Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-07-17
A LADY'S THRILLING ADVENTURE.
How Il Plucky Woman Managed to
Escape from Mexican Assassins.
Denver News.


e.. Denver News. ........
= One of those thrilling adventures
which are seldom or never met with
outside of a vellow-b backed romance,
occurred to a lady in this city who has
Just arrived from the scene of the adj
venture. The heroine, in this instance
is Mrs. Rundlett, the music teacher,
and the story of her adventure is as
thrilling Il narrative as it was ever re-
pOrter's pleasure to get the first facts of.
Mrs. Rundlett has just returned from
the borders of New Mexico, and an
inkling of the narrow escape she had
from the bullet of Mexican assassin
having reached the ears of Ne,os re-
porter, that ubiquitous individual visit
ed the lady to learn the particulars.
Mrs. Rund!ett, while showing no wish
to be lionized, readily consented to the
proposition to give the NeoOs her ex-
perience in the south, and here it is as
it was: cleaned in the course of the in
terview: Some weeks ago the lady left
Denver for Almosa to meet her hus-
band, Capt. G. M. Rundlett, a, member
of the Denver and Rio Grande engineer
ing corps. Rumors of his illness had
reached this city, and his physician had
advised his wife to induce him to return
to Denver and recuperate preparatory
to starting out on a surveying eXpedi
ton beyond the Rio Grande river. Ar
irving at Alamosa, Mrs. Rundlett learn
ed that her husband had left the day
previous, accompanied by a party Of
men. His wife was at first uncertain
what to DO. There was no way Of
reaching him by telegraph, and the
only way was to follow after and run
the risk Of overtaking him on the road
So she procured team of David Wood,
the well-known livery man. and started
out after him accompanied by Mr.. l..
w. Morris, of Alamosa, who volunteered
TO drive her to the next station. They
reached COnejos the same evening,
where they were cared for by Lieuten-
ant Governor Head, an acquaintance Of
the family, and there learned that the
engineers corps had passed through the
morning previous. Starting out again
they drove on to a place known as
Dutch Henry's about thirty-two miles
out from Conejos. Here again they
were disappointed in not finding Cap
tain Rundlett, who had evidently hur-
ried on, in order to reach the point
where his party were to commence
work. At the last stopping place they
were told that there was another sta
ton that they would evidently reach in
ume to Overtake the surveying party
The following day they took the road
again, when one Of the horses fell sick,
and poor progress was made. About
dark the same evening they reached
SwOpes camp where a number Of men
we're employed boring for a we'll to
water the horses that would eventually
be travelling that way over the Barlow
& Sanderson'stage line. The men could
direct them to no place where they
could get food Or water for the horses
or shelter for themselves. The horses
mad had no water since morning, and
the men in camp had little or nothing
save what they had hauled eight miles
!or their own use. twas impossible to
proceed any further without water for
the animals, and after obtaining the
nearest course to where the needed re-
freshment could be obtained, the team
was turned back and Mrs. Rundlett and
ner escort proceeded through deep
ravine, along craggy peaks, and up
rough and untraveled hills in search of
the water. After driving about four
miles they reached the top of high
mill, covered with dense timber. On
he other side of the hill was where the
water was supposed to be- Morris
from the buggy and went in
search of the stream, leaving Mrs.
Rundlett in care of the horses. 1t was.
now long after shutdown. The moon
was just coming up from behind the
clouds, and the woods were as silent as
a gray e-yard. A. long .time-it seemed
hours to Mrs. RundIett-passed before
Morris returned with the intelligence
that he had found the stream, which
was fully two miles down the hill and
Mexican plaza. During
Morris absence, Mrs. Rundlett had
heard a sound like that. of men talking
in the timber, and on the return of her
escort asked him if he had met any
one. He replied that he had not, and
proceeded to unhitch the team to take
them down to the water. He suggested
tlldG unIO ICuldln where Sue
was until he came back 10 which
she demurred, and said that she would
walk along too, as she had some for
boding Of coming dang er.
They walked down 10 the stream and
secured the water for the nearly fam
ished beasts, after which they returned
to the hill and proceeded to tie the
horses preparatory to feeding them.
The two animals were hitched to the
hind wheels. Mrs. Rundlett had just
sat down in front Of the buggy to pre-
pare their lunch, when the sharp report
of a rifle was heard, and bullet grazed
her cheek, striking one of the horses in
the neck, The party all jumped to
their feet, frightened, and for the mo-
ment, unable to think OF act Then
Mrs, Rundlett felt in the pocket of her
dress and found that the revolver she
carried had not exploded, as for mo-
ment she thought it had Another re-