OCR Text |
Show FORTY YEARS AMONG THE INDIANS. 367 the city of Chihuahua, and contracted with the Governor for Apache scalps. The Colt revolver had recently been brought into use. This company of rangers carried these weapons concealed under their coats and went to Galliana, a town on the Rio Santa Maria, in the north- western part of Chihuahua, near the mountains where the Indians dwelt. This Kerker arranged to have the Apaches come to a feast prepared for them, agreeing to meet them unarmed, as friends. The Indians, believing these white men real friends, came in without suspicion, and, while partaking of the hospitality, the rangers commenced with their revolvers and killed over a hundred of them. The Indians could make no resistance, but were literally slaughtered. Kerker got his money, but lost the respect of all decent men. A few years after this I was in the Apache country. They were killing both whites and Mexicans at every opportunity. Thirty- five years after I was again in that country and it was still the same. For many years when a white man was killed by an Apache, the whites would remark, " There is another of Kerker's victims." I saw this same individual in 1849 in Santa Fe, when he was there for a few days. So indignant were the people at him that there was a strong talk of lynching him. Individually, I succeeded in making friends with most of these Apaches. I have talked with them, but they have no confidence in the Mexican or white man. The move made by Gen. Crook that at the time proved a success, namely, getting one band to fight another, finally ceased to work and the scouts enlisted for the last few years have done but little killing. By the |