During  the  fall  of  1885  a rancher  came  to
the  mine  and  informed  the  foreman,  James  H.
Kirker,  that  he  had  missed  some  horses,  and
from  indications  thought  that  Geronimo  and  his
band  of  about  thirty  Indians  were  in  the  neigh-
borhood. At  the  noon  hour  Mr.  Kirker  informed
the  miners  of  the  situation  and  asked  for  volun-
teers to  go  and  hunt  down  the  Apaches,  and
the  following  Americans  came  to  the  front:
James  H.  Kirker,  Floyd  McMann,  John  Thomp-
son, Jack  Ophner,  Tim  O’Brien  and  Press
Hatcher,  the  ranchman,  six  in  all.  The  party
was  well  armed  and  mounted,  and  took  to  the
mountains.  Late  in  the  evening  they  camped
in  the  bottom  of  a canyon.  Early  the  next
morning  they  continued  their  journey  up  the
canyon,  and  as  they  reached  the  summit  of  the
mountain  they  were  fired  on  by  Geronimo  and
his  band  who  were  concealed  in  the  tall  grass,
and  only  a few  feet  distant.  Thompson  and
O’Brien  fell  dead  from  their  horses.  Hatcher,
who  was  still  coming  up  the  hill,  was  shot
downward  through  the  shoulder  and  body.
Ophner  was  shot  through  the  leg  and  the  arm,
both  being  broken.  McMann  was  wounded  but
managed  to  make  his  escape,  and  eventually
reached  the  camp.  Kirker  ran  first  to  Hatcher,
in  time  to  hear  his  death  message:  “Tell  the

During the fall of 1885 a rancher came to…

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