Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-26
C0RRALLED GERONIMO
Old War Chief Meets His
Former Captor.
MAJ. CLUM THE MAN
STRANGE REUNION HERE AFTER
THE INAUGURATION.
How the Worst Apache Was Brought
Into Camp by an Indian
Agent.
MAJ. CLUM THE MAN

The participation In the Inaugural pa
rude OF one Geronimo, Indian warrior and
renegade, Sunday school teacher and now
prisoner OF war. confined at l ort SILL Okla
homa, has brought this famous red man
before the public eye once again, and has
resulted in many stories of his alleged cap
lures and alleged captors. Geronimo, whose
record for veracity never was anything TO
be proud Of declares he never was cap
tured.
Me come in, give up, two, three times,
admits the wrinked old chieftain OF the
Apaches. Me get captured no time But
the records of the Interior Department ana
a statement secured by Il reporter for Tho
Star put Geronimo's claim to the bad. The
records show he was captured once, and
only once, and then not by the military.
but by an Indian agent, supported by five
score or more Indian police, members or
the same tribe Of which Geronimo was ut
the head.
with the influx of visitors who came to
Washington to the inauguration OF
President Roosevelt there came one gem
tleman from the borough of New YORK
While this gentleman was Interested In the
entire show, the particu object of his
. visit was to shake hands with Geronimo
and to discuss with him an Incident OF
thirty years ago, when the stranger was
the captor and Geronimo the captured. The
gentleman from New York was Mr.. John
p Clum now a post office Inspector but
back In the 'T0s he served as Indian agent
for the Apaches In Arizona and New Mexico,
Upon his arrival here he hunted up the
old chieftain and found him seated COM
fortably in the lobby OF n small hotel on
I'd street northwest Geronimo looked up;
his eyes forgot their customary sQulnt ana
opened In wonderment. He rose, and UNI
bent his form until 1t reached the height
OF former years. His pipe dropped to the
floor and he held out his unsteady hand.
Geronimo Remembered.
II know you; know you." he repeated.
''Howdy, Major Clum. l no see you for
thirty years. at Ojo Caliente. l remember"
And Major Clum remembered, too 1t
was interesting meeting, and the red
skin whose record Is the bloodiest In his
tory sat there talking with the only man
who ever captured him. Yesterday Mr..
Clum cornered in one of the corridors
of the Post Office Department and made to
tell the story, which rivals the most fam
tastic fiction, and is enough to make con-
sentative hair stand on end.
Il first met Geronimo he said to re-
porter for The Star, June !, 1876, at
Apache pass, in the Chiracahua mountains.
He and his band of marauders had been
killing settlers and pillaging homes along
the San Pedro river, and the entire south
west country perturbed. The band
took refuge in the mountains, and in May,
1876 / was ordered to proceed to their
stronghold and bring the Indians to the
San Carlos reservation, of which l had
charge. Accompanied by small body
guard, 1 reached the camp of Geronimo
without incident, and had long talk with
the chiefs, In which they all consented to
remove to San Carlos. They asked for
little time in which to bring their women
and children. This was granted.
THAT very night Geronimo had all the
dogs In the camp killed, abandoned his
set out for his old home in Mexico. From
that date Geronimo was branded as rene
gade. Gen. kautz, then commanding the
Department of Arizona, was at Fort Bowie.
informed him of Geronimo's movements
and requested that the column of cavalry
stationed in the San Simon valley be or
CereG to take up the trail OF the fleeing
Indians and administer proper chastise-
ment to them. Three troops of cavalry and
one company of Indian scouts, under Maj.
Morrow, started next day in pursuit OF
Geronimo, but failed to overtake him.
From that time-June, 1S76-until April,
1871 this Indian and his followers were
constantly raiding through southeastern
Arizona southwestern New Mexico and in
Sonora, in Old Mexico
Renegades Live High.
1.-THE troops and scouts failed to check
his career. Stock stolen these raids
was traded off at the small towns on the
Rio Grande. and the renegades were
wealthy and happy. Evidently wearied
with the military inactivity. the commits
si0ner of Indian affairs at Washington
wired me to take my Indian police and eff
feet a capture of Geronimo and his out
laws. | was ordered TO seize all the stolen
prCTerty and restore it to the rightful own
ers and lock the thieving renegade in the
guardhouse at San Carlos on charges of
murder and robbery. l also instructed
to call upon the military for aid should
need ii. Here began one of the most excit-
ing and important movements in the
Apache campaign.
in the latter part of March, 1877. 1 left
San Carlos with 100 Indian police, armed
with needle guns and good supply of
ammunition. Ojo Caliente, where the In
dams were supposed TO be camping. was
$50 miles from San Carlos, and my little
army had TO make the Journey foot.
In New Mexico General Hatch, depart
ment commander. had ordered eight COM
panies into the field to cooperate with me
In the protection Of settlements should
serious trouble occur All along the route
we were informed that the main body of
tie renegades was in the mountains near
OIo Caliente, 400 strong. well armed and
desperate. and waiting to greet in the
most enthusiastic manner. This knowledge
managed to keep up the interest during
the march.
AT Fort Bayard I arranged to meet
Major Wade, now commanding the De-
partment of the Fast. and the same who
commanded the military grand division in
the inaugural parade two weeks or ago.
W
the field and he agreed to meet me at
Ojo Oaliente. With my police 1 marched
cautiously within ten miles of the agency,
and then selecting bodyguard OF twenty
five l rode into the agency itself just be-
fore shutdown on the day agreed upon by
Major Wade and myself. To my chagrin
received a dispatch from him stating that
he was delayed and would not be able to
reach the agency until three days later.
Setting the Trap.
II determined not to wait for the mill
tary and soon learned that Geronimo was
camped about three miles to the westward
and that his force consisted OF about 700
men and a number of boys and old squaws
who, by the way. are much more liable to
precipitate a fight than the men. l de-
cided that l must act at once without
reinforcements If the purpose OF my expe-
dition was to be accomplished To effect
the arrest of the renegade l adopted a bit
of strategy which worked so perfectly that
have been proud of 1t ever since The
renegades had watched my arrival having
learned that some Indian scouts mad come
from Arizona for some purpose, but they
had not discovered the main body of
police which / had left ten miles back in