Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-02-14
DIED WITH HER BOOTS ON.
HOW LOVE CAUSED A WOMAN TO
ASSOCIATE HERSELF WITH
HORSE THIEVES.

Wagons lOl nlcu Tue Oulg mcduS vi
transportation for the immense
quantity of merchandise needed
there, aud for the shipment of the
large output Of ore and bullion. AS
consequence horse and mules
were used in large number. Trains
of freight wagons lined the roads
leading to the great carbonate
camp and it frequently became nee.
essary to turn the stock out after
a hard days juoIney to Craze on the
adjoining hllisides. Leadylle Of.
fered a good market for work stock
Of ali kinds, as aulm4ls brought
from the east frequently saccnmOed
to the climatic effect OF a high
altitude and heavy work. HLUy a
freighter reached the top Of hard
pull only t. see his best worked
mule lie down and die III tue har.
ness. Such inducements and easy
lie brought the professional horse
thieves in abundance. The immu.
nifty from punishment that they
seemed to enjoy and high prices
paid for their plunder stimulated
them to constant activity and made
them bold in their profession.
Sagnache county, COL, was a
tavOrite section for the operations
of this fraternity, these gentlemen
making their trips with almost the
regularity OF stage coaches.
After an unusually bold raid a
party was organized, determined
to follow the trail aud overtake the
thieves, and ii the depredatOrs we're
caught, to save all county expenses
in the way of sheriff fees and trials.
The party started early in the NOR.
ming, and as the trail was large
and hot, they we're able to follow
it almost at a gallOp. Following
along the west side of the San LUIS
valley and then through def!e OF
the Sangre De Cristo mountains,
the course of the pursuers aud
pursued emerged into the Arkansas
valley, close to where the South
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
beng followed. Two of the stock
men 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 discovered camp
ed at the north of Cottonwood
creek. There were but two. One
appeared to be young boy not
over sixteen; the other was fine
looking young man OF perhaps
twenty or twenty-five years of age
On being called on to surrender
the boy pulled a slx.Shooter and
fred on the vigllantes. At the
same time he and his companion
Jumped down behind the bank o.
the river. from which place it was
found impossible to dIslodge then
without the loss of at least three Of
four men.
After a hurried coancil Of war
it was decided by two men to g
dos n to the river, cross over anC
come up on the other side to
point where the fugitives could b'
easily covered, and the balance tC
prevent their escape trOm th'
position they were in. This wa'
done, and when the ;Hieves were
again summoned to surrender
they simply turned and com nenced
firing at their two pursuers on the
opposite side of the river. The
fire was returned and resulted 10
the boy dropping dead with a brok'
en.neck and his companion falling
with bullet through the lungs
When the viglIantes 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 come, only
that their people were respectable
and tn 1t he desired them to remove
his boots, as he did not wish to
die with his boots on. He was
evidently refused to give any In.
formation. La a few hour she, also,
was dead, and the two were buried
beneath the cottonwOods near the
river bank. Their identity was