Delta chief., 1884-09-10
DELTA DELTA COUNTY. COLORADO, SEPTEMBER
ARNOLD HOWARD.
Some Account OF tiic Life OF this Noted
Horse and Cattle Thief.

Horse and Cattle Thief
From the Rocky Mountain News.
A number Of years ago man whose real
name was Arnold. but who, for reasons best
known To himself, assumed that of Howard,
came to Colorado from town in Iowa with
his wife. For some time he wa, engaged in
ireighting, varying his employment by the
occasional theft of cattle when any came in
his way, and which he sold to other freight
ers on the road. Tiring of this, he took up
ranch about half way between Summitvilie
and Del Norte and near the head of Pnos
creek, establishing a sort of wayside inn,
which was really rendezvous for all the
cattle and horse thieves tor many miles
around. His ranch was most conveniently
located for the purpose rs large number OF
trails leading To the mountains center there.
OF this gang of thieves he was the generally
recognized captain. The operations of How
ard and his gang were 80 extensive ana ap-
pareutly so well known that there has not
been term of the District Court of Rio
Grinde county for number of years but
that charges of cattle STEALING or worse were
not preferred against him, but rs lac was al
ways possessed Of considerable money and
employed the best counsel to be had, he IN
vlriahiy escaped punishment. Something
To arrest him but he escaped. A reward was
offered for his arrest, and lac WAS captured III
Pueblo by the sheriff of that county anu
taken back. Upon the arrival of the party
at La Neta an attempt was made to lynch
Howard and man named Dung, VINO WAS
with him, but failed. and the prisoners were
safely landed in the jail At Del Nortc. How
ards wife meanwhile guarding him with
shotgun. The same night a party OF seventy
i've men. armed and mounted, made an at
tack on the Jail, beating down the door with
an improyised battering ram. No sooner.
however, was the door freed from its hinges
than the two men rushed out into the midst
OF the crowd. crawling between their leg,
and causing in the darkness an almost mex.
tricabic confusion among.the assallnnts.
number of shots were fired which resulted ia
the killing of Young and the wpunding OF
two of the attacking party by their o"n
members, Howard meanwhile escaping ia the
confusion. For long time nothing was
heard of the desperate and IL was currently
believed aud hoped that some oi the COW men
had quietly killed him. 1t seems, however,
that instead of being dead, he had He'd IL
Montro~c, and there opened a similar cstab-
lishmcnt to his former one ON Pinos creek,
~ the gang were suspected OF stealing a large
number OF cattle in that neighUuThodd; IA
fact upon n search being made last winter
larc, number OF hides bearing the brands of
different owners were found in the river un.
der the ice. Howard. however, by some
means cvadcd detection and continued his
ncinrouS operations. And now comes an
exhibition oi the unspeakable check aud gall
nf the man. Partly IN spirit OF the most
dcspcrat. bravado. and partly, II j. supposed.
to get even with some of those who had for
meTly testified against him, he made has np-
pcarance III his old haunts about two weeks
ago and ran OF some thirteen horses ahd
males from ncighburhuud which, owing to
Il Il Lon al
have been supposed to he too hot for him, and
corralled them in a small park near his for
nier home. Certain paTu =, learning OF hi>
presence quietly slipped into town aud gave
information OF his whereabouts. Sherih Jor-
dan put man on the trail, who soon as
covered him and told the sheriff. who with
posse hunted him in the fa>tncSscs OF the
mountain. The party came upon him and
the sheriff ordered him tn hold mp his hands;
the order not being complied with wa, re-
peutcd when Howard said, II am doing II"
at the same time bringing his gun quickly
up aud dischar,ing it, slightly woundIng the
officer, who Instantly returned the FIRE from
double -barrclcd gun, inilicting serious
wounds in the head aud face of the de>per.
ado who, notwithstanding his wounds, e..
cared into the thickct. He was tracked,
however by his blood to Edwards ranch,
where he was found in bed. Being still
game, however, he refused point blank t"
surrender. ana, IS ne pi>fc>>cu ttNSla guns
and pistols. ii became evident that he might
XII several OF his pursuers before he was
captured Under these circumstance, "A dag
of truce was sent to the cabin, parlcy en-.
sued during which he wus solemnlv assured
of protection from the lynching which lie 80
richly deserved. lie Mt last submitted and
was safely conveyed to jnil under strong
guard His trial will occur as soon he
RECEIVERS from his wounds, and it is believed
he will no, escape punishment this time but
will enjoy n long term in Canon.
During all of lIcward's vicissitudcs he has
been accompanied by his wife, who has shown
a love and devotion TO him worthy of better
object. She is described ns being woman
far from bad looking, of intelligence rather
above the average, and of u decidedly liter.
ary turn of mind. being correspondent of sew.
cral eastern papers. She has on many occa-
sions shown u pluck equal to that of her
husband, and has several times when he was
captured fought of crowds of excited citizens
with gun and saved him from being 'ynehcd.
Extra fine ladies Lisle thread gloves just