Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-04-05

,!.oIo-7do Corr n. i. Times

Daring these tro1blo1s days IL 1853
an unknown danger came 80 mysfefi-
ou-lv did i. work that for the time II
fairly paralyzed the mountain commu-
mites. Ia March nine men we're found
dead along the trails near Canyon Iisy.
Each man had a bullet IN bis head 30
nearly similar were the death wounds
that these mysterious assassinsilons na-
turallv gave rise 70 much speculation.
And this was increased when II was
learned that. three weeks before. two
men had been similarly killed in SANTA
Fe. and also soldier IN Coneios--
thus. as far "a could be discovered,
bloody .-ail had It's origin in the City
If the Saints. IN Nes Mexico. and uov
reached - far as Canyon City. HE
news Of these terrible crimes Of course
spread rapidly. bu; II could scarcely
keep up vi,h their COMMISSION Along
the mountain roads dead bodies we're
found, each With the fatal bullet IN us
skull No victim attacked ever told tue
tale. The rife That sighted him cay
red certain death with lts missile
Miners ;rudgILg Their weary way up
the mountain trail, teamsters WITH We
hicles and horses. mrt tneir fate alike.
One singular fact appeared 20 De tins,
that all we're killed IN the wagon roads
or on the trails; none Were ever founo
of the beaten paths OF coure the peo-
pie became appalled, ard hardly dared
10 venture beyond the reach OF lmme-
date aid. NJ one could tell from what
conc-alment the messenger OF death
that had never missed It's mark might
In its turn reach him. Dread despair
prevailed; the fear of an unknown foe
pery.ced the hearts of those pioneers
WHO dared face any dagger openly. In
fact. a reign of terror prevailed. The
as.assinaiions became more frequent.
Men would leave their cabins, camps, or
TIE mountain cite for remote sections,
| ONLY to be found, perhaps few days
| later. by more fortunate travellers. dead,
| and IN their skulls tie small hole through
which ,helr lives went out
4 CEY FOB VENGEANCE.
| Finally = company of twenty vp!un-
| teers was raised IN Park county. Their
| leader was wan of great bravery, and
eyerv man IN the party was ready to lay
down his life to solve the mystery. The
| fir.t work this company did WAS To pun
| ism band of notorious thieves who had
been engaged in rooblr miners cabins
and flames. and who were we'll known.
| But TIT, did not stop tue dread work
| of mysterious murders. At Red Rock
| Ridge right here. by the way, where L
write this letter-4n1 all alouy the trail.
murdered men were found. siuQly and
| in pairs. And always the same wound,
| the same SIZED bullet, the same trained
hand. very evidently, had fired the fatal
| shot.
A few DAYS later the band of volun-
| teers, in securing the neIghborhood,
found trail IN the lower part of South
| Park that led toward Canyon City. Ii
was early in the forenoon when the trail
/ was struck. They at once took II up,
| and, after having travelled some dis
lance in the mountains, came about
noon upon two horses feeding. This
| was to them a strange discovery, as this
was not IL region where prospecting " Il
then carried on. 1t W IS the work OF a
moment to conceal themselves. Shortly
after, two men appeared. They had evil
IDENTITY made their camp here for the day
for lust beyond the horses small fire
was burning, and beyond doubt they
were pArtakiug of t.elr meal. WHY al
tasse men were, they had been taken
unawares The scouting party had
drawn upon them before they were
aware of their presence. Certain thai
these were the men they sought, and
| with the memory of their tiendish deeds
before them. rifles were at once brought
to bear and bullets sent speeding Oh
their deathly errands. The larger Of
the two men fell, but was not killed
Raising himself upon one arm he fought
ike A wou, ded tiger. His unerring ain
brought down two of his Anniversaries be
fore a second bullet struck him and laiC
him dead. The other man. the younoe
one. was evidently unframed by the tirs
volley. for. with the agility of a goat, b,
spran. into the rocks, scrambled away
and made his escape.
FIFTY VICTIMS WANTED AND THIRTY
SLAIN.
These two men were the notorious Es
pinosas. outlaws from Mexico, two oou
sins. This WAS discovere when tn,
BODY of the dead assassin WAS examined
AZ we'll az the 8 ddle-bags, which wer,
found near the fire. In buckskin bA,
suspended about his neck was IA IL tier
ate Spanish manuscript written by thu
elder EspinOsa. 1t consisted of sin
gular prayer and what was evidently in
tended AZ statement of the purpos,
for which he had set out upon his mis-
sion of blood. From this it was Learned
that he had begun as mOnomaniac
This present Espinosa, 80 ran the man
uscript, had been impeiled by his patrOr
saint to commit these deeds for the pur
pose of expiating the fathers sins
which had been visited upon him. L,
do this he WAS to number fifty victims
and to 60 on, on, on until this WAS don,
4 k..xs -t,tt 90 Ia hsf
Not until this was accomplished coull
he hope to merit favor from his ruling
spirit: never would its sNile fall upon
hun. nor his fathers sin be atOned unit
this was done. With this task befor,
him he enlisted cousin in his cause
and together thew started from Chihua
hua. 1t was a trail OF blood they lef
behind them.
From n record which the elder Espi
nosa had kept he had at that tim. muir
dered thirty white men, q of whom has
been killed in Colorado after leaving
Conejos. He was large. coarse, hard
vlssged ruffian, while his companion
was small. and. as near as could b,
judged by those who ssw him the da,
: of the encounter OF no particular indi
vidusiity.
1t is evident that gain had played NJ
part in this mission of the elder Espi
nosa. None of the bodies of his victim
, bad been robbed. as had beef noted b,
the people of the neiahborhood wher'
. they were found from time to time
The arch assassin was meanly clad il
bucksain. and there WAS nothing in hi
saddle bags beyond what has alread,
been mentioned. save ammunition
Murder alone was the object of thi,
. maniac.
The scouting party searched severa
days for the younger Espiposa, but with
out SUCCESS. No trace of him was eveI
found. The head Of the dead OUTLAW
was cut from his body and was carried
back to Fairplay rs a trophy of the re
markable chase. For years the skull
WAS in the possession of a we'll known
! physician in Southern Colorado. while q
knife the assassin carried was long pre-
served among the Territorial properties
His rifle. which had carried death to &C
many victims, can be seen any day in
the home of an old mountaineer. then
poor, bat nov one of the mining kiupl
of the State.
MULCHINa STRAWBERRY BEDS. far
mer living near South Bend, Indiana, a
] far yaarS unA had a 4