Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-11-20
HUNTING A DESPERATE.
Marine Leyba's Daring Life and Sudden
Death.

kill the officer who arrested him. He |
was Mexican, giant in stature, and
a tiger in disposition, and when in the
mood would fight anything. He would |
kill man as quick as he would RABBIT |
He was notorious as a horse thief long |
before the law gripped him But back
of his artistic method of taking the
horses and cattle of the ranchers was a
dark background of more serious crimes.
Col Potter, an eastern capitalist with
large investments in New Mexico, trav-
eled lonely trail in the Sandia noun
tains once too often. His body was
found, or rather the charred remains,
for an attempt had been made to Gre
mate it, with bullet hole in the head
The murder was charged to band OF
robbers which at that time infested the
Sandals, and Leyba was known to be
one of their number-probably the
leader. This was within thirty miles OF
Santa Fe and Albuquerque, where Col
Potter had many friends People de-
termined to break up the gang, whose
operations were around the mining
camps of San Pedro, Dolores, and Gold
en-, and organized a posse for that pur-
pose. They cornered the gang in
little Mexican town and swung every
one of them from the projecting vegas
by lariats-all except Leyba, who was
not there.
He organized another band of stock
thieves, who carried on their business
for two years, with a certain pretended
ranchman to 'handle the goods" The
ranchman quarreled with Leyba over
the price of stolen horse and was
shrewd en- ough to land him in the peni-
tertiary for seven years. The murder
of Col. Potter had not been forgotten,
but time and the summary execution OF
all but one of the gang had lessened
public Indignation; besides all who
might have been witnesses against
Leyba were dead, and seven years was
a long sentence. During the trial the
desperate threatened to kill the prose-
cutting attorney, William Breeder; but
once within the stone walls, covered by
shotguns during the day, and locked in
strong seven by five cell at night,
Leyba changed his tactics and became
model of good behavior and industry.
He was the best brickmolder in the
yard, and whenever a row occurred
among the convicts he always helped
the officers to quell it. One day Carlos
Jacome, belligerent young Mexican
convict, who wore shackles most of the
time for bad conduct, started fight,
and with blow from his fist Leyba
knocked him into a helpless heap. At
an opportune time the ranchman who
had sent Leyba to the penitentiary ap'
peared before the governor seemingly
much cast down and conscience-trou'
bled. He apologized for his hand in the
affair. His dreams were haunted ano
his Weakening thoughts were bitterness
itself. Leyba was innocent and he
pleaded for pardon. The fact wa,
that the business of stealing horses ant
cattle was languishing in the absence
of the alert and daring manager. In tn,
course of time the governor was per
suaded and the prisoner got his pardon
Once more in the wilds of Sandals
Leyba lost no time in making himself
terror to the people there. He knew
every trail, every rocky canon, the al
most impenetrable and silent fores
which shielded only the mountain liol
and the bear-safe retreats after eXcur
sions to the mining camps and ranches
There were murders and robberies b,
somebody well posted on the coming
and goings along the mountain roads
At first the desperate was seldom Seen
Afterwards he grew holder and ap
peared in San Pedro, Golden and Ger
rillas, where he drank and carouse,
with men who did not care to fight s.
long as they were unmolested. He wa
always well armed, fearless, an uner
ring shot, and his back never turne,
towards anybody who might be likel
to take it for mark. He had hi
friends among ex-convicts and othe
hard characters. And there were men
, too, who would have been willing +
, put the finishing touch on his career
only that there were so many pistol
a about and skilled hands to manipulat
them that there would have been
n wholesale killing.
But this could not last. 1t hurt thes
fourishing mining camps, kept invest
gators out and capital away, and mad
life too exciting and uncertain
strong protest went up to the sheriff O
Santa Fe county, and he at once COR
|, missioned two men as deputies, VIII
4 were well fitted to carry out their d
n rections to take Leyba alive or dead
!. These deputy sheriffs were Joaqui
Montoya, an ex-guard at the peniter
tiary, handy in the use of the knife an
9 pistol, and Carlos Jacome, the victim c
7 Leyba's fist, who had finished his teri
in the penitentiary.
They were well mounted and eac
q armed with brace of forty .fves TIL
q middle of the afternoon of the secon
!. day they were up in the mountains on
:. very faint trail running in the directio
from which Leyba had been seen to er
r ter Golden. 1t was twilight under tn
!. dense spruce and pine trees, and tn
n bottom OF the great canon above whic
the trail wound was as black as nigh
II They slowly turned the corner of bi
!. lava bowlder and stopped-face to fac
with the outlaw, who sat on his hors
n not twenty yards away with cooke
o pistol in each hand. Their pistols wei
!. in their belts and the slightest motto
!. of hand in that direction would hay
a sealed their doom. But in thinkin
over the dangerous and highly dramat
I. situations liable to occur In hunting
n desperate man in the mountains the
g had not overlooked this one.
p How are you, my friend9" Montoy
' said in Spanish. I'VE are hunting ca
g tie and are lost, Put up your pistol
We are not here to fight Where is Il