The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-10
A DUEL IN THE DARK.
OFFICER AND OUTLAW SHOOTING
BY TEE FLASH OF THEIR GUNS

How Noratto Ponce was Hunted to
Deeth-A Chileno Murderer Who
Escaped a Night Ambush With
Load of Buckshot In His Body, But
Fell at Last in Daylight Duel.
Hurry Morse in San ETdscisco Examiner.
One of the most thrilling adventures 1
ever experienced was an encounter with a
Chileno murderer named Noratto Ponce,
while l was sheriff of Alameda county in
1887. At that time the county was thickly
settled with desperate characters who had
for years terrorized the locality where they
held forth by their criminal acts. They
stole horses and everything else they could
lay hands on, and were not averse to taking
human life when the opportunity offered.
1t took years of worth to rid the county of
the desperadoes, who were mostly Mexicans
and Chilenos, and occasionally a white
scoundrel, but finally succeeded.
Among the wretches who caused me the
most anxiety was Noratto Ponce. This Eel
| low was one of the most fiendish cut-throats
that ever drew the breath OF life. He would
steal a band of horses or cut a throat as
calmly as he would eat his breakfast, and
he was also cunning enough to arrange
matters so that the officers of the law found
| 1t impossible TO secure evidence that would
send Tim to the gallows. Like all men of
his caliber, however. he finally overreached
himself.
On Sept. 5, 1867, Ponce murdered a man
named JOY, in a saloon at Haywards. After
committing the crime Ponce escaped into
| the Black Hills, the mountainous country
back of Livermore, and one time it looked
as though he was going to slip through our
| fingers. On a certain Friday in November
| of that year, however. accompanied by
Officer John Conway of Oakland, l set out
for Alisal, in Murray township. There we
left our buggy and proceeded on
the Chileno was supposed to be
hiding. A Mexican had Informed me that
Ponce wanted to engage his services to
guide him out Of the country and that he
| the Mexican) was willing TO deliver the
bandit into my custody. The plan we
agreed upon was that my informant should
| lead Ponce down a by-road passing the
Livermore house and enter the main road
| by a certain gate, on the other side of which
myself and Conway would be ready to re-
celve them. They were to arrive at the
spot late on a Friday night, and, as the
nights at that season were very dark, told
my Mexican to wear a white coat. that
| would be distinguished in the blackness, so
there would be no danger of him receiving
| a bullet intended for the Chileno,
At the appointed hour Conway and |
| repaired to the spot. A few yards from the
| gate through which the two men we're to
pass, forming an avenue through which
Ponce must ride, were stacked two large
| piles of hay. Conway concealed himself In
the hay at the end toward which we reck-
oned the Chileno would first appear, and
| Secreted myself at the other end. We cal
culated that the men would pass Conway,
who would then step into the road and
| cover their retreat, and while the hay
woulu cut off escape on both sides l
| would block their passage forward
1t took several hours after we took our
positions when they put in an appearance,
and, to my chagrin, they were coming from
| a direction opposite the one by which we
| expected them. | alone saw them coming
and realized that as Conway was looking
for them to arrive the other way be would
| be taken by surprise and Ponce would
probably not be caught in the trap we had
set. l was lying fat on the ground. and
the MexIcan's white coat was all l could
see in the inky darkness. l concluded to
play lone hand, so l rolled over and over
on the ground until / had placed mysslf
directly in the path of the riders.
When they got within close shooting dis
tance |, still lying on the ground, cried !:
"Haltw Instantly the white coat began to
fade away. The Mexican was riding out of
bullet range. No sooner had | announced
myself than | saw something Qlisten like
steel. and realized that the Chileno's six
shooter was in his hand ready for business.
saw it moving away, and knowing that
Ponce was escaping, / let drive a load of
bucksh0t in the direction. There was yell,
the shining weapon in his hand descended,
and heard the thud as the bandit struck
the ground. Thinking [ had killed him I
was about to arise and spring forward
when there was flash. followed by re-
port, and bullet whistled past me. Evil
dsntiy there was life in him vet. | blazed
away at the place where had seen his pis-
toll flash, but missed him. Another bullet
from his pistol few bv me. This duel in
the dark. each man aiming at the flash of
the others weapon, was Continued until the
Chenos ammunition was exhausted.
! When his fire ceased ran toward hin,