The Arizona Miner
Prescott, Arizona Territory
November 18th, 1871
Local Intelligence.
A Movement Toward Vengeance.
The Wickenburg Massacre nearly called forth another terrible
retribution on the heads of the murderers, at the hands of our
citizens. It is not surprising that the people of Arizona should
have become well nigh frenzied by the criminal courtesy shown the
Assassin of the Indian Bureau: and the result of this frenzy
would, inevitably, have been the justifiable massacre of every
Indian on the Date Creek reservation, were it not for the
complete confidence which the people have in Gen. Crook, and
which, at the eleventh hour, influenced them to let the matter
rest in his hands feeling satisfied that he will do justice in
the matter, so far as he has the authority to act. No sooner had
it been established beyond the possibility of mistake that the
murder was perpetrated by Indians and that the Indians were in
part, if not wholly, from the Date Creek reservation, than a
party of some sixty citizens was organized to take vengeance upon
the murderers, and soon declared itself in readiness to move.
About this time, a few members of the party- more thoughtful than
their comrades— whose course we heartily commend, were instrum
ental in staying proceedings for the time, and finally in
causing the abandonment of the project, through deference for the
presence of Gen. Crook- knowing well that he would leave no means
untried to have the matter properly attended to. And here let us
add that this is not a case wherein justice can be done by simply
killing the actual murderers, provided they should be discovered;
there is not one Indian in the whole neighborhood, either on the
reservation or elsewhere, who was not aware that the murder was
to be perpetrated. These are all responsible- and the sacrifice
of the worthless lives of the whole tribe would not compensate
for the loss of the least one among the victims.
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