The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-03-28
A STORY OF LEADVILLE.
The Handsome Young Horse-Thief Whs
Proved to Be Girl

The Handsome Young Horse-Thief Whs
Proved to Be a Girl
In the first days of Leadville wagons
formed the only means of transportation
of the immense quantity of merchandise
needed there and for the shipment of the
large output of ore and bullion. AS a
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 hillsides. Leadville
offered a good market for work stock Of
all kinds, as animals brought from the
East frequently succumbed to the eli
matte effect of a high altitude and heavy
work. Many freighter reached the top
of a hard pull only to see his best work
mule lie down and die in the harness.
Such inducements and easy sale brought
professional horse thieves in abundance.
The immunity from punishment that
they seemed to enjoy and high prices
paid for their plumber stimulated them
to constant activity and made them bold
in their profession. Saguache County,
Col, says writer in the Helena Journal,
was a favorite section for the operations
of this fraternity, these gentlemen max
ing their trips with almost the regularity
of stage coaches.
After an unusually bold raid 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 hot
they were able to follow it at all ost
gallop. Following along the west side
of the San Louis valley and then through
the 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 short distance apart. The
robbers 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 sixteen; the other
was fine looking young man of perhaps
twenty or twenty-five years of age. On
1n1 70 l.
pulled a 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 point where the fugitives
could be easily covered, and the balance
to prevent their escape from the position
they were in. This was done, and when
the thieves were again summoned to
surrender they simply turned and COM
menced firing at their pursuers on the
opposite side of the river. The fire was
returned and resulted in the boy drop
ping dead with a broken neck and his
companion falling with bullet through
the 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 lovely young girl, with
delicate and refined 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 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 a few hours he,
also, was dead, and the two were buried
beneath the cottonwoods, near the river
bank. Their identity was never discov-
ered.-Chicago Journal.