A Thrilling Backwoods Story.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5029, 10 June 1889, Page 2

A Thrilling Backwoods Story.

At the Manchester City Police Court on March 20th, John Hancock, 8, Gorton street, Chorlton -on - Medlock, was charged with having stolen a gold watch and other articles, the property of Colonel Shelley, better known as “Mexican Joe," from the office of the circus in Chepstow street, during the confusion which occurred when, the premises were burnt down on Tuesday, February 26th. Detective-Sergeant Gibbons said he arrested the prisoner at the Grand Circus, and asked him if he knew an} thing about a gold watch. At first the prisoner denied all. knowledge of the watch, but at last he said he had found a gold watch at the fire at Mexican Joe’s in Chepstow street,. Witness further asked him if he knew anything about a revolver. He replied that he had had a revolver, but had left it at the Peveril of the Peak Hotel, Chepstow street. That statement was found to be untrue. When formally charged with the offence, he said he found the articles in the street on the night of the fire. Colonel Shelley identified the watch as being his property, and stated that he valued it merely as a memento' of a highly interesting event. In 1879 an Apache chief named Victorio made a raid on his (Colonel Shelley’s) ranche at Pasquel Janos, in Mexico, and carried off his wife and three children, killing the latter and his cattle, and reducing the place to ruins. At that time he (Colonel Shelley) was away fighting against another band of Indians in his capacity of chief scout to the Mexican army; 4 s soon as he learned what had occurred he hurried back home, and covered 182 miles in two days, killing three or four horses cn the journey. When he had reached home he found that it had been utterly destroyed. He at once organised a pursuit, and followed the trail of Victorio into the Sierra Madre Mountains. He had not proceeded far when he came upon the bones of his three children lying by the road way,picked clean by the coyotes and buzzards. He had followed the trail for nine days when he came upon the Indians, entrenched upon a ledge on the rocks, and through his glasses ho saw his wife was with them. He and his band immediately surrounded (ho Indians, and, after an arduous struggle, Victoria, finding the case hopeless, fastened Mrs Shelley to a tree, and after despatching her with arrows,set fire to the tree, and her body was consumed in the flames. Unfortunately, Victorio managed to escape, with three other of his braves,, through a canyon which had not been guarded by the pursuers, and joined another band of Apache Indians, led by Bonito. Ultimately they were overtaken again, and Colonel Shelley killed Victorio with his own hand. On searching the dead body of the chief, Colonel Shelley found his wife’s watch chain round his neck, and from it was suspended the watch produced in court. It was considerably damaged owing to the chief having fallen a great distance down the rooks after he was shot. When the colonel returned to the headquarters of his troop at Monterey, he reported what had occurred to General Trevanion. A gentleman who was then in Mexico with. Lord Aylesford afterwards identified the watch as one which had belonged to an English nobleman who had been killed in the mountains three or four years previously. Efforts were made to trace the owner, but without success. Lord Aylesford offered to purchase the watch, but Colonel trhelley refused to part with it. The Mexican Government hsd offered him £2OOO for the relics taken froni the Apache chief, but he refused thp offer. Thpy included the scalp of the “ poor old chief ” and other articles which were burnt at the fire. The prisoner was sent to gq,ol for three months pith hard labor.