm. warliKe peo
pie, trained to the extreme point OF
endurance, whose normal condition
was war AS II was then, so later
When provinces OF Mexico came tc
this country as the result of the Mex
lean war, the Apaches roamed ovel
| our territories at will. Not a city
| town or hamlet was at any time free
| from the dread of their murderous
| raids, and all over that country are
the graves of early settlers killed by
| Apaches. AS late as 1886 the peopl,
of the capital city of New Mexico
were repeatedly called upon to ARM
and band together for the protection
of the city against sae Apaches. TIL,
last of the Apaches to dispute for the
supremacy of the territories. which
they had roamed and PLACED for 81
many generations were the chihuahua
and warm Spring bands, led by Geron
imo and these were su5dued and capt
uder by Gen. Miles.
| Out of these vicious and most in
| VeleThte Ioes OF tne Wnlte race TN
Methodist church at Fl oill, the plac'
of their captivity since the remova
from Florida, has gathered to iur mem
bership the chief ana the dozen follow
ers. This so far vouches for what the.
are today What they were less thar
a score of years ago, Gov Ross told II
his address at the Miles banquet Il
| October, 1886.
Very many OF the families OF New
Mexico will carry through their live
the wounds In the massacre Of on
or more OF their cherished circle at tn
hands of these fendish cut-throats
who were devoid of humanity. OF homo
or of mercy--who were but brutes-
who had no conception Of the innc
cence OF childhood, the generation O
age or OF glory and dignity, or OF tn
sacredness OF womanhood. But the,
are gone. thanks to the honored guest
of the evening, never TO return.