, 1890-05-17
LOST AN INCH OF NOSE
The Assault of Lee Mays on Mrs.
Lou Polk.
Bloody Termination of a Cat and
Dog Existence.
Mays is Fleeing the Country on a
Stolen Horse.

"WENDovER. Wyo.. May l6.-Dr.
Grimes:-I had an inch of my nose cut
of this morning. If l come to Chey-
enne on a special train, can you fix III
Lou POLK"
This Introductory is about the text oil a
telegram received last evening by the city
physician to whom it Is addressed. He
replied that 1t was to late to repair the
damage.
Lou Folks face was dis6gured at
the ranch of Osgood Johnson, by Lee
Mays, her nominal husband. The prai-
rie home is on Fish Creek, between iva
and Wendover. and in this county.
After the assault Mays forcibly took a
a horse from the ranch and rode off to-
wards the Laramie plains.
Sheriff Martin has posted a reward of
s25 for the arrest of Mays on the charge
of horse stealing and mayhem. All Off
GERS who can be reached by telegraph
have been enlisted in the hunt and the
capture of the fellow in a day or two is
quite likely.
Lou Polk, who is known here by her
maiden name of Lou Havicker, kept a
dance house at Casper up to a week ago.
She and Mays, her partner. fought fire.
q~uently. He beat her badly aud threat
ened her life. When they left the town
one evening it was on horseback, the man
riding an animal hired from public
stables.
The departure and continued absence
of the couple, mortised with attendant
occurrences, brought acquaintance to the
conclusion that Mays had carried into
execution his published intent to murder
the girl.
1t was figured that he had taken her
out on the range, shot her. concealed the
body and fed. This belief was strength
ened by forceiul contributions to the
theory. One was the story of a boy who
met the couple on a mesa several miles
from Casper. Lou asked him to help
her get away from Mays. The latter
drew his six-shooter and forced the pos.
sible rescuer to decamp. Further along
10 the course of the journey the riders
met and passed a ranchman driving to
town. The woman guided her horse
close to the team and stealthily cast her
whip into the wagon. The mute appeal
for aid was not discovered for several
hours.
The aimless ride across the rolling
prairie must have been a terrible ordeal
to the girl. She Travelled many miles be
side a man sworn to put her out of the
way" Her knowledge of the cowardice,
brutality, vengeiul spirit, remorseless dis
position and logged determination OF her
companion must have brought the awful
conviction hat her days were numbered,
that she, weak, defenselcss, long suffering
and patient. was to die by the hand OF a
cruel wretch for whom she would make
any sacrifice.
The terror of that trying journey can
scarcely be comprehsnded. When
aroused the girl was usually defiant. a
tigress rampant. but Mays had become
her master. Perhaps she begged for her
life and he relented, but it is more likely
that the craven weakened in contemplat.
ing the sequel to ruthless murder.
At any rate they reached the johnson
ranch, where Mays struck the
with a knife and stole a second horse.
The details of this encounter will doubt
less be learned when the Cheyenne &
Northern train comes in this afternoon.
Mrs. Polk will probably be a passenger.
1t is more than likely that Mays tried to
cut her throat at Johnson's place.
Lou Polk is well-known here. She
spent her Rirlhood with her mother in
Cheyenne and attended the public schools.
She was an intelligent, handsome young
lady when she went to the bad. With
her surroundings she could scarcely choose
other than a fast career.