The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-11-08
WHO WAS THE LUCKLESS RIDER9
The Question Answered by James
Brown.


In yesterdays STATESMAN we men
toned the finding of a dead horse
partially buried in the sand OF the
Colorado river at the mouth of Onion
creek. The paragraph caught the eye
of Mr.. James Brown, of Tom Green
county, now in the city, and he sought
STATESMAN representative and gave
him what he thinks is solution OF
the mystery. 1t hardly seems posi-
BILE that the horse could have been
brought by the floods so far, still Mr..
Brown, who went to see the horse
yesterday, is quite sure it is one
on which a cowboy named John
Petlaski lost his life. The story
told by Mr.. Brown is this:
Prior to the recent extreme high
water, John Petlaski, cow boy in
Tom Green county, and companion,
left camp several days before the rise
began, crossing the Colorado before 1t
was too high to ford. After crossing
the river they rode into a wild tract
of country for the purpose OF hunt.
They were given two days, and in the
meantime the river rose some
| fifteen feet or more, and when
they reached its bank to their great
L buOJ 1OuAO ~ ILL RetoA'AO1S'
They were within sight of the camp,
but between them and it rolled q
raging flood. Both men had been
drinking some, and were in that pecu-
liar condition of mind from the effects
\ of the liquor where men do not ealcu-
late chances nor weigh perils. Petlaskl
proposed to his companion to force
their horses to swim the flood, but his
companion. who was not so much of a
daredevil by nature as Petlaski, de-
| INJURED, saving it would be impossible
| for horse to swim the waters, they
were so angry, Thereupon Petlaskl
haunted him with being a coward and
told him he was going across whether
the other man did or not. His COM
panion tried by every persuasion in
his power to induce him to deSlst
from his rash act, but the more he
talked to him the more determined he
seemed to be in his foolhardy under
taking. He took several more drinks
of whisky and then started to swim
his horse across the river
Again his companion tried to
induce him to give up an undertaking
which he knew to be certain death
but the fellow simply tainted him
with being a coward and forced his
steed into the roaring waters. They
were terribly angry at the time, and
at the point where Petlaski under.
took to cross the declivity of the
river bed is considerable, and the
waters in the main current were
surging and eddying in the most angry
manner possible. His steed, with
some difficulty, was forced
into the swollen stream
and Petlaski's companion sa'
on the bank and watched the efforts Of
the brave beast to carry his foolhard.
: master through that Surging, mad
dened current. The horse with diff
Guilty reached the center of the river
the cowboy still upon his back, anC
urging the animal along with rough
application of his spurs and at tn
same time yelling as he would to
herd of steers to the swimming brute
. When the horse had reached the mid
l die of the river he seemed to becom
, aware that he could not SWIM
through its most angry portion
, and tired to turn abou
7 and return to the shore whence
started, but Petlaski applied his spur
3 so vigorously and yelled so hideeuSl
that the brave steed was obliged
g stem the foaming water The sequs
proved the horse had more sense tina
} the rider, for no sooner had he reache
9 the more angry portion than bot
E horse and rider were swept down lik
= feather in gale. In an instant bot
Z weat under the foaming flood, an
g neither were seen afterwards. NJ
q Brown is very confident that the dea
L horse found at the mouth of Ohio
n creek, in the sandbar of the Colorad
IS is the same one PetlaskI rode in b
L mad attempt to cross the Colorado,
we have stated. If so, the horse W;
a carried long distance by the hie
e water, it being several hundred mil
n from Austin to where the accide
y took place.