The morning call., 1890-05-25
PIONEER OFFICERS
OF JUSTICE.
Stories of The Later Period of
0utlaWry in California.
Marshal Warren's Adventure With Desper-
ado-A Timely Shot Through the Head.
a Mountain Potrero.
Written for THE SUNDAY CALL

E&Jg AIRY MORSE, ex-Sherlff of Ala
- media, who probably has arrested
ISEA more bandits and border desperadoes
of every type than any other man in Amer
lea, used to be in close relations with every
one of the fearless and energetic county of
fcers of justice from one end of California
to the other. He is now, for that matter,
but there must have been peculiarly in
teresting element in the friendship of that
group of pioneer Marshals, SheriffS and
Deputies who cleared the mountain-trais
of the last outlaw. In these piping times
of peace" when even stage-robbers have
taken to writing poetry, and most Of the
crimes committed are identical with those
OF older communities, the pioneer officers
must look back with certain feeling Of
half-regretful enthusiasm to the hand-tO-
hand conflicts with wild Mexican outlaws
who rode like centaurs and fought like de-
mons.
We are altogether too apt to think of the
days Of the Argonaut as the only pioneer
days of California. Historically, every
different district of the State has had
different pioneer period, some earlier, some
later. but all repeating with marvellous
fidelity the same struggles, difficulties, dis
ootcAo anu 1dhc lHC lSdol
Shore" of the bay of San francisco.
Washington Township was first settled,
and local vigilance committee drove out
the cattle-t thieves. They retired to Murray
Township, the Black Hills, and such can
yOns as the Arroyo Mucho, the Arroyo
Vale and the Arroyo Vaya The open
Santa Clara Valley was thckly settled and
safe against bandits twenty years before
such men as Morse, Murehouse and Con-
way. OF Alameda, Swain of Contra Costa,
and Harris of Santa Clara County, captured
and drove out the last desperate from the
headwaters Of the mountain creeks Of
Murray Township.
Some of the best illustrations of the sue
cessive steps by which the country has
been settled. and conquered from the class
OF weli-armed MexicanS who roamed the
mountains for so many years, can be found
IN Southern California, and that at much
later period than any newcomers to Cali
fornla suppose.
Along in the latter sixties, one Of the
famous men OF Los Angeles was the City
Marshal Warren, who arrested many
Mexican horsethief and murderer, and ac-
companied Sheriff Morse of Alameda on
several important expeditions in various
parts OF the State. He was with Morse. for
instance, at the second capture Of Glllago
who had been picked up near Monte Diablo
Tor horse-stealing and Tor little raid OH
cattle ranch. But when brought to trial,
the witnesses were unwilling to swear that
the crime had been committed in San JOa-
gum, the county from which the warrant
nad been Issued, SO he was released, only to
be followed up few days later when War
rem brought another warrant from Los An
seles. On one occasion Morse and Warren
followed Jose Dolores Ruiz, who had shot
and badly wounded an old man in
Livermore Valley, riding nearly all
night through the Coast Range until
they came to a fandango house In can
yon. They crept through the chaparral
within fifty feet Of the place. then made
rush, captured both front and back en-
frances. and made the Mexican men, all
hard cases." hold up their hands, while
Morse, who knew Ruiz, looked carefully at
every lace, but the outlaw was not there
The officers then pushed ON to adobe after
ADOBE In the mountain canyons, riding all
the next day and lar into the night until In
large camp OF Mexican and American
thieves they discovered their man, sprang
from their saddles, handcui1ed him and
look him to San Leandro, then the county
seat Of Alameda.
Marshal Warren had an adventure in
May, 1866, near Los Angeles which may
serve to show the character of the Mexican
desperate OF that period. Warren had
Cleaned OUT so many gangs of thieves
and cut-throats, men who would kill a man
Tor 50 cents, that some of them had taken
an oath to do for him" ON the first occa-
Sion, 1t happened that he took team on
Sunday morning, and, with his wife, chill
dren and two young ladies, drove out of
town, on the Monte road, to visit friends,
returning in the evening The night was
dark, and they got off the indistinct wagon
track.
A Mexican rode by and spoke to Warren.