Arizona republican., 1921-04-13

FAMOUS STORY
 Among the famous stories of the west that stirred the imagination of the younger generation 50 years ago With thoughts of redskins and bnck- skin shirts and long barreled rifles. the account of the massacre of four members of the Oatman family at oatman hill and the ensuing cap uvlty among the Apaches of two of the daughters was one of the hest known and the widest read And at tiIls late day interest in the massacre cannot but be aroused again by the stHtement that the man who found the bodies of Oatman, his wife and tWo children and the senseiess form ois his son, is still living in Phoenix, where he has been an officer of the lay for more than 45 years and whose memory still goes back clearly to 1851, when he was years old. and when it was his part to see the man Elsd remains of those who had been companions to him and his people during long Journey to California Ahis pioneer, whose life has been x degree than is perhaps his share, is Capt. H. c. Mcdonald. 1917 West Taylor street, who wears badge No. l of the Phoenix police department and who for almost half century has been engaged in the enforcement of the law in Maricopa county.
 1t was in 1851 that a party of emi- grants passed through Arizona on their way to California. The various members of the party formed large wagon train, and among those mak- ing the trip were the Mcdonald fam ily and the Oatman family. One or the Mcdonald family, a child of 2 years. had died while the party was nearing Old Maricopa. and the train had stopped there for burial.
 Despite the warnings of the other members of the train, Oatman. who is described ak having been a very religious man and who held the thought always that God would pro- tect him, set out with his family In an OK cart about two days before the train itself was to begin its journey again. The Mcdonald family was anxious to reach Fort Yuma, where there was a doctor and where Me- Ddnald's sister. Arza Stroud, was born A few days later. They set out, the party including McDonald's father and mother and grandmother, and four or five men, and reached the present Oatman flats without un- toward incident. Arrived at thf flats, however, the grandmother and young Mcdonald walked to the top of a little hill and there they found the grewsome remains of what had been the Oatman party. On the ground were the bodies of Oatman, ais wife and two children, all of whom had been scalped, while the wagon was nothing but a charred mass of wood and twisted iron. At the foot of a bluff a short distance away was the body Of the son, Charles, who was still breathing. although he had been scalped and thrown over the cliff. The bodies of two of the daughters, Mary and Ollie, were not found. for the girls had been captured and taken away by the Indians.
 As Mcdonald and his grandmother looked at the carnage about them they saw detachment of soldiers from Fort Yuma in the distance These had been informed in some manner of the massacre and were III pursuit of the Apaches who had per- petrated it. The grandmother assist ed the soldiers in burying the bodies, and a famous captain of the Plmas, Juan Jose. carried the boy. Charles, back to a Pima village. where the roungster recovered and Is yet liv- ing, according to the best information In the possession of Mcdonald.
 The story of the massacre itself, as it was unfolded partially during the investigations which followed, was that a band of Yuma Apaches had come into the Oatman camp and had talked with the members Of the family in quite a friendly spirit. Sud- denly a signal was given and the Indians whirled upon Oatman ano his family, braining all but the sor and Mary and Ollie, sealping them and then robbing the wagon and set ting it on fire.
 Mary. one of the captured daugh- ters. lived among the Yumas for q wear or two and then died. Ollie rernained with them for many years finally being purchased by mar named Carpenter, who was also car nefiter at Fort Yuma, who released 5e,- Her brother. Charles, spent many years afterward in intellectual at ten1pts to find his sister. Ollie mar ried after her release and IS peileVes 10 be still living in California
 fn giving the particulars or thu rar1ous massacre Captain McDonalt
 
 onaers that the Apaches and the Yinas were bad Indians, while tn Pinaas were. exceptionally good. thei boast being that they had never she' thAi blood of a white man.
 Mcdonald went on to California with his parents, where he lived fo several years on the San Joaquin riy pr in Fresno county After trip o TWO east he came into Maricopa coun ty in 1875, and has lived in Phoeni' ever since, as also has his wife. Cap tain Mcdonald is 8 Texan, havini been born in Georgetown. Williamson county, 75 years ago.
 Upon his arrival in Phoenix Cap tain McDonald was made a deput sheriff and for 20 years he served i his capacity. He was an officer o the law during all of the stirring his tory of 30 and 40 years ago, and wa well acquainted with all the charac -----------------