The dread Apache: That early-day scourge of the SouthwestFreeman, Merrill Pingree
History
The dread Apache: That early-day scourge of the Southwest
Freeman, Merrill Pingree
Apache Indians; Apache Kid, approximately 1860-; Indians of North America -- Southwest, New
returned to the Territory and tried by such courts. Under this order
the Kid and several others were returned and tried by Judge Kibbey, at
Globe, and on October 30, 1889, sentenced to imprisonment at Yuma, and
were being taken there by Sheriff Reynolds and his Deputy, “Hunky-Dory”
Holmes. They were being conveyed by stage over the Pinal mountains, via
Riverside and Florence. In the stage were Reynolds, Holmes, a Mexican
who was also being taken to Yuma, the Kid and seven other Indians, and
Eugene Middleton the driver of the stage, making twelve in all.
Killing of Sheriff and Deputy and Escape of Kid
The Indians were handcuffed together, two and two, and had shackles
on their ankles. They stopped over night at Riverside, about half-way
between Globe and Florence. Leaving Riverside early on the morning of
November 2nd, while passing up a heavy sand-wash, the pulling being
quite heavy, in order to relieve the team, the two officers and six
of the Indians got out to walk, the Indians probably having had their
shackles loosened from at least one ankle to enable them to do so;
the Kid and one of the Indians still remaining in the stage. Suddenly
the six Indians that were walking seized the two officers, whom they
overpowered and killed with their own guns. As soon as Middleton
discovered what was taking place, drawing his own revolver and covering
the Kid and the other Indian still in the stage, he kept them quiet
until, on standing up to look back, he was shot through the face by one
of the other Indians. In the meantime the Mexican, taking advantage of
the opportunity, escaped. Middleton, although badly wounded, was not
killed; the Indians, however, evidently thought he was dead. He was,
however, sufficiently conscious to realize what was taking place and
avoided disabusing their minds of their belief, and in due course was
rescued and taken to Globe, where he finally fully recovered.
The eight Indians, now armed with a shot-gun, a Winchester rifle, and
three revolvers, partly stripping Middleton and the two officers,
hastened to get away. Stories of the manner of their relieving
themselves of their shackles do not agree. One story is that, finding a
blacksmith-shop near the mouth of the San Pedro river, they succeeded
in cutting the shackles loose. Middleton’s statement is that, finding
the keys in the pockets of the Sheriff, they easily freed themselves
of their irons, and the plausibility of this is quite evident, as the
officers must necessarily have had the keys with them. After their
escape the Indians are supposed to have come along the west side of the
Catalina mountains, and passed near the Half-way House, between Tucson
and Fort Lowell, as their tracks were seen there crossing the road,
going south.
Sword Presented to General Miles.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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