Los Cerrillos rustler. (Cerrillos, N.M.) 188?-1891, 1890-10-17
IN PIONEER DAYS.
Experience of a Minnesota Sher-
ifs Wife and Son.

In the pioneer days Of Minnesota my
father was elected sheriff of -- coun-
", and in due time our family took up
Its residence in the county Jail. ! was
tho only child, and was at that time
about thirteen years old. About month
after we took possession we received a
prisoner who was known over a wide
circle of country as Black Jim, horse
thief, robher and general desperate.
lie was a man about thirty years Of age,
very dark complexion, quick and wiry,
and his capture was hailed as a great
event. Officers had been after him for
over two years, and two of them who
had turned up missing we're believed TO
have been shot down by the desperate.
le was brought to jail loaded down
with irons, and up TO the time OF his OK
animation father employed two extra
guards. After he had been remanded
TO the higher court Black Jim was so
quiet and humble hat tho extra guards
we've dismissed, and be WIS looked after
hS our reTs.ias turnkey, who was a mid
dle-aged man named andrews.
The Jail was built of stone, and was
the only stone Jail in the State - the
time. The prison part was twelve feet
wide by the width of the building, maxi
ing a corridor about twelve by thirty.
There were no cells in this corridor,
but IL was a clear space. with hunks for
five or six prisoners. 1t was shut in by
iron bars running from top TO bottom,
and admission was had by a single door.
The windows were small and well
guarded. There was no fear OF Black
dim or any other prisoner getting out II
properly looked after.
Two weeks after our prisoner had
been remanded father was called upon
to organize a posse and seek the capture
OF a rang of horse thieves raiding in n
1neighborhood twenty miles away. |
heard his instructions to Andrews be
fore he left. He said:
Don't take your eye off Black Jim.
This afternoon my wife will go on duty,
and you can sleep and be ready for
night"
''Oh, you needn't be afraid Of any
thing going wrong" replied Andrews.
''Td just like to SEQ Jim hoodwink me,
and | can watch for three days and
nights, If necessary"
] saw that father didn't like his boast
ing, but he was in q hurry to be of, and
he left right away after dinner. An
.drews took up his station in an arm
chair in the corridor, and | brought in
isome wood for the big stove Qt was DC.
tNlharA R1lnI mn tl.a xnta faw nafluH aud
was busy for an hour or two. ! hap
pened to be in the corridor when the
gate bell rang, and was sen out TO an
swer 1t. The caller was a k~een-looking
man about forty years old, pretty well
dressed. and he had a package under
his arm When he had followed me
into the Jail building he said TO An
drcws:
II am Lawyer Thomas, of Rockville,
and have come to see my client"
Black Jims examination had taken
place at a town eight miles away, and
neither Andrews, my mother, nor my
self had been present, therefore we did
not know any Of the lawyers In the
case. Father had not said any thing
about visitors, and when Lawyer Thorn
as demanded an interview with his
client Andrews did not hesitate to lei
him into the ward. From the moment
! saw Thomas at the gate ! took a dis
like to him. | set him down as q bad
man. | wanted to protest when Andrew:
let him into the corridor. but | hadn't
the assurance. After he was / made
bold to say:
"You ought TO have asked mother,
first"
"Pah! What does your mother know
about matters In here?"
~ don't believe he's q lawyer!"