The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-02-17
FRONTIER FIENDs.
Col. Potters Fate.

SANTA FE. New Mexico.-Sheriff
Armajo, of Bernaliillo county, upon the
receipt of the News that man named
Escalastico Pierre had been implicated
inthe murder Of Col. Potter, who was
in the employ of the interior depart
ment to collect mining statistics for
the census bureau, sent two men with
a warrant for his arrest. He was found
at Isleta, fifteen miles below Alburque.
The man denied any knowledge until
confronted by the sheriff, when he stated
stated the following facts, which he
said had been related to him by one of
the parties to the murder, named
Marino Leybor, the leader of the gang.
He was placed in Jail and securely
guarded, as the mob was determined to
lynch him. The following day the
sheriff with six well-armed men, and
accompanied by Mr. T. o. Van Zandt
Col. Potter's intimate and faithful friend
started for the place where the body
OF Col. Potter was left. About twenty
five miles from Alburque they left the
road and following q trail came upon
the dead bodies of two horses, one Col.
Potter's and the other one of the rob-
bers'. A pile of ashes and halfburnt
brush was designated by Escalastico as
containing the remains Of the murder
ed man. A search being instituted, a
few boxes, some scraps ofclothing, and
number of peculiar buttons were found
The later were identified by Mr.. Van
Zandt rs belonging to COL Potter. Esca-
lastico, who had strenously denied hay
ing been witness to the murder, in
fluenced by natural fear through the
menaces of his captors, then gave, as
all have reason to believe, truthful
account of the tragedy. The colonel
who left Tejaharas that morning Oct.
5, met two men upon the road, from
whom he inquired the direction to Las
Places. They directed him to trai
purposely to mislead him, he being at
the time on the direct road. When
they separated, the two men made
a detour, and reaching a point which
Potter was to pass, saw him dismount
and in the act oflighting his pipe. Then
they opened fire on him, the first shot
striking on the knee and causing him
to fall to the ground. Potter drew his
weapon and shot one of his assailants
in the arm. The second shot took
effect in Potter's breast, and his return
fire killed horse of one of the robbers
Potter's horse then fell dead and in a
a few seconds later was followed by the
unfortunate master. The bandits after
Kidding the body of all but the clothes
they being too bloody to safely take
covered it with brush, which being fired
soon, as they thought, destroyed al
trace of their crime. Further inquiry
elected the fact that two of the assall
ants ofPotter were living in the noun
tains not far from the spot of the muir
der, and party at once surrounded
their house efecting their capture
The same means that had been SO sue
cessfully employed in the instance O.
Escalastico produced a confrmatory
confession from them, with the add
tional information that the robber who
had been wounded by Potter was nc
less parsonage than Marine Leybor
He had been known to have presented
a watch to Pintleton Mira, being about
a month ago at Bernallilo on charge O
murder and theft. This watch answer
ed the description of the one worn by
Col. Potter and, the fact of Marine
appearing the same time with a wound
ed arm, which injury he ascribed to 8
fall from his horse, convicts him in the
minds of all men as one of Potter's muir
ders. The watch was traced from the
hands of Mira to pawn-broker il
Albuquerque, but the case had already
been melted when demand for il
was made by the sheriff. Sheriff
Armajo, who has been indefatigable
in his endeavors to capture the gang
now, since through the confession O.
parties in his hands he has the names
and rendezvous of the remainder O.
the horde, trusts to be able to bring
them all to justice, and thus rid this
country of as desperate a set of men az
it has been the fate of any country tc
cursed with.