The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-04-18
DIED WITH HER BOOTS ON.
A Horse Thief That Proved to Be a Hand
some Young Girl.

CiGI WI n TEN DOO . ONs
A Horse Thief That Proved to Be n Hand
some Young Girl.
In the first days of Leadville wagons
formed the only means of transportation
for the immense quantity of merchan-
disc needed there and for the shipment
of the large output of ore and bullion.
AS consequence horses and mules were
used in large numbers. Trains of freight
wagons lined the roads leading to the
great carbonate camp, and it frequently
became necessary to turn the stock OUT
after hard days journey to Craze on
the adjoining hill sides. Leadville Of
fered good market for work stock of
all kinds, as animals brought from the
east frequently succumbed to the eli
matte effect of high altitude and heavy
work. Many a 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 profes sional horse thieves in
II. dante. The immunity Hsom pun
ishment that they seemed to enjoy and
high prices paid for their plumber stimu-
lated them to constant activity and
made them bold in their profession. Sa-
guache county, Colo, was a favorite
section for the operations of this frater-
nifty, 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 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
large and hot they were able to follow it
almost at a gallop. Following along the
west eide of the San Luis 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 South Arkan-
sas flows into the main stream. Here it
was evident that the two parties could
only be a short distance apart. The rob-
bers 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 discovered camped at
the north of Cottonwood creek. There
were but two. One appeared to be a
young boy not over 16; the other was a
fine looking young man of perhaps 20 or
20 years of age. On being called on to
surrender the boy pulled six shooter
and fired on the vigilantes. At the same
time he and his companion jumped down
behind the bank of the river, from which
place it was found impossible 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 go 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 pre-
vent their escape from the position they
were in. This was done, and when the
thieves were again summoned to surren-
der, they simply turned and commenced
firing at their two pursuers on the oppo-
site side of the river. The fire was re-
turned, and resulted in the boy dropping
dead with a broken neck, and his COM
panion falling with bullet through the
lungs. When the vi9ilantes 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 re-
fined features. The one who could still
talk refused to tell who they were or
from whence they came, only that their
people were respectable, and that he de-
sired them to remove his boots, as he did
not wish to die with his boots on. He
was evidently man of good education,
but positively refused to give any infor-
nation. In a few hours he also was
dead, and the two were buried beneath
the cottonwoods near the river bank.
Their identity was never discovered
Helena Journal.