20115, 20116, 20117, 20118. The Arizona Miner, Prescott, Arizona Territory, September 14th, 1872. The Hunt for Evidence and the Result. (article)

The Arizona Miner Prescott, Arizona Territory September 14th, 1872 The Hunt for Evidence and the Result. During the latter part of January, 1872, Wm. Gilson, a citizen of Date Creek, informed General Crook that he had reasons for believing that Date Creek Indians were mixed up in the Wickenburg Massacre; and Mr. Gilson is a gentleman who has always responded to the wants of the aforesaid savages. General Crook then set spies— both Indians and whites- at work, to hunt up testimony, plenty of which, it appears, was soon after forthcoming. First came an Apache-Mohave Indian boy, who had been raised by Dan O’Leary. Him the robbers and murderers sent for to go out and tell them the denominations of the green-backs they had secured at the time of the massacre. Next came Irataba, Chief of the Mohave Indians, one or two of his Captains, and several of his warriors, who have testified that the murderers, after first going to Date Creek, went upon the Colorado Indian Reservation, boasted of the deed they had done; spent their green-backs and other plunder. These proceedings were, it is said, brought to the notice of other white men, besides General Crook, and if we are not mistaken, Dr. Tanner, Indian Agent at the Colorado Reservation has, for some time past, been in possession of these facts, and has assisted in procuring them. Again, Walapal Indians have substantiated these accounts. The murderers have said that 15 of their number made the attack, and 15 more were within hailing distance, ready to aid. They took very little clothing, trinkets, etc., fearing that the possession thereof might one day lead to their detection. Crook Goes for Them. We believe it was in March last that Gen. Crook, with Lieutenants Bourke and Ross, started from Fort Whipple, to go where, nobody knew, exactly, further than he went out on the Mohave road, towards the Colorado river. Well, he went to Beale Springs, succeeded in getting some Walapai Indians to agree to go out with him and help him persuade the Apache-Mohaves to come into Camp Date Creek, where they would be fed and taken care of by Government. This was a ruse, as the General’s main object was to get hold of the robbers and murderers belonging to that tribe, and knowing that both tribesA pache-Mohaves and Walapais- were more or less friendly, it would not do to trust the latter with the real secret of the expedition. Crook, his Lieutenants and Indians trudged on foot, through snow and slush towards a rendezvous where two companies Crook Goes for Them- Continued. of cavalry were to meet him, when all were to go for the bad Apache-Mohaves under guidance of Dan O’Leary and the Walapais. But just at this time, an express came to him with orders to cease hostilities and let the Indians and “Peace Commissioners” settle the row. He came home to be growled at by citizens for obeying orders, and to have his hands tied while a foolish, Indian policy was being tried. But recently, having been granted authority to chastise bad Indians, he with Lieutenant Ross, Henry Hewitt, and a few other persons started for Camp Date Creek, to carry out thern old object of arresting the murderers. Arriving there, on the 7th inst., he found that the Indians had not, agreeable to promise, come in to meet him. He waited until the 8th, when some 50 Indians, led by their chief, Ochocama, made their appearance, armed and painted, apparently ready for war. Meantime, Dr. Bendell, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and Mr. Barney, arrived from Ehrenberg; Captain Byrne, D.H. Smith, Irataba, Irataba’s son and another Mohave Indian came from Camp Beale Springs. C.B. Genung, Wm. Gilson and other citizens from neighboring valleys were also present. It was arranged by the General, that the Mohaves should be kept out of sight of the Apache-Mohaves until everything was ready for arresting the murderers. The time for the council came; three or four of the stage robbers were assembled and one- “Chimahueva Jim,” (a very bad Indian, who speaks English, could not be induced to come to the post). General Crook and the other whites we have named, with Lieut. Volkmar, commanding the post, were seated on benches opposite Ochocama and his braves, when Irataba and his followers made their appearance and shook hands with their red brethren. There being but about 50 Apache-Mohaves present, Gen. Crook asked for information regarding the five or six hundred Apache-Mohaves and Apache-Yumas, who a short time previous, drew rations at the post. Little knowledge did he gain about this matter from