The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1883-08-25
Estanoia' Curse.
A TRIPLE TRAGEDY.

that which took place at the alch
headquarters known as Estancia
yesterday morning at 10 o'clock.
As a result of this bloody affair,
Manuel b. Otero and MI. A. Fer
are dead and }. G.. Whitney seri-
ously and perhaps MORALLY wound
ed. The action of the highest ju-
dicial tribunal of the territory prac-
tically set at naught, and in place
of bringing peace after a bitter
struggle in the courts, the final re-
sultant of this anvil suit for the pos
session of land horrihes us all
in Il river of blood. The facts as
CLEANED from trustworthy sources
are substantially this, althoughit is
impossible to get perfectly definite
information now, owing, in some
cases, to the excitability of the eye
witnesses, and in others, to their
unwillingnsss to talk. All readers
Of the Democrat are well acquaint-
ed with the main facts in the cele-
brated McAfec case and the final
decision Of the supreme court of
the territory in favor of Joel p.
Whitney and Franklin II. Storey
of Boston, which, in dispossessing
McAfee, substantially dispossessed
all sqnatters, numbering in all some
200, from their rights upon the
Estancia grant. Mr.. j.. G.. Whit
ney started out to serve writs OF
eicctmcnt upon the various settlers
of the grant. At McAfee's ranch,
A known as Barenado Springs, some
t. sixty-fve miles southeast Of Albu-
querquc, by''way Of Hell Canon, he
was Joined by Mr.. A. Fernandez,
l. his brother-in-law, and others, III,
creaslng the party to five members.
I" With McAfee and his son-in-laW
and manager Dow, not the slight.
est trouble was experienced in com.
ing to a settlement. The party
was here treated with the utmost
hospitality, In accordance with in.
structions from Boston, MI. Whit
!. ncy pale McAfce and Dow 1928 pei
head for 400 cattle, reasonable
! amounts for certain improvements,
and $1,000 bonus, aggregating
sum considerably over so, 600.
Notwithstanding this fair Treatment
at Barendo. Whitney and Fern
C andez had gloomy forebodings o
p a reception of quite different char
acter, and all the party were wei
! armedfor self-protcction. Driving
y. to Estancia, the ranch of Manuc
,e B. Otero, some six miles south 0
y Barcndo, they anxiously awaited
r, the arrival of the latter with
view of making a settlement Will
him and taking possession. Yes
n terday morning shortly after min,
lie o'clock, Otero and Il party of sever
or eight Of his friends drew up q
the ranch and alighted or dis
mounted. 1t was observed tina
&c they were well armed still moth
Of ing serious was apprehended, Il
amlcable agreement only wa
Fought. Some conversation wa
n INDUCED outside the house between
m Messrs. Otero, Whitney and Fen
~ iandcz, before these gentlemen en-
IL cred and a general Misunderstanding
- apparently sincere in its characte
:, went the round . The ranch hous
a had scarcely been entered however
before a warm discussion began, i
he course of which Manuel Otter
q. lskcd Whitney if he had a writ {
i, 4iectment, to which he replied i
Is the affirmative.
Perhaps twenty minutes after tn
~ arrival of the Otero party, and
OF few minutes before ten o'clock
to when some eight or nine person
were in the room, the shooting be
gan without forewaruing and witt
out any previous increase in tn
~ fever OF excitement. Those VIII
IN