Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-17
DIED WITH HER BOOTS ON.
Horse Thief that Proved to be Handsome
Young Girl.


Horse Thief that Proved to bs Handsome
Young Girl.
Helena Journal.
In the first days OF Leadville wagons
formed the only means of transpor tation
for the immense quantity of merchandise
needed there and for the shipment Of the
large output of ore and bullion. AS
cons sequence horses and mules were used
In large numbers. Trains of freight
wagons lined the roads leading to the
great carbonate camp, and it frequeu thy
became necessary to turn the stock out
after hard days journey to Craze on
the adjoining hillsides. Leadville Of
fered g good market for work stock of
all kinds, as suimGls brought from the
East frequently succumbsd to the eli
matic 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 harness. Such
inducements and easy sale brought pro-
fessIonal horse thieves in abundance. The
immunity from punishment that they
seemed to enjoy and high prices paid for
their plumber stimulated them to con-
slant activity and made them bold in
pEOltbslOu. OdBuGCA6 OOunb1 yOOlsS
was q favorite section for the operations
of this fraternity, these gentlemen max
ing their trips with almost the regularity
of stage coaches.
Aft5T an unusually bold raid party
was organized, determined to follow the
trail aud overtake the thieves, and IL 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 gaIlop. Following along the west
side of the San Luis valley and then
through defiie of the Sangre de Christie
mountains, the course of the pursHers
and pursued emerged into the Arkansas
valley, close to where the south Arkan-
ses flows into the main stream. Here it
was evident that the two parties could
only be a short distance apartA The rob-
bers had taken more stock than they
could easily handle, and they 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 sixteen; the other
was q fine-looking young man OF per-
haps twenty or twenty-five years of sge.
On being called on TO surrender the boy
pulled q six-shooter and fred on the
vigilantes. At the same time he and his
companions jumped down behind the
bank of the river, from which place it
was found impossible TO dlslodge 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 q point where the fugitives
could be easily covered, and the balance
to prevent their escape from the posi-
sition they were In. This was done, and
/ when the thieves were again summoned
| TO surrender they simply turned and
commenced firing at their two pursrers
on the opposite aide of the river. The
/ IRE was returned, and resulted in the
boy dropping dead with a broken neck,
and his companion falling with bullet
through his 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 etiIl talk refused to tell
who they were or from whence they
cane, only that their people were re-
spectacle, and that he desired 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 information. In .
few hours he also was dead, and the two
! were buried beneath the cotfonwo DDS,
near the river bank. Their identity was
EeYer discovered