Show AN INDIAN ATTACK AND A MURDER written for the NEWS by john nicholson Ric holso j stories of frontier life IQ in the west are exceedingly popular this is ig evinced by their abel fro frequent quent appearance in abe c ja urnald of the country many of them hem are wholly and others othera largely drawn from the ims m or of their authors au there the fictional fiction al aspee aspect i of these productions is ia apparent on ac acl count of an absence of be tween their several features fea turee utah lt aid contiguous regions could fur furnish abundant materials in the sha pe of stirring incidents for many volumes oi of story constructed exclusively irom from facto of which Fe arcely a note to is made for the of perpetuating them X this brings to mind some of the 1 frontier of william N I 1 fife who war wae for several 1 marshal of ogden oden city he la in t the UW ot of a splendid ique brawny broad shouldered and mus oular and is a stra oger Anger to the abe senga 1182 lion of fear in february I 1 1881 be he ha migrated to cochise 0 C south i eastern astern arizona where he be established a ranch close to the mountains he took with him part of his hie 1 family 1 including deluding his hia wife diane diana a large irge fine looking woman notable among her ber friends for her kindness of heart and and hospitality the location of the ranch to is about evenly miles from aroca sonora old mexico ico and no very great distance from now new mexico the region was thinly populated and there was scarcely an inhabited spot within light of the fife domicile the family were in an exposed posit position ioD slid and con coll in imminent danger from depredations of renegade apache indians who soon began to make raids on tile the stock in february 1882 young john fife at that time lime little more than a lad made a customary trip into the mountains to procure timber he was accompanied by two hired men both of them ex soldiers they entered a defile with their teams and were in the act of preparing to go to work when something startling occurred the sound of several shots rung out in the forest and the three woodsmen woodsman woods men soon comprehended that they wore were being attacked by a gang of naked apache Apa who hau bao taken positions behind adjacent trees and opened a fusillade fusi lade upon them then endured endued a determined fight the file men mein seized their rilei sod aud replied to the savages with the courage common to western frontiersmen the struggle was brief so 0 o fsr far as related to johns companions who were in the early stage of the attack both khot down and almost immediately expired you young UK fife being left alone in such an unequal struggle was in extreme peril he that his hie chances of escaping a violent death were overwhelmingly against him but he be never for six au instant lost self elf control he made a dash for aolua aclus a clus ter of large rooks rocks on the face of a slope elope and to make his blo extemporized fortification moro more secure by rapidly filling in some ome openings ope with smaller stones the indians indiana changed their positions with a view to com commande mandl dg the you young dg manis man Is miniature fort fortress tor tree reds but every time one of the attacking party showed himself crack went johns title rifle and his hl soon learned the necessity of caution meantime they kept up an incessant fire and johna joan s tion became it possible poa elble gradually worse woree A bullet struck him in the thigh abd ploughed sloughed hed through the flesh length lengthwise and another made an ugly w wound 0 und in his wrist and to add to the peril of his bia situation he soon goon discovered covered dia that hi bie ammunition was nearly exhausted A tow lew more shots and he would be at the mercy of the savages ea finally his hie less laet shot was fired areil and he expected that the baud band would at once rush huab in and finish him io in short order the indians indiana now changed their tactics J anna van a title rifle being silent they emerged rom from hi hiding cling but they did not attempt to carry the little litile fort by atom it was evident they thought that thai john was reserving a few shots for close quarters qu artere anyway they collected a large mount amount ot of brush W which blob they piled all around the biding ang place of the yc ung man at bay and set it on fire expecting that be would come out and they could then easily shoot him down to say aay that john jobu was in a hot place would be putting it mildly he was soon in the coutre centre of a circle of fire the names games roared and crackled being fanned by a rising arising breeze he was lying at full length on the ground and the fire reached his bis feet and burned the heel beel of his bis boot his sensations were in unison with the terrible character of the situation the last at ray of hope of escape had about taken flight when the breeze stiffened stifle ned anu ano blew the smoke of the encircling fire down the canyon Sua suddenly denly he was seized with an impulse which occurred as if an audible voice had bad suggested it acting upon it he arose dashed the flames and keep log ing in the line of the moke emoke xan tan down the canyon he felt that it was a race for life and ana the thought log ing his hie wounded thigh gave impetus to his speed he never stopped until he be had bad covered a distance of three miles when lie he reached a smelter completely exhausted from loss lose of bloon his tremendous exertion and the tension of bis bin feel feelings loge during the ordeal through which he had bad passed the people at the smelter took oare care of the young man for the time being and sent a messenger to his bis fabb father e to inform him of alist had occurred the manner of fires was marvelous mai rusi but it seems that the apaches who were waiting eagerly to murder him the moment he be should emerge from his hia biding place made no pursuit of him one of the renegades rene gades of the gang afterwards told one ot of general brooka indian scouts the reason for their not doing so eo they saw the lad dimly as he passed through the smoke but were seized with fear and fell back believing the figure to be his ghost it appeared from evidence which afterwards came to light that two ot of apaches were killed in the attack and several others wounded when the older elder fife learned that bat his bis two hired men had bad been killed his bis son SOD wounded and his big horses and harness stolen by the wild apaches he rode to in baste to ort bowie A company of cavalry was at once dispatched in ID pursuit of the indians indian in the hope of recovering ane stolen property mr fife accompanied the troops who follow followed td the marauders up to the mexican line jine over which the soldiers could not paw paa the savages were however encountered by a body of mexican troops and in the fight that ensued a number were killed on both side fridee affairs R at t the fife ranch ran along with comparative smoothness until 1884 ou on the ibe ot of september of that year mr file had bad occasion to go to tombstone on business he gave his bis two sops sons strict instructions to stay around