Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-06


as idiots mescal sold them by white
man on a nearby ranch, and every mother's
son of Geronimos band sloped,
General Sheridan was Informed OF the
capture on the 18th. and on the morning
of the 9th of March of the escape of the
Indians, and why. General Crook was
promptly relieved from command or the
Department of Arizona, but the man VINO
sod the mescal which is indeed the juice
'of the insane root escaped scot free.
He never was molested.
Miles Sent to Field.
Then Gen Nelson A. Miles was sent into
the field. Possibly he didn't cut the wires
between him and Washington. but quite as
possibly messages were often delayed
in reaching him. He paid no attention to
the peace" people. but determined to have
peace if he had to kill every Apache In the
country.
Geronimo has high honor, for he had in
the field after him during that last fatal
year many men whose fame as soldiers
now adorn the pages of wars history In
two continents. Captain H. w. Lawton,
to use his own language fought him from
hell to breakfast during 1885 and So
Assistant EurgeOn Leonard Wood forsook
his art of healing and asked for command
of the infantry scouts, and got 1t. He did
splendid work. but alas, the poor scouts!
They We're almost naked. barefooted, and
they were always hungry. One of them
rode one horse in that horrible summer des-
ert of rocks and hills 500 miles in seven
days and nights. Often for twenty-four
hours there not a drop of water Tor
man or beast. and the mercury above 100.
This man hunt was taken up in succession
by twenty-five different commands, or de-
tachments representing four regiments
Miles orders were characteristic, but they
We're also killing; Commanding omcers
are expected to continue pursuit until cap
ture or until assured a fresh command Is on
the trail. 49,
I.awton and his famous 4th Cavalry. like
bloodhounds. trailed after the Ch1rlcahuas
over 2.0G0 miles of territory; week WIN
only such food as they could gather among
the rocks of these eternal hills; Two Gays
with not mouthful. Then they killed thelr
pack mules and ate them.
The night of August co. 1886. as General
Miles sat at the telegraph instrument in the
Wilcox (AriZ.) station. word came ON tue
wire that Lawton had located Geronimo ana
his band at the junction of the San Bernar-
dino and Bavishe rivers, near the mexican
border. -,
General Miles hurried down, and at the
rendezvous appointed met Geronimo undec
guard of Capt. H. w. Lawton. and the oiu
bucks. squaws and children. They had not
much else but dogs They had 400 OF those
Skeletons Canyon is where the Apaehes
surrendered. 1t is a big gap IN the race OF
mother nature, but in the four centuries
that the Apaches ravaged the southwest
they had made skeletons enough to fill It,
What to do with Geronimo and his gang
was the next question. Arizona wanted 10
be respectable, and she felt that she could
not If Geronimo or any of his followers re-
manned on her SOIL New Mexico refused 10
entertain them anywhere on her SOIL. ana
Kansas threatened rebellion when 1t was
suggested that they be sent to Fort LeaVen-
worth The word Apache means wild
The Apache buck can see thirty miles ano
can run seventy miles without stopping ana
outwind the best cavalry horse that ever
MIA tyNS VIZ
too close to the great reservations for safe
ty. Geronimo pleaded to be left to die
among the hills of his fathers, but Miles
said No He felt that they must be re-
moved far from the scenes which would IN
an hour of anger at fancied insult rouse
them to murder again.
After long controversy and a vaccination
that is not pleasant to think about, consid-
ering the murderous, thieving villains IN
question Geronimo and his gang were sent
to Fort PickenS, while the women ana chill
dren were sent TO Fort Marion, Fla Two
years later all of the npaches. some 4oo or
500 in number, We're sent TO Mount Vernon
Barracks, Ala, one of the most beautiful
army posts in the world. Here rey lived
for ten years in luxury, not. working, fed.
clothed housed by the government, and
all the time they kicked. They wanted to
go back west. Old Geronimo got sick, and
then experienced change Of heart. - The
old story
The devil got sick. the devil a monk would be-
Geronimo is old. very old, and feeble. but
his think tank is in excellent working or
der. He vas converted to the white man
God. and then he tried to convert the white
man to his way of thinking. He nearly
won out, but not quite. The plan was to
send them back to Arizona but that terri
tory, now looking to statehood, fatty de-
clared that what was bred in the bone only
needed chance to come out in the flesh.
and that Geronimo simply couldn't come
back to torment them his very presence
would incite the young bucks to rival the
prowess of this chief of more than 100 sue
cessful battles, and hero of innumerable
Indian wars.
Finally Geronimo got part of his wish.
and the Apaches were sent to Fort Sill. l.
wish, with homes, cattle, horses, food,
clothing, schools and churches.
Are they happy?
Old Geronimo who speaks only when he
must understands all that is said to him.
and the look he gives you from those
bleary. eighty-yearold eyes would kill as
surely as a tomahawk blow If he had his
will.
Geronimo great chief He love the home
of he ladders. White brodder good. Injun
heap better"
Geronimo ought to be an object lesson
in American history. an example of that in
explicable thing, leadership While he
was on his native heath he was invincible
Low squat, hideously ugly, SCARED by
wounds, stumbling, toothless. there Is yet
in those old half-blind eyes the unquench-
able fire of the implacable scourge of the
Rockies for four centuries, the conquered
but not subdued Apache.