The Washington herald., 1907-05-23
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

/ - L hLDLANt
America produces many types Of the
fighting man. One is born Of aboriginal
ancestry in an unCivilized section. He
takes to fighting naturally. and his code
is that Of his forefatheTs. BY civilized
standards he is desperate. who de-
serves hanging but by his own standards
he is merely q warrior Another is born
where commerce and agriculture form the
pursuits Of the people He decides to
make fighting his life work. goes to q
military school. and is trained in the art
OF civilized warfare, as others are trained
In trade. An Irish-American lad. whose
forefathers fought with teeth and fists
for the mere sport Of encounter, is born
i'm the city. and Is thrown with athletes
He becames q pugilist- Still another
American Of excellent Anglo-SaXon linz
cage. is bern in remote section of the
AppaIaohian Mountains. whore private
disputes are settled by the vendetta. He
becames a feudist. These different types
Of American fighters afford an interesting
study to the psychologist.
one OF the most interesting hghting
men in America IS Geronimo. the Old
Apache. who has been a prisoner at Fort
sill since Gen. Miles effected his capture
twenty years ago. Although Geronimo
has often been called a rattiesnake' Gen.
Miles declares him 20 be one of the most
remarkable men. red or white. IN history
Other military officers have described him
as the red Napoleon. He is certainly the
greatest epic figure in Indian annals. An
idea. of his mentality may be CLEANED from
the fact that ho recently became 'He
author Of a book written with purpose
This purpose was to create sympathy LOT
himself and his tribe, and TO persuade 'l'
Federal government 90 allow Jhe
Apaches 10 return 90 Arizona. At sew
entv-ripe the old Indian, without educa-
tion or training in description or narTa-
ton. dictated a story of his ady' 2tuTes
50 vivid and coherent that, without alter
ation or establishment, il made a volume
OF moving interest and TO small literary
value
Geronimo saws the Araches taught thdI
the Great Spirit djl not interest lilillsei'
i'm the petty oualrsls OF men, and that
warriors should se-. .-eir own ieN.Hs.'
When he was tweutr years of age MeNi-
cans murdered his young wife ana lnite
children in a defenseless camp. In RAD
hat o.
mated the NexiCans. and he was selected
chief of the tribe. He then began a
career Of blood and pilage that extended
over forty evcutful years. He expressed
his contempt for the Spauiards when, at
the close Of the Spanish-American war,
he drvIv observed that il took the United
States a smaller number Of weeks 10 whip
Spain than the number Of years required
C. subdue him and his small pand ol
savages.
During his raids Geronimo and his band
killed thousands Of white men, and for
strategy. endurance. and bl0odthirsuneSsfI
the Indian Napoleon had Ho equal among
men Of his race. During the retreat
through the mountains Of old Mexico that
ended in his surrender. Oniy after he had
been outwitted by several detachments
Oh HlLe0 states LltfA0 rAEiloAAAAE win
the heliOgTaph. introduced in American
warfare to effect his capture. Geronimo |
covered nearly 100 miles. much of which 1
was 1000 feet above the level Of the sea |
The feuds q the Appalachian region
have produced some fighting men who,
with different environment and education,
might have been conspicuous IN 'legitl-
mate" warfare Among the most inter-
asting Of these is B. Fulton French. now
Df Winchester, KY, who was the leader
Of the French faction in the French
Eversole feud. I'm which from twenty To
.hirty-fve Of the Eversole clan, accord /
ng 10 different estimates, went down be
fore the guns Of the enemy. Mr. French |
Is a lawyer with considerable practice IN /
the mountain country, and he has aCCum- /
llated considerable property in business /
enterprises. He was never convicted Of |
any of the killings done by the clan which 1
he proudly boasts having led. and he /
speaks OF his war" as if it had been /
prosecuted between nations.
The only time my conscience ever /
roubled me-" said DR.. French on one 4
occasion. was when I thought I was 4
bout TO ole Of asthma. had heard /
hat all Of a mans miz5eeds rise before
lim when he faces death Well. when I |
eIt that it was all up with me, / remem- /
,ered that ! had once drowned an old /
zen. When We were small boys my
'rother and I thought We could teach the /
zen 10 swim, but just as she was in a
air way to learn she drowned lie |
lever thought OF the thiTty-fve dead
lversoies at all.
Mr. French is apparently sincere in his
allcf that "a war between families may
'e prosecuted with no more dishouOr
han duel between gentlemen, or a war
etween two countries lie points with
ride 10 the fact that the m0untaineers,
8ving once settled their differences. are
peaceful, and mutually trustful people
When he is in Jackson. Ky. he is always
hayed by q barber who. as an Eversole
artisan. would gladly have made an end
+ him if DE had mad the opportunity !
'hile the war was IN progress
Mai. Gen. Franklin J. Bel. Chief Of
taf Of the United States army. is an
american fighting man whose career Is
Ike romance, but whose explanation of
is own success. and whose recipe for
lccess in general Is the simple monosyl-
lble work. Just prior to the declara- 7
on Of war between the United States
nd Spain. Lieut.. j. Franklin Bel. OF the i
eventh United States Cavalry. was feel ]
lg about as blue as his uniform. He was :
&c son Of a kentuckian whose purse was
OF so long as his pedigree His ambition ,
ad been o rise TO a position which
ould enable him TO provide for his
,ther in his declining years. After
yenty-odd years Of loyal service in the
'sular army he found himself no higher
rank L.an a n-s- l-eLterant rhar.. !