Brutal Murder of Mrs. Peck and Baby.
On April 27, 1886, a band of Indians appeared at the ranch of A. L. Peck, about twenty miles from Oro Blanco, where they found Mrs. Peck, her baby, about eleven months old, and her niece, Jenny, a young girl of about 11 years. Killing Mrs. Peck and the baby, they took the young girl away with them. It was asserted by some at the time, including Peck himself, that the leader of this band was Geronimo, but I think this could hardly have been possible, for the reason that the leader was too young and spoke good English, whereas Geronimo did not speak English. In giving the “Story of His Life” to S. M. Barrett, at Fort Sill, not many years ago, it had to be done through an interpreter. Besides, Geronimo had escaped from General Crook, sixty-five miles south of Fort Bowie and 125 miles east of Oro Blanco, on the night of March 29th, only a month previous, and gone into the Sierra Madre mountains. It is my opinion that Geronimo was never seen in Arizona subsequent to that time until he surrendered to General Miles and was brought to Fort Bowie the following September.
At the time of the killing of Mrs. Peck, Peck and a young man by the name of Charles Owen were a mile or two away from the house, both being mounted but unarmed, and were in the act of catching a steer. The Indians surprising them, Peck’s horse was shot from under him and he was captured and held prisoner. Owen, being well mounted, made a dash for his life, but ran into another part of the same band. His horse was shot from under him, and Owen himself was shot through the neck and arm, killing him instantly. Those that had Peck were apparently waiting for their leader for instructions as to what to do with him. The leader soon coming up, after taking from Peck his boots, knife and tobacco, they released him, telling him, however, not to go home. Before releasing him, one of the Indians, for some unexplainable reason, gave him 65 cents in money. A squaw with this band had little Jenny on a horse with her. Jenny was crying bitterly, and when Peck attempted to talk with her the Indians intervened and prevented his doing so. About six weeks later she was rescued from the Indians by some Mexican cowboys, at a point about forty miles from Magdalena, Sonora, where she was delivered to Peck, who had gone after her. As soon as released, Peck went directly home, where he found his wife and baby lying dead.