San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-08-03
/ FEMALE HORSE.THIEF.
disguised In Mans Clothing, Her Sex Is
Revealed After n sheriff's Bullet Had
Robbed Her of Life,

Robbed Her of Life.
: From the Denver (Col.) Tribune.l
Attorney-General Sampson yesterda,
returned from trip along the Uppe
Arkansas. While making the journe,
he came very near being witness of
remarkable tragedy, which occurred
near little town called Buena Vista, i,
Lake County, last Tuesday morning
The facts which he gathered are quit,
meager, but sufficient to supply thu
thread of thrilling narrative.
Some time during the early part O.
the month three horses and two mules
were stolen from San Luis Park. They
are said to have been the property of {
Mr.. Humphrey, of Canyon City. Bu
it makes very little difference in this
country whe is the owner or who is the
thief; it is generally understood that
horse-stealing is crime which must be
punished. To put it in plain English,
the life of man who will stoop so low
as to steal bit of horse-fesh is worth
less than the animal. This was the rule
that governed Colorado in the early
days, and it is an honorable exception
in these days-made honorable by the
number who observe the exception in.
stead of the rule.
When these animals disappeared it
became incumbent upon the authorities
to see that they were restored to their
legitimate owners, and that the rogues
should be awarded the full need of
justice. Deputy Sheriff Witherow, of
Costilla County, volunteered to head q
party to go in pursuit. He found one
or two followers at Garland, and find
ing the trail of the departing rascals,
followed in close pursuit. They
had headed towards the Upper
Arkansas country, and in that
direction Mr.. Whitherow and his
little band started in pursuit. At
South Arkansas they received the glad
tidings that two men with three horses
and two mules in tow had preceded
them but short while. Here the pur-
suing party was reinforced by the ad-
dition of three men, and the party of
the Deputy Sheriff, thus augmented,
pushed on in pursuit of the bold viola
tors of the law. At every turn they
heard that the thieves with their booty
were fast making their way up the riv-
err, and, thus spurred on by the hope of
almost certain and easy success, the
pursuers followed fast and followed
faster.
The rogues had evidently had no It'd
ings that they were in jeopardy, and
they seem to have taken things quite
easily, making easy marches and camp
ing over night without seeking any hid
Monday night they lariated
their horses out on the banks of the Ar
at this point ripping and
rapid mountain stream, near the town |
Of Buena Vista, and made their beds
near the stream, little dreaming that
they had witnessed their last sunset and
hat their lives as well as their flight
would very soon be cut off by the faith
Jul bullet of that dread avenger, the
AVIS executive. Monday night the
Sheriff's posse came up and discovered
hat their game was in sight. No move
vas made until the dawn of the next
morning. 1t was just few minutes be-
ore sunrise that they went up to recon-
hotter. They found the thieves already
stir, and being, as they thought, pre-
Jared to take them in charge then, the
'osse, with Mr.. Witherow at its head,
rdered an unconditional surrender.
The two men-such they must yet be
alled-saw their situation at a glance
nd made up their minds quickly. Their
ecision was made known to each other
4 second, and it was, Escape or ,
)eath. They announced as much by
eplying to the demand for surrender
nth shot.
This was the signal for the beginning t
f skirmish which lasted several min :
ties. The horse-thieves ran down to 9
lie river and tried to secure themselves t
ehind the bank of the stream. 1t be- I
anne necessary, therefore, for Mr.. S
Iitherow to divide his forces, and he b
mt two men across the river where z
ley could have fair view of the enemy. Il
he smaller of the two had a navy re- o
Diver and the larger a carbine, each n
ring two shots. Apparently driven to d