03 - Dread Apache- That Early-Day Scourge of the Southwest by Merrill Pingree Freeman

Dive into the fierce frontier drama of the early-day Southwest, where the relentless Apache was the central antagonist. This podcast, based on a collection of historic photographs, brings to life the chilling experiences of the pioneers who contended with this tireless foe. Experience the Apaches cunning and treachery, their ambush tactics, and the fearsome reputation of the squaw - possibly even more formidable than the man. Listen as we unravel numerous captivating biographies and historic headlines that paint a vivid picture of this tumultuous era. This gripping narrative is brought to life by Laurie Banza.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Section three of the dread Apache That Early Day Scourge
of the Southwest by doctor Merle Pingree Freeman. This libribox
recording is in the public domain. Mexicans attack and rob
Wheaton through Tommy Gates displays magnificent nerve. A trying experience

(00:25):
in the life of Wheaton, who narrowly escaped The band
that killed doctor Davis was when four Mexicans came to
his ranch on the San Pedro River one evening, he
being entirely alone at the time, and demanded his money,
which they said they knew him to have from the
sale of some hogs. He, however, denying that he had

(00:46):
any money. They proceeded to put a rope round his
neck and strung him up three or four times, each
time demanding that he'd tell where the money was concealed,
and he still denying that he had any During all
this time they were trying to find where the money
was hidden, and finally discovered it about sixty dollars in

(01:08):
the window casing. Then the question was debated as to
what they should do with Wheaton, whether or not they
should kill him. This they evidently hesitated to do, but
finally decided to take him out and throw him into
his will, probably having in mind that this would not
kill him, but would make him a close prisoner for

(01:30):
a time. On taking him to the well, however, they
found it to be a board one, and therefore only
eight or ten inches in diameter. Of course, this frustrated
that plan, and they returned him to the house, and,
throwing him on his bed, proceeded to tie him, and,
after threatening to kill him in case he at any

(01:51):
time made them any trouble over the affair, they left him.
As soon as they were gone. Wheaton succeeded in releasing
himself and went to the home of J. P. Hohussen
not far away, naturally, nearly prostrated from his fright and
the terrible ordeal through which he had just passed. The
next day, Wheaton, accompanied by Ira Davis, a brother of

(02:15):
doctor Davis, came to Tucson and reported the case to
Judge C. H. Meyer, an old time justice of the peace,
Old Charlie Meyer. Law unto himself, Old Charlie Meyer, as
he was familiarly called, was indeed a character and had

(02:35):
the well earned reputation of meeting out justice with an
iron hand and due in a large measure to his
eccentric methods of administering justice, was quite popular with the
well meaning, but certainly a terror to the evildoer. Judge
Meyer's conception of justice and the language of the statutes

(02:57):
frequently failed to be in full harmony, but that, of course,
was not a matter for which he was responsible and
should not and did not interfere in the slightest degree
with the administration of justice in his court. Meyer recalled
that four Mexicans had that same day come into his court, and,

(03:18):
by the deposit of sixty dollars as bail, had secured
the release of their friend, one El Zora, who was
being held for some offense, having been unable until then
to secure bail. Three of these four men were immediately
found and arrested. The fourth, having started for Mexico, was

(03:39):
followed by the officers and overtaken at Bully's Well, where,
in resisting arrest, he was shot and killed by Bob Cannon,
one of the officers. On trial of the other three,
Hohussan was able to fully identify one of the bills
in the sixty dollars turned in to Judge Meyer's court

(03:59):
as the one that he had personally paid to Wheaten
a few days before. In addition to this, one of
the men, Poncho Gomez, having turned state's evidence. They were
all three convicted and sentenced to the territorial prison. Gomez, however,
for a shorter term than the others Tommy Gates, displays

(04:22):
magnificent nerve while serving their terms. On October twenty seventh,
eighteen eighty seven, in an attempted outbreak at the prison
in which these men participated, the prisoners succeeded in getting
hold of the superintendent of the prison, Thomas Gates, familiarly
known as Tommy Gates, and threatened to take his life

(04:44):
if he permitted the guards to fire on them. Notwithstanding this,
he ordered the guards to fire when one of the
Wheaton convicts, one Pueblin, thrust a knife first into his
shoulder and then into his back, seriously but not fatally,
wounding him. Barney Riggs, a life termer, then succeeded in

(05:06):
getting hold of a pistol, shot and killed Puebla, and
for this was subsequently pardoned out. In response to the
almost unanimous sentiment of the territory in the amu At,
four of the prisoners were killed outright, and Tommy Gates's
display of nerve on the occasion goes into history as

(05:27):
a heroic example of self sacrifice in the discharge of duty.
End of Section three.