the house bouse during his absence this direction was given with a view to the protection of mrs fife and daughter the latter a fine comely girl gir of sixteen after bis his departure however the boys thought there would be no DO hum barm in putting in some time in ila cutting hay bay on a field only a short abort distance from the domicile there vas another male member ot of the establishment a mexican who had been hired to out cut wood in an adjacent clump ot of timber on this particular day this mao mad an honest faithful fellow was engaged in that kind of labor toward noon a mexican of brutal and forbidding aspect entered the house bouee he was wag a large mao man hla his tace face was broad cheek bones hibb forehead low and abruptly sloping while tola bin email dull eyes were rs ilesa less furtively glancing from one object to another just juat such a fellow as aa one would imagine capable of any crime n the calendar including inc ludine murder doubtless this impression was made by him bim upon mrs fife and her daughter the only inmates of the house at the time he be entered it their sentiment of dread wab doubtless by the tact fact that his bis waist was OL circled by a belt filled with cartridges and a large revolver was suspended eue irom from it the abe native Mexican IR in usually suave even the criminal class clasa cornea comes within ibie rule butchis but thia burly follow was waa an exaggerated exception addrean ing the mistress of the establishment be breaid said give me a melon the demand was vaa complied with alter after eating a part of the article he announced that he must be supplied with dinner inie ibis decree was waa also alao obeyed the conversation in the meantime conducted was waa meagre and desultory the meat meal concluded the stranger made a remark about something outside the house bouse slid aud told mrs fife to look through the window at it this she ebe did when the villian tillian suddenly whipped out his pistol pinto took deliberate aim and sent a bullet through the body of the unfortunate woman who fell to the floor mortally wounded mine aggie whose heart was filled with grief and anger took in the full fall weight of the tragedy she leaped to ward her beloved mother evidently without a thought ofner ainer own danger she endeavored to raise her prostrate and bleeding form then it flashed into her mind that the he murderer must be disposed of and the lioness of her character obar acter asserted itself the as bassin snapped his hia pistol three times at the heroic girl but bus the weapon missed fire she bounded into the adjoining room and with almost supernatural rapidity snatched her bar fa fathers thetys gun from its accustomed cus tomed place but could not at the moment find the cartridges in an instant In gun in baud she was sinthe at the dobrof the apartment which waa the scene ot of the murder the hired man who had been chopping timber had heard the shot which struck down mrs flie fearing something was wrong he be rushed to the house and entered at the same moment that aggie appeared in the partition doorway deor way the scene told its IN own story so the faithful fellow leaped toward the murderer and dealt him a stunning blow with his bis flat fist which felled him to the floor he then throw threw himself upon the prostrate form of the ass assassin assiD wrenched wrench edthe the pistol from his grasp and unclasping the cartridge belt also took possession of that when the hired man arose to his bin feet the murder er sprang up and ran out through the back door and reached the timber before he could be captured the hired man notified the two boys boy john and walter waller of the murder of their mother slid ana the scene oene in that bouse bold way may be partially imagined hui bul could not be adequately described the mexican who was wa a kind beaner man joined in the general grief he had become greatly attached to the family and hold held its if head in special teem mr fife transacted the business bue inese when wh en took him to tombstone aud while there he be felt elt great depression easlon ol of spirit he could at rid himself of the idea that something sumet bing was wrong at home impelled by this sentiment he be started on hie bis return in the evening traveled rave led the whole of the night and arrived at the ranch during the following day sept when within a quarter of a onlie mile from the house bouse be was waa met by his bla hired mancho showed win him the belt bell and pistol of the murder or r the mexican told the tale tit of the tragedy between his sobs mobs while the tears streamed down his bid lace face mr fife cifes fifes breast was seized by a tumult of emotions emo tiona which came near prostrating pro him but his bib determination and native activity their way within an incredibly brief time be notified the people in a radius of thirty miles milea of the scene cene of the murder oi 01 what had occurred at once all that region was waa in a state ol of commotion cm cc motion aliv ranchers ranc bera and ru minere iDers including all the officers and leading men ot of the county bete soon riding rapidly in the direction of the file fife homestead A puru ing was waa organized and the tb fugitive was captured at a pant in the forest au at ut nine dine miles from the scent scene of his bis crime had abe pursuit been delayed but a short linit tahe murderer would have escaped to the biear reet would have been difficult end and doubt doubtful lul he was taken to the place where he be committed the deed by tuis tuia time nearly dearly one aoe hundred and fifty men hati hail a s 8 a J it was waa a large and determined ter mined body resolved into a committee of the on the disposal or of the murderer the latter wilted and begged but his bia entreaties met with no rek re mr fife addressing him several eual time sold why did yu you kill my win 1 but he be made no re ialy the committee held that the culprit abound die by bauclair bau hau Klair gior and that biu body should bould remain suspended lUB between betge ob earth dearth and sky eby for three daffe and throe three night flights SO ai SO aa object lesson and warning to all criminals of hia blip claw clasp the fatal boose was adjusted around the doomed man ve he was wae placed upon a horse bire and led jed under a large jarge white oak ask tree over a limb ol of which the rope was waa thrown at a given sig lg ai the oord cord was waa jerked with vigor and the murderer of mrs fife died without a struggle ac cording to the decree of the committee com milie abw way hung iu in midair mid air the apeci oed time and at aho end of the third day was wa burled buried i ot at far from the put where be committed the dastardly orime crime which forfeited hie own lile life the funeral of mrs fife was attended by the people of the surrounding cout stry wherever the news newa of her tau eau rate ate bad reached all classes sought bought to express in various their sym batby tor for the family aud and respect ibur or Abe memory of the good women woman who was wa bated in cold blood while her bar murderer was partaking of her which was wag proverbial among all her friends and acquaints acquaint ances |