Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1890-08-29
( TWELVE GRAVES.

InM OIlNH 4 ANAlAl AAl1AA AAA 0ANANHA
main had been held up,
The robbery was so cunningly planned
and boldly executed that the people of
Rawlins Springs felt themselves aggriev-
ed, AMI a band of cboise spirits pledged
each other over the bar OF tho Oriental
saloon that they would follow the des-
peradoes who had insulted their town by
committing so great an outrage, and
never return until they had captured the
outlaws and wiped out the stain with
their blood.
OHe hotel, one livery stable, half a doz-
en barrooms, and as many gambling sa-
looms. with a music hall and an immense
cattle pen. made up the tOwn of Rawlins
Springs. Numerous fights had occurred
there. The little graveyard on the side
of the hill contained twenty-five mounds,
and on the head boards of all save one
were inscriptions which explained how
the occupant Of the narrow home had met
his death with his boots on. The one un-
marked grave was occupied by a man
who died a natural death. and it had not
been considered necessary to record so
uninteresting an event. Never had a
train robbery been committed there be-
fore, however, and it was natural that the
citizens should feel themselves insulted.
It was dark when the express train
stopped long enough TO allow the passcn-
gers to eat their suppers at the Rawlins
hotel, and on the evening Of the robbery
it was even darker than usual, because
a great storm was gathering and the
heavy clouds shut the light of the
moon and the stars witha an impenetrable
veil. Two miles below Rawlins, the
train halted to take on water. 1t was
just after making this last stop that the
passengers in the sleeping cars realized
that something unusual was happening.
The train suddenly began to slow up.
and a minute later the people in the car
next to the express heard a sudden order
to hold up their hands. Then from each
end of the car came a mar with his face
mufled in a handkerchief and a big re-
volver in his hand. With perfect cool
ness every passenger was examined, and
money, watches and all other valuables
we're levied on. Then one man was left
TO keep the people quiet, and the other
cars ~-o-o gone tlsranuh mill nobody in
the train was left uncXamined. When
the work was done, a long whistle was
given, and suddenly as they had appeared
the robbers slipped away in the darkness.
The train was taken back to Rayylins
Springs, and there it was found that the
express car, too, had been robbed, and
on the floor in front Of his safe lay the
messenger, shot through the heart.
Thirty thousand dollarsin all had been
taken. One Of the passengers claimed
that when the signal to leave had beer
given he had seen four men jump from
the train. 1t a 10 capture these foui
and recover the stolen treasure that thC
good citizens Of Rawlins had pledgaC
themselves.
Twenty of the boldest men OF Rawlin.
started Oh the man hunt. Every one ol
them had for years lived n frontiersman'
life and was accustomed to risk his ex
istence on the slightest pr0vocation, ant
it therefore seemed n trivial matter 70.
such a number of wcll armed mes e
capture four fugitives, no matter how
desperate they might be.
With the daylight on the morning af
ter the robbery. the cavalcade of vigi
lantes left Rawiins. and rode down t
the water tank. Without difficulty thel
found the place where several horses haC
been tied, and it was easy work TO SCI
that from that point they had been led
distance of a mile or more, and had thei
been ridden at full speed toward tn
mountains. For ten miles the track O
the fugitive was plain and distinct, an,
then as the ground became more ROCKY
the trail faded away until il finally dis
appeared altogether. For several mile
the v~igilantes rode ON ia the same direc
ton, but when they found not the slight
est trace of the men they were following
they concluded that the robbers haC
changed their course, and it would b,
necessary to begin all over.
BY the orders Of the leader Of thu
~vigilantes, the twenty men spread them
selves over the prairie with the agree
ment that they should meet at sundowi
and report any discoveries which haG
been made. When the stunted trees he
gan to cast long shadows over the
prairie, one by one the men returned q
she trysting place disheartoned and tired
Finally, however, the hopes Of all wer,
revived by the arrival of one Of th,
party waving something owe his heaC
as he came gallop!ng up. The article
lac was waving proved { be a rec
bandanna handkerchief with two hole.
cut in the shape of eyes piercing it.
With the handkerchief as the sole trophy
Of the hunt, the whole party returned tC
Rawlins Springs.
That evening alsvee was held at the
Oriental saloon. and the handkerchief
was placed on exhibition behind the bar.
Suddenly a small man who had entered
the saloon unobserved caused a deer
sensation by asking TO examine the
trophy Of the hunt, and then by an
nouncing that he knew the train robbers
The small man was generally known
rs the keeper of a prairie store ten miles
out from Rawlins, and he told how foul
men whom he recognized as Tom Aus
Tin, Of Texas; Dave simmons, from th,
sane state, with Rube Reynolds Rns