Bisbee daily review., 1907-07-09
INDIAN TEACHER
 GIVES PARTICULARS
4 Complete Story of the Indian Trouble on Fort McDoweII
 Reservation.

Practically unprotected. and sur rounded by 400 enraged Apache In dians who threaten murder, Mrs. San derson young Arizona woman calmly continues teaching a group of little In- dian children at the school at the abandoned Fort Mcdowell in Marico- pa county
 Frightened by the blood-curdling threats of drink-crazed tribesmen who re wild for revenge because of the killing of Austin Navajo, a chief. the Indian police have all fled the reser- vation. Sub-Agent Gill a minister of the gospel. and his wife and baby are the only other whites within miles of Mrs. Sanderson. The preacher, armed to the teeth, is barricaded in his home and declines to fee.
 Possibly never in Arizona has there been more sublime picture of moral courage than that presented by the minister. the two young women and the helpless babe. Death in it's most terrible form threatens them on every hand, yet they refuse to leave the post where the government has placed them.
 One of those to fee from the reser- yation in the presence of a danger that would unnerve most men was Miss Elizabeth Reilly, sister of Mrs. Sanderson, and also employed as a teacher at the school at Fort McDow. ell. She has just arrived at Mari copa and gives the Tucson Citizen the first authentic story of the trouble which may lead to an Indian outbreak.
 Miss Reilly's story throws much new light on the causes leading to the present Indian trouble. She says that some time ago Sub-Agent Gill be- gan to punish the Apaches for making ''tisswa" (fermented corn) and that Austin Navajo, who is sort of chief among the Indians, was found to be the most persistent offender. Finally Sub-Agent Gill put Austin on the ''un- favorable list" which greatly enraged the Indian. He made repeated de- mands to be re-instated and finally even appealed to the Indian commis- sion at Washington, which sustained Gill.
 Then Austin Navajo went on the war path. Upon learning of the com missions ruling he went over to Gill's house, and, peeping through the win dow, saw Gill laying on the floor play ing with his baby. Without warming he fired eight shots from a revolver at the agent and the child but some how both escaped. Fearing death un- less the Apache was subdued Gill seized a gun and ran to the door where he fired at Austin Navajo. strik- ing the Indian in the middle of the forehead with his first shot and caus- ing instant death.
 The shooting took place last week and almost immediately following it the trouble with the Indians reached a head. There was plenty of 'tisswa' in circulation and the Apaches were in an ugly mood. Indian friends of Gill warned him that unless he left the reservation he would meet a cer tain death. Gill's answer was to send to Phoenix fir guns, ammunition and help. Tell them I'm not afraid" he said and forthwith he began making his house a fort. On Sunday the In dian police who keep matters quiet al the reservation all disappeared Things grew so threatening that word was passed among the few whites liy ing within a radius of several miles of Fort Mcdowell that 1t was time tc leave. Most of them went to Mesa some eighteen miles away. Among those to leave were Miss Reilly. She begged her sister to depart with hel but the latter resolutely refused. She declined absolutely to be frightened
 and kept right on teaching her class
 at the little school.
 Gill desired his wife and baby tC
 leave also but the mother decided tt stand by her husband. Gill said tha
 he believed sticking to his post woul(
 have a good moral effect on the un
 ruly Indians and that perhaps ever
 the presence of his wife and bab! would add to this effect.
 In the meantime, Superintendent Goodman of the Fort Mcdowell agen cy. who is located some distance iron the scene of the trouble, heard of and wired the particulars to Wash Iington MT. Goodman stated in hi wire that the lives of the four peopl at the scene of the trouble were il danger. The War department at ono sent word to Fort Apache for tn troops to be ready to start for For
 Mcdowell as soon as notice was giyel them.
 This is practically the present COT ldition of affairs. The Indians are il an ugly mood and it would requir very little to start all kinds of trou lble. But friends of Preacher Gill sa, that he and the two brave womel
 with him will by their very courag hold back the Apache uprising tha threatens northern Arizona.
 Miss Reilly stated that she did no believe an uprising would amount t much but that she believed before tn trouble was settled her sister and Gil I and his family would be killed. Sh says many friendly Indians warne lher before she left that the revengeft I bucks meant murder toward Gill an that Mrs. Gill and Mrs. Sanderso would also certainly meet death.