Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 June 1894 — AN OLD-TIME INDIAN TERROR. [ARTICLE]

AN OLD-TIME INDIAN TERROR.

An Aged Indian Warrior Who for Ten Years Terrorized the Settlers of Arizona. They were talking about the present Indian outbreak when one of the party, who had been for many years a resident of Arizona Territory, remarked: . “I tell you, gentleman, that this Indian business is liable to become pretty serious before long. Why on earth the government don’t enlist 25,000 men and have those red skins rounded qp once and for all is something I cannot understand. “Why, down in Arizona, we lived for fifteen years in a state of terror on account of the marauding band of Apaches that had things pretty much their own way all this time, in spite of all that the government troops could do to keep them in check. “I call to mind particularly Old Victorio. There was a warrior for you. He commanded a band of some

two hundred bucks. . They were the Chiracahua Apaches, and the murders, robberies and depredations committed by that band during those ten years in which they were on the warpath are almost incredible. ‘•Old Victorio was nearly ninety years of age when the trouble began. He ruled those red skins with a rod of iron in spite of his years. And he was paralyzed, too, completely paralyzed. He was only able to use his left arm a little, just enough to lift a cigarette to his mouth. “He was constantly in the saddle, and had to be strapped on like a bale of goods. His band had the finest ponies to be found anywhere. They would sometimes appear at one place and in less than twenty-four hours you would hear of them at some place 100 miles distant,. All throughout southern Arizona and northern Mexico Old Victorio continued his raids until the settlers finally gave up in despair. The government troops appeared to be utterly powerless in the matter. “Why, that band of red skins would sometimes plunder a wagon train right under the noses of the troopers, and by the time the latter were mounted and ready to start in pursuit, they would be out of sight. The next day, perhaps, the wires would tell of some fresh depredation committed by the same band in a section of the country over 100 miles away. ■ “This old war dog, however, Was ! finally rounded up and shot He ! died in the saddle, fighting to the i last, and his band, what was left of | it, dispersed. Of course the settlers , heard of It and were delighted. Dismay followed, however, when Cochise took the field. This Indian ran things pretty much the same way for five years, and then came old Geronimo. “The Indians of the Northwest are much more numerous and better armed. You may take my word for it, gentlemen, we haven’t seen the last of the Indian troubles. We've hardly seen the beginning of them. The government will wake up to the fact before long, too.”—New York Herald.