The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-23

finally exclaimed:
MURDERED BEFORE THE sHERIFF'S EYES.
Il know what this scheme is. 1t is put
up job to lynch me. l know too much.
The stock growers don't want me on the
stand.n
When on the bridge over the Arkansas
the sheriff and his prisoner were confronted
| by fully 100 masked men. Watkins asked
to talk and tried to prevail upon the men Co
let justice take its course, but to no pur-
pose. He begged them to give him the
right of duel-to give him pistol aud he
would fight them one after the other till be
''cashed in." He asked the sheriff to give
HIM one Of his 6-shooters that he might5die
| fighting but Jones. only replied thai he
must not fight, he must so to CanoueCity.
But you'll never get me there's These
men won't let you take me. Do your duty
aud fight them and let me help You, and
We'll both die together. .sgni.
Jones replied that he would have to be
overpowered before he would give up his
prisoner. Accordingly hekwas overpow-
cred, and the next morning Watkins body
was found hanging from the bridge. the
neck broken and nineteen bullets in the
body.
JUSTICE IN FARCE COMEDY.
| When Watkins friends received the news
they Immediately swore out warrants for
Muloch, the superiutendents and range
| foremen, six persons IN all. The sheriff OF
Chaffee county went to Canon City to
| bring them up to stand trial. Instead of
| coming as law abiding citizens they came
in a chartered tram, with forty OF their
most trusted range riders, each armed With
! a Winchester and a 6-sho otter GA each hip.
They arrived at o'clock a. m.
The preliminary trial was to come off at
| 2 O'Clock p. M, and as at that time there
was no court house the proceedings we're
! hold Ia tho In ba
the indignation of the citizens at the pres
ence of the invading army found vent in
the appointment of a vigilance committee
| of six men, who were stationed at the door
to search and disarm all who entered. There
was town ordinance requiring all persons
to disarm fifteen minutes after arrival aud
permitting arming fifteen minutes before
leaving The committee were rewarded
with wagonload of arms. Without any
witnesses for the prosecution being called =,
no evidence being taken, the prisoners we're
found not guilty, and when the grand jury
met those solons decided ono case"
| HAD THE DROP on THE SHERIFF.
| After this warrants we're issued for the
arrest Of Bent Jameson, Frank Reed,
Earnest Christensen, Rollins Came on and
| his brother Bruce, Billy Taylor, Walker
| Sprague, the elder Taylor, John Mcpherson
and a scorce of others, all either small cattle
owners and ranchmen Of the Ute trail or
| their employees. The charge WAS cattle
stealing. In the face Of what happened
| Watkins it is wonder that tn ese mon Ie-
fused to be arrested. The warrants were
out in Chaffee county and given to Baxter
| Stingley, who was both deputy sheriff and
marshal, to serve. The men for whom
they were intended had no knowledge of
the issuance Of these warrants, although
they expected service at almost any mo-
| meat.
On Sunday evening shortly after the
| Watkins affair, Bent Jameson and Frank
| Reed came TO town to pass a few hours, and
| finally dropped into restaurant kept by a
Mrs. Maggie Flick for supper. S,ingley
| got news OF the fact, and arming himself
| with double-barrele ! shotgun, attempted
| to serve the warrants and make the arrests,
but was sent off with his hands in the air
and the warrants unserved. Jameson aud
| Reed had the "drop" ahead of the sheriff.
| Stingley was a man of unquestioned
bravery, and although the two men were
both friends of his, he swore to arrest them.
| Jameson rode to Poncha Springs and so on
down into the San Luis valley and dropped
out of sight.
BARGAIN WITH THE SHERIFF.
Reed went to the Christensen ranch,
where shortly afterward he received word
from Stingley that be would like to meet
him outside the town limits. unarmed.
| lucy LuoOs n6 DOLlll CObl6oSEu W u dcOp
humiliation at his unsuccessful attempt te
arrest and made the proposition that il he
and the other men would only go back to
| the range he would send back the warrants
to Buena Vista and say that the men were
not to be found. This was agreed to.
But the ranchmen did not keep their part
of the agreement, and how they broke it
and what followed, will serve to show the
nerve Of the man with whom they were
| dealing. About week later the elder Tay-
| lor and bis son Billy, Christensen and Reed
| came into Salids one evening. Stingley got
wind Of it and Immediately sent by tele-
| graph for the returned warrants and went
to the depot to reca;ve them. Some friends
| sent word to the ranchmen. but they re-
| fused to leave town. Wen meet him
when he comes up" remarked Reed, toying
| wi b murderous looking 44-caliber 'gun."
| Old man Taylor tried to dissuade the
younger men. but they were determined.
AFTER sTINGLEY's SCALP.
In the bright light of the September moon
the sheriff was seen coming up the street.
| bis hands in his jacket pockets, his head
bent as il in thought. Mr.. Taylor again
| eDtreated his companions to leave, but to no
avail. "rll find out what's coming next"
| said Reed. Christensen and Reed walked
down the street IN the shadow with their
pistols behind them, and as they got in front
| of the sheriff they separated, passing one on
| each side; then suddenly turned and pressed
the cold muzzles of their pistols into his ears
The sheriff never f1inched and looked wi h
calm eyes first at one and then the other,
then resumed his walk, his hands still in his
pockets. The two men, either side, kept
pace.
Got the warrants" asked Reed.
YES" Stingey stood still.
"You can't serve them. Your children
will miss their father if you attempt it,
| We will not be lynched"
Stingley made 10 reply, and resumed his
walk with the two men still at their sta
tions. until he arrived in front of the Wind
sor hotel, where he turned, crossed the
| street ard walked into the hotel and into
| the wash room, a moment after coming out
with bound aud a 6-shooter in either
hand. But the two men and their compln-
ions had disappeared.
DANCE HOUSE DUEL
Christensen then sho we'd some disposition
to weaken, saying that ne had had enough
and must look out for his family, and that
he was going on to his ranch to prepare for
| removal.
On Nov. 3 big masquerade ball was
| given in A. Arbor's log dance hall at
| Salda, then the largest hall in the state.
| Between 300 and 400 people attended. The
writer STOOD " the piano. t%hich was on a
raised platform. Suddenly, ,h9R pianist ex-
| claimed: Drop down; thefeE going TO be