Dodge City times., 1890-04-17
A STORY OF LEADWLLE.
A Handsome Young Horse Thief wh0
Proved to BE Girl and Died In Her
Roofl.

In the first days of Leadville wagons
formed the only means of Transports
ton of the immense quantity of mer-
chandise needed there, and for the
shipment Of the large output of ore
and bullion. As a consequence, horses
and mules We're used in large numbers.
Trains of freight wagons lined the
roads leading to the great carbonate
camp. and it frequently became neces-
sary to turn the stock out after hard
days journey to Craze on the adjoin-
ing hillsides. Leadville offered good
market for work stock of all kinds, as
animals brought from the East fire.
quently succumbed to the climatic
effect of high altitude and heavy
work. Many freighter reached the
top of hard pull only to see his best
work mule lie down and die in the har-
ness. Such inducements and easy sale
brought professional horse thieves in
abundance. The immunity from pun
ishment that they seemed to enjoy
and the high prices paid for their
plunder stimulated them to constant
activity and made them bold in their
profession. Saguache county. Col,
says writer in the Helena Journal,
was favorite section for the opera
tions of this fraternity, these gentle
men making their trips with almost
the regularity of stage coaches.
After an unusually bold raid party
was organized determined to follow
the trail and overtake the thieves. and
if the depredators were caught to save
all county expenses in the way of
Sheriff fees and trials. The party
started early in the morning, and as
the trail was fresh they were able to fol-
low it almost at a gallop. Following
along the west side of the San Louis
valley and then through defile of the
Sangre De Christie Mountains, the
course of the pursuers and pursued
emerged into the Arkansas valley,
close to where the Southern Arkansas
flows into the main stream. Here it
was evident that the two parties could
only be a short distance apart. The
robbers had taken more stock than
they could easily handle, and did not
seem to be aware that they were being
followed. Two of the stockmen from
the ranches on the route Joined the
vigilantes and furnished fresh horses.
About noon on the following day the
thieves with the stolen stock were dis
covered camped on the north of Cotton
wood creek. There were but two.
One appeared to be a young boy not
over 16; the other was fine looking
young man of perhaps 20 or % years
of age. On being called on to sur
render the boy pulled six-shooter
and fired on the vigilantes. At the
same time he and his companion Jump
from which place it was found impos-
sible to dislodge them without the loss
of at least three or four men.
After hurried council of war, it
was decided for two men to 90 down
the river, cross over and come up on
the other side to a point where the
fugitives could be easily covered, and
the balance to prevent their escape
from the position they were in. This
was done. and when the thieves were
again summoned to surrender, they
simply turned and commenced firing
at their pursuers on the opposite side
of the river. The fire was returned,
and resulted in the boy dropping dead
with broken neck and his companion
falling with a bullet through the lungs.
When the vigilantes went to where
they lay the elder was still alive, and
the boy was, of course. dead, and
proved to be a lovely young girl. with
delicate and refined features. The one
who could still talk refused to tell who
they were or from whence they came,
only that their people were respecta-
BILE, and that he desired them to re-
move his boots, as he did not wish to
die with his boots on. He was evidently
a man of good education, but positive
ly refused to give any information. In
a few hours he. also, was dead, and the
two were buried beneath the cotton
woods near the river bank. Their
identity was never discovered.