Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-02-24
A RIDE FOR LIFE,
An Exciting Episode OF Rough Life in Colo
rado-A Rancher's Battle aud IL Long
Fight. with Deats. CEose Behind.
Correspondence OF the Chicago Inter-O Ocean.


Correspondence OF the Chicago Inter-O Ocean.
Not more than short two hOn ago
your correspondent was listening to a
tale OF daring that, however unworthy
the hero may be, was calculated to
arouse all the interests of sympathy,
He was a square built man, with an
honest open face, and pleasant though
determlned-looking blue eyes, that told
the tale, and in not a little did his ap-
pearance indicate that he once shot q
nelghbOr with whom he had had a dis
pute by the Light of his burning barn,
which an accessory had set fire to. For
that crime he was tried last fall, here in
Denver, and acquitted, but when he
went down TO his ranches on a creek
emptylng into the Arkansas he found
the verdict of q Denver jury was not re-
garded as passport to the safety of
murderers by the friends of the muir
dered man. At any rate, although he
affects to have had not an inkllng Of
their intention, he knew the time had
come when he must fight for his life,
when he was aroused at the midnight
thai separated last Friday from Satur-
day by the hoarse demand, Was Gibbs at
home? Gibbs answered that he was, and
wastold to get up and come out. as some
body wanted to see him. Gibbs asked
If morning would not do as we'll, and
was told no he was wanted
then and there. He was next informed
that his lnterlocutor would give him
ten minutes to get out of the house,
and fifteen to get out with his family; if
he did not take advantage of which he
and his family would be burnt on one
funeral pile. He made no answer to all
this, and the next move of his enemies
was to the other side of the rancho, a
simple log cabin, licking in the modern
conveniences of windows, except on the
side on which the parley took place, on
which also was the door. Taking advan-
tage of the fact that the dead wall pre-
sented noaperture through which Gibbs
might get at them, they leisurely pro-
ceeded to do their best to fire the build
ing, but Jared Ill in their attempt, owing
to the logs being old and full Of water.
Tired with their frultless efforts, Gibbs's
visitors came around to the side they
first approached and began to pile hay
and wood against the door for the pur-
pose of igniting it. One of the would
be lynchers, named Sam Boone, was in
the act of STOPPING with lighted
match in his hand, revealing clearly his
entire form, to set fire to the pile thus
raised, when Gibbs fired with revol
yer through chink in the boards, which
served in place of sash and glass for the
window, killing him instantly.
His comrades retreated some distance
at this, but soon returned, proposing
to burst open the door by main force
While they were punched together pre-
paratory to making the charge that was
to do this, Gibbs fired again, hitting
two men this time He builded wiser
than he knew, indeed, for the gun of
one of them, as he was falling, ex-
ploded, killing a brother to the man
first killed. SauUe gu 1,eut occurred
at one and the same time to the surviv-
ing assailants at seeing the untimely
fate of their comrades, and they scat
tered and made off. Gibbs fired at
them, retreating, with rife, the bull
let of which he heard "spat'' On re-
volver one carried, SO that it did no
harm. After seeing the backs of his
enemies disappear in the darkness,
Gibbs, on his part, turned tail, and
fed with his wife and three children,
and a neighbor and her child, over to
his fathers ranch, situated some half
a mile distant i'll direction opposite to
that taken by his foiled assailants. His
friends gathered around him the next
day, and when he was examined the
I, -
al, ten of those who had tried to lynch
him testifying to his having acted in
self-defense. But this spirit of fair
play was not rife in the community,
and not only Gibbs, but the justice
who presided at his trial, and his
friends and relatives, found their lives
were in danger. Accordingly,
the Justice, Gibbs, his brother,
and a friend named .Gillard were obliged
to hurry off Immediately after the trial
and make tracks for this place, which
they seem to have considered their only
city of safety. They had not gone
score OF miles before the Phillistines
were upon them; and now came a race
for life. Their pursuers numbered
some two score, and the multiplicity en-
hUlou G1ou 10 cover UraCG OF country
which left little loophole for their es-
cape. Gibbs first evaded them by call
ing on his party to separate and hide in
a gulch till they had passed by, but this
ruse did not prevail for long. They
were soon obliged to break cover, and
then the pursuing party gained on them
fast. At last by desperate squirt they
managed to get a start which gave them
time to throw off all their surplus loa
and enable their horses to increase their
speed materially. Their object was to
reach mountain near by, where they
had determined to make a stand and
sell their lives as dearly as possible, but
their hor ses were SO freshened up by
their lightened loads that they were en-
abled to give the party in the rear the
go by com letely.
All this chase, I forgot to say, was done
at night, the pursuers first appearing in
sight little after midnight. Themoon,
however, was very nearly at the full,
and, as the country was well covered
with snow, the motions of pursuers and