Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-02-20
The story of a Brave Man.

do in 1887. Born in st. Louis in 1924
Mr.. Tobens. when only 13 years old,
gave rein tn his restless fancy and came
. out with train to the far West.
Though mere boy he was hardy and
courageous and his sturdy qualities were
admired by his superiors. He was early
identified with the military service and
became a sort of protege of Colonel st.
Vrain, who figures prominently in the
military annals of Colorado. In his
capacity of guide and scout he passed
through many perilous places and,
IOthello-like, had many ''hair-breadth
'scapes i th' imminent deadly breach.
From time to time he indulged in trad
ing with the Indians and Mexicans and
became universally known in the Rocky
mountain region. At the close of the
Mexican war, when Ex-Governor Will
liam Gilpin was gwen command of the
Federal troops by President Polk, To-
benS became one of his trusted scouts.
AT one time, when Governor Glpin
and a little band of soldiers were
lhemmed in by Indians, provisions ran
short and the men became clamorouS
for rations. 1t was a desperate sltua-
tion and desperate chances had to be
taken to relieve the besieged. Tom
Tobens was selected to run the gauntlet
and bring in supply of sugar, coffee,
and flour. He undertook the task,
and though he had to travel down to
Santa Fe, New Mexico, for his sugar
and coffee, he made the trip in safety
and relieved the necessities of the fort.
|. Mr.. Tobens performed many other
deeds during his service under Governor
Gllpin and earned the sincere friendship
of his able commander. Both passed
through many yicissitudeS and both
have well earned the repoSe which has
has come to their declining years. EX-
Governor Gilpin lives in Denver, Colo
rado, surrounded by a happy family,
supplied with all the luxuries which
refined taste can suggest, and money
can purchase. Tom T0bens owns a
fine ranch in Costilla county, has
family of grewn-up children and lives
among them in contentment. Mr.. To-
bens went to Denver to see about the
title to some of his property, and IN this
work Governor Gilpin lent him help
ing hand, Mr.. Tobens called at the
State House and had a talk with some
of the officials. He had heard that a
knife with which he had cut the head
from a celebrated bandit twenty-one
years ago was in the State House, and
he was little curious to know whether
the story was true. So was a reporter.
who heard of the visit, and he called at
the residence OF Governor Gilpin, where
Mr.. Tobens was stopping. Mr.. Tobens
said that the event happened in 1868.
He was then living near Fort Garland,
which post was under command of Col
onel Tappan. Felipe Nerid EspInosa
and his brother -in-law, Besanti Roma
ro, two Mexican bandits, had been ter
rorizing the country, killing and plum
dering traders and miners and making
| their very names words of terror.
Many efforts had been made to capture
them but without avail. Finally Colo
mel Tappan sent for Tom Tobens.
"He said to me-" continued the
pioneer, :" Il want you to 90 out and
capture that fellow and get the reward. |
Who do you want to go with you?'
named two men that l knew were |
Trustworthy and said if | could get |
them | would go. Colonel Tappan said |
4
| that L didn't know how many bandits |
there were in EspinoSa's camp, and |
that | must take twenty-five soldiers. |
had seen Just before this time Mexi- |
can woman who had been captured by |
Espinosa and who had made her escape.
She said their were only two of the |
devels. So told Colonel Tappan that |
| wouldn't 90 with a company of SOL |
diers, but, as the two men wanted were
not to be had, being away, SAID if he
would give me six soldiers and put me
in absolute command L would go. He
agreed to this and detailed the men.
Lieutenant Baldwin, of the Regulars,
came and said he wanted to go with
me. / thought it would be a good
plan to take him along to command the
soldiers and told Colonel Tappan so,
and Baldwin was detailed also. We
started out from the fort-I think it
was in September-and the first day,
we started the bandits from tempo
rary camp in the hills. They saw us
coming SO far away that they had time
to get away. When we reached their
camp, they were upon the hills where
they could see us. So | said we would
go down tie creek and lead thnm to
believe We were going back to the fort.
We did so, but, returned under cover
of night and in the morning started
into the hills. Finally we found the /
trail of the bandits. They were driving
an OK, and we followed the trail some
distance and then lost it.
Lieutenant Baldwin and l had a
ta1l onA no nnnnludaH 70 70 |
He took three men and went up into
some hills, while /, with three soldiers
and a Mexican boy, kept on looking {
for the trail we had lost, AT last dis
covered where the men had entered
some fallen timber, and felt that the
camp was near. My men became dis. {
satisfied, however, and wanted to turn {
back. / urged them on and shortly {
thereafter | saw some crows flying in 6
circle just ahead of US. L told my men /,
that the bandits were camped where the l
crows were flying, and cautioned them
to bs ON the alert and have their guns
ready. We had reached the brow of a | i
small hill, and on the other side were a I
lot of young pines. | went ahead I,
creeping slowly. Finally raised up !,
duu odW oOHCtilliS hOfC. uiuh
know what it was, but a moment later /
l heard voices. The Mexican language f
was being spoken and l was sure by the '
bandits. Icrept forward and soon saw r
a man, whom l took from the descrip-
ton l had heard to be Espinosa. L
raised my rifle, a muzZle loader made
to order and a fine gun, but the man
moved about and went to tree, 50 L
dare not shoot for fear of missing him.
He still kept talking and l mOtioned
the boys to come up. Just then the
bandit stepped forward so that L could
see his whole side, and, aiming at his
heart, L fired. He fell backward be-
hind some logs crying 'Jesus, favor
me; Pm killed." at the same time cry
ing to his companion, Escape" Then
Romara, whom we had not yet seen,
was observed running from us. told
the boys to shoot and they all fired but
did not stop him,
''By this time L had loaded my rifle j
and as the fugitive was climbing log G
L fired and he fell. Not knowing but I
that there WAS mora of the gang we kent G