Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-04-11
THE MAXWELL TRAGEDY.


Of tho murder Of Capt. Maxwell and
his son, the salient points Of which
we copy. Connected with it we al.
so give letter to the Nonparea con.
tanning satisfactory assurance that the
murderer win not again commit
crime. The Chronicle says:
| Mr.. Maxwell had negro working
for him, named VIM. Breckenridge
who was lately discharged from the
army, his discharge papers being dat
ed at Fort Wallace. Breckenridge
arrived In Trinidad on..Saturday eve.
ming, riding Maxwell's; horse. He
visited his wife Saturday night, and
lon Sunday morning attended to busi.
ness which had been entrusted to him
by Maxwell 80 he says. All his ac-
ti0ns here appear straight enough, or
can be easily accounted for, and on
Monday morning as he was leaving
town, going In the direction Of Mar
wells he was arrested on the strength
of q telegram from the sheriff Of that
c0unty. When in jail he was visited
by DR.. Cushing and Deputy Sheriff,
Wooton, to whom he gave connect.
ed and plausible account Of the man.
ner of his leaving Maxwelps and his
operations here. His story is, In SUBJ
stance. that ON Thursday evening two
Mexicans1with burros, stopped to
camp near Maxwell's and Maxwell
went out or sent out and called them
up to the house, and told them they
could use his wood and sleep in his
hay pen, and that they did so. The
next morning. he says, Maxwell In
vited them to take breakfast Will him
and that he (Breckenridge) cooked
their breakfast and they ate together.
He was to come to Trinidad that
morning to get his wife and do some
errands for Mr.. Maxwell, and sad
died one Of Maxwclls horses imme.
diately after eating his breakfast
Maxwell advised him a. he mounted
to como away, to carry either gun
or pistol, and handed him q revol-
yer, which he brought along. He
says ho left the Mexicans there stand
ing near the house, and beyond that
he knows nothing.
When the kilograms were received
here and it was known that the dar-
key had been arrested, there was for
few hours the most intense excite
ment, and had il not been for the
calm counsels of cool men, there
would have been An attempt at lynch
ing, which would have been met BY
force from men who believe in law
and order; but when the circumstan-
ccs connected with Breckenridge's
movements became public the popu-
lar clamor for summary execution
subsided. Breckenridge is still in
Jail here, and the sheriff of Colfax
county is also here awaiting q requi-
sition from the governor Of New
Mexico to take the prisoner back to
the territory.
Mr.. Maxwell came to this country
from Iowa, last fall, and after looking
about concluded to locate in Colfax
county. s loon afterwards he purchase
ed the Dimmick herd of cattle through
the Agency of Markley & Go. He
was in Trinidad two weeks ago, and
in conversation with us at that time
left tho impression on our mind that
he was not over well pleased with the
situation of things in his immediate
locality. We have since learned that
his cattle range was on the border Of
the sheep range Of that country, and
that only about month ago sheep
man living at Taos, who Kept sheep
on the Eagle Tail, was killed and his
brother wounded. This occurred
near Maxwell's ranch, and many sup
pose that Maxwell and his son were
murdered in retaliation. At the
present time however suspicion rests
on the African, Breckenridge.
As we go to press there is q rumor
on the street that Breckenridge has
confessed to the murder of Maxwell
and his son, but if this is so we are
unable to get at the facts, and there
fore are unable to say whether the re-
port is true or not. The officers are
silent on the matter.
In any event we hope that our
townsmen will allow no act to be
committed which will bring disgrace
upon the community. The prisoner
will be taken to New MEXICO as soon
as the proper requisition from the
Governor Of that Territory is receiv-
ed, and then if, found guilty, will
meet the doom which his great crime
deserves.
LATER-THE MURDER CONFESSED.
P.S.-We cannot remain silent re-
garding this horrible murder when
the matter is the talk of the whole
town. From good authority-not
from the officers, however-we learn
that Breckenridge has confessed the
double murder and also given the
particulars. As we understand it he
first shot Maxwell, just outside his
tent; that when he took aim at him
Maxwell saw the movement and turn
ed his head and the ball entered the
side of his head and passed clear
through. The black fiend then went
down the road and met the boy about
three miles of, coming up with q
load of poles. He got behind him
and shot him through the head, and
and the victim rolled off on the
ground.
Maxwell was found by q man nam
ed M0rrissy, and man named Gray
found the team standing in the road
some distance from the tent, the hor-
ses badly famished; he unhitched
them and after caring for the horses
started down the road and found the
boy some distance back.
We also understand that Brecl,en-
ridge has waived his right to requi-
siti0n and has offered to accompany
Sheriff Burleson to the Taos jail, pro-
vided he and other well known citi-
zens will pledge their words that he
will not be lynched.
THE MURDERER's FATE.
DENVER & Rio GRANDE r. r
Ell Mono, March %, 1877.
To the Editor Of the Nonpareil.:
Enclosed you will find q statement
Of the murder Of an Iowa man and
son. Tho sheriff Of Colfax county
started with the prisoner, yesterday,
for Mexico and when about twenty