The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1890-02-05
DIED WITH HER BOOTS ON.
A Horse Thief That PrOyeditO be n
Handsome Young Girl.

Wy Va A@pcaNiliC
wagons formed the only means of
transportation for the immense
Quantity ct merchandise needed
there, and for the shipment Of the
large output of ore and bullion
AS consequence horses and mules
were used Id large numbers. Trains
of frei hit wagons lined the roads
leading to the great carbonate
camp, and it frequently became
necessary to, turn the stock out afs
ter hard days journey to Craze
on the adjoining hillsides. Leads
vile offered a good market for
work stock Of all kinds, as animals
brought from the East frequently
sticeumb to tho climatic 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 slim
ulated them to cor slant activity
and made them bold in their pro.
fession. Saguache county, Col,
was a favorite section for the oper-
atoms OF this fraternity, these gen.
tlemen making their trips with all
most 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 ex-
penSes IN the way of sheriff lees 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. Fol-
lowing along the west side of tie
San Luis valley and then through
defle of the Sangre de Christie
mountains, the course of the pur-
suers and pursued emerged into
the Arkansas valley, close to where
the South Arkansas flows into the
main stream. Here it was evident
that the 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
being followed. Two OF the stock
men from the ranches on the route
joined the vigilants and furnished
fresh horses. About noon on the
following day the thieves with the
stolen stock we're discovered camp>
ed at the north of Cottonwood
creek. There were bat two. One
appeared to be young boy not
over 16; the other was a fine laok>
ing young man of perhaps Of 20 or
u years OF age. On being called
on to surrender the boy pulled a
six-shooter and fred on the vigi>
lantes. AT the same time he and
his companion jumped down be-
hind the bank of the river, from
which place it was found impOssi-
BILE 10 dislOdge them without the
loss of at least three or four men.
After a 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 a
point where the fugitives could be
easily covered, and the balance to
prevent their escape from the po-
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 pursuers on the
opposite side of the river. The
fire was returned, and resulted in
the boy dropping dead with u
broken neck, and his companion
falling with bullet through the
lungs. When the vigilantes went
to where they lay the elder was
still, 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