River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-02-17
FRONTIER FIENDS.


SASHA FE, New Mexico. SHERIFF
ArmRJn, of Bernalillo county, upon the
receipt of the News that a man named
Escaiastico Pierre had been implicated
in the murder of Col Potter who was
in tn. employ OF the interior depart
ment tD collect mining statistics for
the G'ilsus bureau, sent two men with
a warrant for his arrest He was found
nj Ieleta, fifteen miles below Alburque.
The iuan denied any knowledge until
conf9nted by the sheriff, when he stated
stated the following facts, which he
said Sad been related to him by one Of
She 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 bin. The following day the
sheriff with six well-armed men, and
accompanied Ivy Mr. f. 0. Van Zandt
Col. Gotter's intimate and faithful friend
started for the place where the body
oi Col. Potter was left. About twenty
live miles from Alburque they left the
road and following a trail came upon
the dead bodies Of two horses, one Col.
Pott6r's and the other one Of the rob
beers a pile Of ashes and hali-burnt
hrusa was designated by Escalastico as
combining the remains of the murder
ed nsan. A search being instituted, a
few hoxes, some scraps ofclothing, and
anumber Of peculiar buttons were found
The later were identified by Mr.. Van
XanGt as belonging 10 Col. Potter. Esca-
lasteo, who had strenously denied hav-
ing lscen witness to the murder, in
flueiCcd By natural fear through the
menaGes Of his captors, then gave, as
ali have reason TO believe, truthful
account of the tragedy. The colonel
who 5tstt Tejaharas that morning Oct.
), mstslwO men upon the road, from
whonI he inquired the direction to Las
Place. They directed him to a trai
purre)$ely to mislead him, he being AT
the titee on the direct road. When
they sparated, the two men made
= detCnr and reaching point which
Potttrgwas to pass, saw him dismount
and 10 1he act oflighting his pipe. Then
they Opened fire on him, the first shot
striking on the knee and causing him
TO fa9 70 the ground. Potter drew his
wcaJR,h and shot one of his assailants
in IT,. arm. The second shot took
eiiect1n Potter's breast, and his return
hre Killed a horse of one Of the robbers.
Potter horse then fell dead and in
few seconds later was followed by the
unfortunate master. The bandits after
riddfag the body Of all but the clothes
theylieing too bloody to safely take,
cov,aeil it with brush, which being fired,
sooni IS they thought, destroyed all
trace of their crime. Further inquiry
tlicigssi the fact that two Of the assail-
ants If Potter were living in the noun
tain rot far from the spot of the muir
der sud party at once surrounded
their house ehecting their capture.
The .s:ne m eans that had been 30 sue
cessf'Ellv employed in the instance Of
EscagNstico produced a confrmatory
confession from them, with the addi-
tiOna conformation that the robber who
had f&cn wounded by Potter was 40
less Parsonage than Marine Leybor.
He hal been known to have presented
a wat-sl TO Pintleton Mira, being about
a month ago at Bernallilo on charge OF
murder and theft. This watch answer
ell the description Of the one worn by
Col. Potter and, The fact Of Marino
appearing the same time with a wound
ed arm, which injury he ascrlhed to
fall from his horse, conyicts him in the
minds of al men rs one Of Potter's muir
ders. The watch was traced from the
hands Of Mira to pawn-broker in
albuquerque, but the case had already
been melted when demand fol It
was made by the sheriff Sheriff
Armajo, who has been indefatigable
in his .endeavors to capture the gang
now, since through the confession Of
parties in his hands he has the names
and rendezvous Of the remainder of
the horde, trusts to be able TO bring
them all to justice, and thus rid this
county of as desperate a set Of raen as
it has been the fate of any county to
cursed with.