the chief, whose brother was then in the guard-house for having attempted to smuggle arms from the post and for having disobeyed an order of Dr. Williams, Indian Agent at the post. It having been previously understood, by the Whites and Mohaves, that one of the latter was to hand each murderer of the stage passengers, a piece of tobacco, Mr. Mohave commenced to carry out that part of the programme, offering the first piece to the chief- Ochocama, who hung his head and did not let on that he understood what the Mohave meant. But, he was persuaded to take hold of it; while his countenance changed rapidly from one blue color to another, and he finally dropped the tobacco. Another and another Indian was given a piece; the last red devil had just clutched his when, agreeable to previous understanding, a soldier attempted to arrest him. Quick as thought, the savage stabbed the soldier with a knife; the soldier pulled his pistol and shot; General Crook rushed in and tried to stop the fracas, but it was too late, as, already, Indians and soldiers were cross—firing Crook Goes for Them— Continued. upon each other. Three soldiers caught hold of the chiefO chocama- who would have got away from all three had it not been for Dan O’Leary, who, winding his fingers in the chief’s hair, threw and secured him, when he was led to the guard—house. Ochocama’s brother, who was in the guard—house, made two attempts to escape through the roof, and was shot by the guard. An Indian was observed by Lieutenant Ross, taking dead aim at Gen. Crook, and, but for the action of the Lieutenant, in quickly pushing the General out of range of the gun he would have been a dead General. The bullet that was intended for Crook, hit and killed an Indian. Most of the Indians ran away when the firing commenced, but the Chief and those who had to remain fought like demons. The fight started behind General Crook, and he is sorry that it occured, but it was inevitable, as the Indians would have resisted arrest, under any circumstances. Ochocama, after having fired old boots, iron wedges, and other missiles out of his cell, at the guard, jumped through the canvas roof, was shot at twice, pierced with a bayonet once, and finally made his escape to the hills, where according to the story of some Apache-Yumas who have since come into Mr. Gilson’s place, he died. A worse Indian has never expired in this Territory, for according to his own confession, he murdered Mr. Leihy and Mr. Evarts, in Bell’s Canyon, on November 10th, 1866, for no other reason he said, than that some person had told him that Leihy had sold some of his annuity goods. Leihy was Superintendent of Indian Affairs at the time, and Mr. Evarts was his clerk. His murderers tried to lay the blame of the crime on the Pimas, just as they have been in the habit of trying to make the Tontos shoulder their other evil deeds. Then this villain and his brother- both of whom are now “good Indians,” murdered a man named Taylor, on the Colorado river, in August, 1869. Mr. Gilson showed great courage in going, alone, to his ranch and staying there after this row. Mr. Genung having Indians working for him on the road over Antelope Mountains, was furnished with a small escort of soldiers, went home, told his Indians what had taken place, when they all left. At this writing, we have not the number of Indians killed in the fight, but gentlemen who were present think that, including Ochocama and his brother, the Apache-Mohaves lost about seven. Others were wounded. Mr. Hewitt says many more could and would have been killed but for the earnest efforts of Gen. Crook and Dr. Bendell to put a stop to the firing. The soldier who was stabbed by the savage was not expected to survive. Crook Goes for Them- Continued. Since the fracas, about 100 Apache-Yumas, under chief, Jemaspie, have come back to Date Creek and said they wished to live upon the reservation, but were bound to kill Irataba and other Mohaves, for having betrayed the Apache-Mohaves. Gen. Crook has gone down to talk with those fellows, with the view of getting them to aid in arresting bad Indians and turning them over to the civil authorities, for trial. No doubt, the Apache-Mohaves and their allies will now work hard to punish whites, and we counsel our people to be on their guard. Meantime, we urge General Crook, his officers and men to go in and compel the red murderers to come upon the reservations, stay there and leave white men and their property alone. Dr. Bendell says he is prepared to stall-feed all Indians who will come in and behave themselves, and we know that, for the past two months reservation Indians have had more provisions than they have been able to make use of.