The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-15
AMONG BANDITS,
Experience Of tho Manager Of a
Tract Of Grazing Land In
CoahuilA
Outlaws Had Long Held Undis-
putcd Sway In that Re-
mote Section.
Nv Acts Of Kindness and Diplomacy HI
Lived in Peace with His Blood
thirsty NelghbOrs.

II was late in the fall Of 1883 that / re-
ceived my credentials and commission from
q prominent land and investment company
of London, England, appointing me their
agent and manager Of a large body OF graz
ing land, embracing about 10000 acres,lo-
Gated in the state Of Coahuila, Mexico.
I arrived at 6altillo, the capital Of Goa
hula, late in December of 1883. l was &C.
companied by my wife, who shared with
me the memorable experiences Of the ensu-
ing twelve months.
The town Of 6altillo has 4 population Of
a few thousand, nearly all Mexicans. Il IL
located in . beautiful country, and is $50
feet above the level Of the sea. The ranch
where my wife and I were to make our
home for the next year is distant forty-two
miles from the town and IL in a
mountainous country, which for genera
tions has been occupied by bold bandits,
and many are the stories told Of American
aud English travellers who had been de-
coyed into visiting the region, only to be
robbed and murdered by the bandits.
TherN4ived IN the ranch a colony Of about
400 Of these robbers, in a little village. The
concession to the land had been obtained
4EOSA ZIG 4IAOAICoA kOvCAhLAOhV W ~ AIOA
don company, but the resident outlaws had
oeen having their way 70 long that
they were decidedly opposed to foreigners
taking possession.
They learned in some manner OF my
presence in Saltillo and the object Of my
visit. As a result, soon after my arrival in
the capital. I received a message from the
bandits, that If / attempted to take posses
sion or set foot on the ranch neither my
wife nor / would live two days. ] was Of
course considerably disturbed by this
threat, but my spirits rose a little when I
learned that there were two factions Of the
outlaws, one faction being favorable to-
ward my coming.
On the morning Of January I had or
dered around my light rig and team, and
was all ready. to make the venture to the
ranch when the judge of the hacienda to
which I was just on the point of starting
came into Saltillo and notified the governor
and authorities OF a battle that had taken
place on the night previous at the ranch,
between those opposed and those in favor
were reported fired and three persons
killed.
After hearing the judges story Gov
ernor Cara Galan sent for me and offered
to appoint mt judge OF the hacienda in
question if ] would accept the position. l
compelled, if I held such an office, to be-
come a naturalized citizen OF Mexico and
renounce my allegiance to the government
of the United States, and that l did not de-
sire to take such action.
The governor replied that while the laws
of Mexico prescribe that an ofice-holder be
q legal citizen. yet in this instance he be-
lieved the exigency of the case would be
held as sufficient excuse for his action. He
therefore issued my commission is auxilia-
~ judge of the troublesome hacienda iii
placed at my disposal a legally constituted
rfrryr IrS60n %ry0 poNrafarIon n hNlv
guard of seventeen gendarmes under acorn
mander and a government ambulance.
The perfecting Of these arrangements oc-
cupied all the forenoon. Immediately after
getting through with me the governor sent
out a detachment of gendarmes to bring
they could capture. 1t was four days be-
fore they returned to Saltillo. They had
eight prisoners and an ambulance load of
rides and ANN ~unition, the latter having
been coniscated.
The prisoners were taken before the high
tribunal and all were fined, the amounts
Angling from $25 to $1,000. In addition to
their fines, each mar was sentenced to i'm
,risonment in the Jail, from which they
we're to be released only upon my exclusive
order.
After the men had been in confinement
three days I asked the governor to liberate
them on my own responsibility. My le-
quest was granted, n the prisoners, upon
learning that I was responsible for their
early liberation, every n became my
friend and protector.
My wife and I then started for the haci-
enda, my former enemies forming a part of
our body guard. Our journey. was %uninter-
rupted until we met o large delegation of
the hacienda people, who had come out to
give US a royal welcome.
They presented a sight that I shall never
forget. The men were dressed in their very
best clothes and were mounted on fiery
horses. the saddles being most beautifully
ornamsnted. The sotols that they carried
were fully twelve feet long and bound close
to the top of each weapon was q rosette Of
bright-colnred and fragrant roses. The
lances were couched in the stirrups of the
saddles. No king was ever given a more
picturesque welcome.
TIL reception party surrounded the yehi-
Gle in which my wife andI were seated and
escorted us with great pomp to the little
village. All the families in the hacienda
were out to give us welcome and many
willing hands helped unload and arrange
things. All seemed anxious to show their
LOYALTY to me.
The evening after my arrival 1 summon
ed ell my subjects before me in the open
plaza. Seated by my side on the raised
platform was my wife. Nearly every man.
woman and child in the village turned out
to hear what ! had to say, and after they
had assembled | arose and addressed them
in Spanish. / told them to search me and
they would find that l was not armed; that
] had implicit confidence in them. l APP
pealed to their manhood and told them l
would rely upon them to protect my wife.
l made no reference to their long record of
crime. The kindness of my wife and / to
them all made them our friends from the
very beginning Of our residence in the ha-
cienda.
Among all the inhabitants of the place
not a person could speak or understand
English except my wife and /. The life we
led there was, of course. monotonous to 9
certain degree, but / was never tired of
studying the peculiar habits and customs
of the people.
The evidences of their previous outlawry
were to be seen in nearly every jacal and
adobe hut. l saw a great many pieces of
fine siiverware and other valuables which
had been ~plundered from some venturesome
American or English settler. In one family,
particularly, l remember seeing a fine table
act of siiverware which bore the monogram
of a prominent English family. l never