The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1895-05-31
HE DIED BY THE ROPE
WILD CAREER or a NEW MEXICO
DESPERATE.


Desperate Character and Took the
Lives OF Many mcn-rhe Hepricse
Didn't Go.
"tfe was rtandlng by the hotel bar
chnwin' his pistols at o'clock In the
morning"
This testimony was given In court BY
n witness concerning the doiugH and
mental condition ~ Joe Fowler who. In
1858. was being tried FOR his life az the
general term IN Socorro. n. NJ. on be-
INK asked By his counsel what he meant
by the expression "chnwln' his pistols
%. explained that Joe. after am on
nights drinking bout To show his
ateadtncsa and nerve had put the muz-
zles Of his two loaded reyolvers into
his mouth and was pulling the hom-
mera part way back and letting them
supp down upon the cartridges. Joe
Fowler. who figured ns dangerous
man for years In Sew Mexico. was nj
one time the keeper Of dance hail In
Santa Fc From there he went to So
curru county. bought or took up stock
range. end was q ranchmnn for several
years. az which business be proapcrcd.
IIc was 70 short. thiok-Hct man. with
whom homicide had become r. habit
and hia bearing and expression were u
warning that Dc was "a man to be- let
alone N possible lie had made his
reputation AZ bad man" before going
90 socorru county and hc added TO u
By several shooting exploits while liv-
lng nc his ranch. The most murdcfoua
and characteristic one. perhaps. was
hls killing ~ three men between So
zorro aud his ranch. The four were
camping together on the prairie at
night. and he killed them In their sleep.
There were no witnesses. ana Fowler's
account ~ the affair was that In riding
10 his ranch alone. he overlook them on
the prairie. ana that they, not recognize
Ing him. confldcd 10 him their intention
~ going to his ranch. killing the pro-
prictor. and getting away with ~ much
booty as they could find. Whatever
may have been the general opinion as
20 the truth OF his story. the men being
dead there was no means Of diHproving
n. and Joe went free. He was the hua-
band OF the notorious Belle Fowler, the
petite. black-cycd siren, once " the va
riety stage. who figured 40 sensation
ally In the New Mexico cities In the
eighties. lie had married her In Santa
Re. and she lived with him during his
life was not wholly rose strcwn. for she
carries upon her check as a mcmcnto OF
one episode OF II deep though not dis
figuring scar. which was currently
credited TO her husbands knocking her
down with blow from a carblnc. After
his death she came In FOR a share OF his
property, which was considerable. and
while II lasted she was famous about
the gambling saloons OF Santa Fc. Las
Vegas and other New Mexico towns as
"A player FOR high stakes. and sometimes
as dealer az faro. 10 was on the same
night, In immediate sequence to the
"chawln OF his pistols. that Joe got
into the trouble that cut short his life.
lie had sold his ranch and stock. and
with "A large sum of money had gone
Co Socorro to enjoy himself After his
all nights drinking he was getting Into
n dangerous mood. ana now that he
was swapping pistols at his head. two
officers thought II time TO interfere Tor
HIS own and the public safety. They
came behind him. each seized him By
an arm. ana wrestling his pistols from
him. they took him out OF the house and
were walking him up the street toward
the lookup. A citizen OF Socorro. u
friend of Joe'a came up to the party "a
interccde for the prisoner. Joe waited
until he got near enough. and then
without provocatlon. drew n bowie
knife and stabbed the friend 20 IN,
/ heart, killing him Instantly lie was
brought To- trial. convicted. sentenced
10 be hanged ana placed In the socorrc
/ fail 60 await the day OF execution. From
/ the desperate character of the man and
| the money he had at his disposal. Their,
| was especial danger In his case 81 cs
cape or rescue. This the citizens OF
Socorro were determined should moi
happen. ana they took effective meas
/ ureH that the murder OF their fellow citi
zen should be avenged a steel cage WA
ordered from the east. In which morn Hc
curely 10 conflnc the prisoner. and
every night detachment Of vlgilantci
guarded the Jail. patrollng It's foui
walls on the outside. Before the np
pointed time for the execution Of IN,
death sentence arrived the governor %
the territory granted the prisoner re
prieve The citizens of Socorro trcatc,
the respite ms waste paper. continue,
To mount guard over the Jail. and pune
tualiy ON the day and hour set by IN,
court for the execution they took Jo,
Fowler from his cell ana hanged him.