Evening star., 1909-02-25
WORST OF "BAD" INDIANS
Gen. Miles Characterization of the
Old Apache Chief.
HISTORY OF HIS WILD LIFE
On Warpath Almost Continuously
After the Murder of His Family
by Mexican Troops.

| A1ter the murOeT Oh a1S amlly
by Mexican Troops.
| Geronimo tiger of the human race,
is dead. The boodthirsty chief of the
Chricahua Apaches will never again go
upon the war path. On February II he
| was gathered unto his fathers in the
happy hunting grounds where all brave
warriors go. He is the man whom Gen.
Nelson A. Miles, in report to the govern
ment, characterized as the lowest and
| most cruel of all the Indian savages of
the North American continent. But for
| years he was the idol Of his tribe.
The end came at Fort Sill, where he
| had been confined as a prisoner of war
for many years. He died Of pneumonia
in the hospital Of the fort. In the Indian
| cemetery nearby he was laid to eternal
rest the next day by Christian mission
aries, for Geronimo embraced Christianity
| three years ago and abandoned his savage
ways. .,A"sNtS
| Born in the Ho-doyohn canyon. Arizona
| some eighty-five years ago. he was reared
in that country which lies about the
| headwaters Of the Gila river. Among
were hidden. The valleys contained their
| fields: the boundless prairies were their
pastures. and the dark caverns their
| burial places. Here Geronimo. as a babe,
hung on his mothers back or played
| around his fathers tepee. Sometimes
| slung from the bough of tree in his
| tsoch (Apache crade), he was warmed
by the sun. ,Xocked by the winds and
| him the legends of his people, of the sun
and moon. the stars and sky, the clouds
and storms. and to kneel and pray to
Usen (God for wisdom. health and
of nOfb Faf foII r. 1,o
brave deeds of the Apache warrior, of the
fare.
Worked in the Fields.
When he was old enough he helped his
mother in the fields to gather the melons
and pumpkins, the corn and tobacco.
| which grew wild. All Indians smoked,
men and women. but no boy was allowed
| to smoke until he had hunted and killed
big game. Out on. the prairies which
| surrounded his home, wandered herds OF
| buffalo, antelope and deer. When he was
| about ten years old he began to hunt.
Buffalo were hunted on horseback and
slain with spears and arrows; deer on
foot. 1t was necessary to crawd long
distances carrying bush or bough in
front, SO that the approach would not be
noticed by the timid deer and antelope.
and by this method several out of
herd could be killed before the others
would run away. The flesh was dried
and packed away and the skins used for
clothes, bedding and to make tepees-
At the age of seventeen Geronimo was
admitted to the council Of warriors and
was able to share the glorles of the war
path and to marry AlOpe, beautiful and
slender maiden, by whom he had three
children. OF all his eight wives this was
the one whom he loved the best. il he can
be said to have known love. Up to this
time he had never seer q white man.
Thus peacefully passed his early life.
His Whole Family Slain.
In the summer of 1858, being at peace
with the Mexicans and neighboring In
dian tribes, Geronimo and his wife went
into old Mexico to trade. One day. having
pitched their camp near place called by
the Indians "Kas-ki-yeh," the men went
into the town to trade, leaving a small
guard so that their supplies and women
and children might not be disturbed.
Late in the afternoon, when returning,
they met a few fleeing women and chill
dren, who tod them that Mexican troops
had attacked their camp. killed the guard,
women and children and captured all
their supplies. In one fell swoop Geroni-
mo lost his mother, wife and children.
From this date he commenced his bitter
and bloody warfare with the Mexicans
and other whites-a warfare which never
ceased until his fighting days were over.
for the Mexicans that even as an old man,
converted to Christianity, he said: Il
shall never go to war again, but II
were young and followed the warpath 1t
would lead into old Mexico
Geronimo's hand was now against all
men outside of his own tribe Fire and
rapine, battle. murder and sudden death,
torture and unspeakable horrors contin
ued for years. until the outraged settlers
and all who had interests in Arizona and
New Mexico appealed to the United
government to end this unbearable state
Of affairs. Gen. Crook, the famous In
undertaking. The earliest field of oper
atoms was In that part of lew Mexico
between the Magdelena mountains and
the boundary Of Arizona. Geronimo
made 1t himself. Thence he fled south
until he crossed the Mexican line.
Chased Into Mexico.
Fortunately a treaty existed with Mexi-
co whereby troops from either country
were permitted to cross the boundary
in chase of fugitive Indians. Gen. Crook
followed close and the pursuit continued
across the Rio Grande.
Hemmed in on all sides by United
States and Mexican soldiers, Geronimo
was surprised in the month of January,
1886. at I.acori in the state of Sonora.
All was In train for an immediate end
of hostilities. The Indians were sub
dued and had determined to surrender,
when Geronimo and his band stole out
of camp and the pursuit was on again.
Gen. Crook now rendered his resigna-
ton and Gen. Miles was ordered to take
| command. In May. 1886. Cart Lawton
entered the field and on September B.
after travelling more than 1900 miles,
succeeded in forcing Geronimo to sur
render to Gen. Miles at Skeleton Canon,
Ariz. with the twenty-five warriors tnat
remained of his band
This war cost the government over
million dollars. many valuable lives and
some regulations. It not being deemed
advisable to allow Geronimo to remain in
the southwest, he and his warriors were
sent to Fort Pickens. Fla. The next wear
they were removed to Mount Vernon.
Ala. to improve their health and were
joined there by Geronmo's wife and
family and some 400 more Of his tribe.
Finally in 1894 Geronimo and 24O of his
band were sent to Fort Sill. Okla. Here,
in peace and prosperity, but with a dis
contented spirit. he passed the last years
of his life. He visited the st. Louis ex-
nd