The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-14
LIMITING A DESPERATE.
euoT DEAD WIT y OUT a WORD OF
WARNING.

J.
dan Death-One of the Most Desper-
o,e Characters Who Ever Made Life
Burden to the PeacsfuI Inhabitants
NJ New Mexico.
From the Chicago Tribune.
Marine Leyba was a convict brickmolder
~ the New Mexico penitentiary, sentenced
| - soven wears at hard labor for stealing g
horse and attempting to kill the officer who
crossed him. He was Mexican, a giant
in stature and tiger in disposition. and
when in the mood would fight anything.
10 would kill a man as quick as he would a
r.bbit He was notorious as horse-thiei
Iong before the law gripped him. But back
If his artistic method Of taking the horses
and cattle of the ranchers was dark back.
ground of more serious crimes.
COL Potter, an eastern capitalist with
lsrCe investments in New Mexico. Travelled
g., onaly trail in the Saudia mountains once
,oo often. His body was found, or rather
,be charred remains, for an attempt had
besn made TO cremate it, with bullet hole
in the head. The murder was charged to a
hand of robbers which at that time infested
the Sandals, and Leyba was known to be
ana IT their number-probably the leader.
This was within thirty miles Of Santa Fe
and Albuquerque, where Col. Potter had
many frienos People determined to break
m The gang whose operations were around
the Mining camps of San Pedro, Dolores
and Golden, and organized posse for that
D;rpose. They corlered the gang in little
Mexicsn town, and swung every one of
them from the projecting vegas by lariats-
all exceDt Leyba, who was not there
He organized another band OF stock
thieves who carried on their business for
two years with certain pretended ranch
man to "hande the goods" The ranchmen
quarread with Leyba over the price Of a
stolen horse and was shrewd enough to land
him in the penitentiary for seven years.
Toe murder of Col Potter had not been
forgotten, but time aud the summary exc
cution of oil bu, one OF the gang had less
ened public Indignation; besides, all who
might have been witnesses against Leyba
were dead, and seven years was a long SEM
tencv. During the trial the desperate
threatened to kill the prosecuting
attorney, William Breeien; but
once within the stone walls,
covered by shotguns during the day, and
locked in strong 7x5 cell at nigh, Leyba
changed his tactics and became model of
good behavior and Industry. He was the
best brickmolder in the yard, and whenever
arrow occurred among the convicts he al
ways helped the officers to queli it. Que
day Carlos Jacome, bellIgerent young
Mexican convict, who wore shackles most
Of the time for bad condnct. started to
fight, and with blow from his fist Lsyoa
knocked him into a helpless heap. At an
opportune time the ranchman. who had sent
Leyba to the penitentiary, appeared before
the governor seemingly much cast down
and conscience troubled. He apOlogized
for his hand In the effair. His dreams were
hauuted and his waking shouts were Bit
terness itself. LeYba was innocent and he
pleaded for pardon. The fact was that
the business of stealing horses and cattle
was languiShing in the absence of the alert
and daring manager In the course Of time
the governor was persuaded and the pris-
Oner got his pardon.
Once more in the wilds of the Sandals
LeYba lost no time in making himself a ter
rOr to the people there. He knew every
trail, every rocky canon, the almost i'm
penetrable and silent forest which shielded
OILY the mountain lion, the bear-safe re-
treats after excursions TO the mining camps
and ranches. There were murders and rob-
berries by somebody well posted on the COM
ings and goings along the mountain roads.
At first the desperate was seldom seen.
Afterward he grew holder and ap-
peared in San Pedro. Golden. and
Cerrilas, where be drank and ca
reused with men who did not care to
fight so long as they were uamolested. He
was always well armed. fearless, and al
unerring shot, and his back never turned
toward anybody who might be likely to
take iU for a mark. He had his friends
among ex-convicts and other hard charac-
ters. And there were men, too, who would
have teen Wiling to put the finishing touch
Oh his career, only that there we're so many
pistols and skilled hands to manipulate
them that there would have been a whole
sale killing.
But this could not last. 1t hurt these
nourishing mining camps, kept investi-
gators out and capital away, and made
Lie too exciting and uncertain. A strong
protest went up to the sheriff OF Santa Fe
Il county, and he at once commissioned two
4 men as deputies, who were we'll fitted to
carry out their directions, to take Leyba
awe or dead. These deputy sheriffs we're
joaquin Montoya, an ex-guard at the peni-
tentary, handy in tue use of the knife aud
? Stol, and Carlos Jacom, the victim of
Leyoa's fist, who had finished his term in
tbs penitentary.
They we're we'll mounted and each armed
win brace Of forty>fve5. The middle of
the afternoon of the second day they were
up IN the mountains on q very faint trail
running In the direction from which Leyba
nau oeen Seen to enter Golden. 1t was twi-
ngat under the dense spruce and pine trees,
ei,u Tue bottom of the great canon above
mnich the trail wound was as black as night.
ihey slowly turned the corner Of big lava
boulder and stopped-face to face with the
oubidW, VINO sat on his horse not twantV
yarGS away with a cooked pistol IN each
hand. Their pistols were in their belts and
.ne sllghtest motion of hand in taat Girec-
tion would have sealed their doom. But in
snlhSlng over the dangerous and highly
'ainaIlc situations liable to occur in hunt
ius desperate man in tho mountains they
nao not overlooked this one.
= low are you, my friend" Montoya said
70 spanish. I'VE are hunting cattle, and
are lost. Put up your pistols. We ar. not
tri iln VAC AA'"INe' 41'
little parleying ensued. They succeeded
ailaylng Leyba's suspicious. and rode mr.
6lnl, one on each side. He put his pistol,
lack into his belt
q, You were foolish, said Jacome, .'to thipl
uat we were after you. Let every man liv,
hands," ' 00n' 0naA'
sscome was on one side Of Lev ba and ex-
N Slaeu his LETT hand, grasping Leyba's right
In,..tliie On tne other side clutched his left
tAssniy 1acome drew his pistol, and wher
;; u through the brain. still on his horse anf
"sae grasp of the two men.
lucy strapped the body to the horse and
tS.Seoc 1t TO Santa Fe. Nobody regretted
~ nlIlng of the desDerado h,,t tbara nc