The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-15
OUTLAWS.
Professional MaE-Xfllers of
Fame on the Border.
Most of them Meet the Same Kind
Of Fate They Deal Others.

On the Island OF Corsica, under the
nominal Jurisdiction Of the French Gov
eminent, the robber chieftsin Gonfslcone
was permitted to issue procIamatiops and
nobody cared TO risk his lite by attempt
ing his arrest and only three weeks ago
the sheriff OF Cameron county, Texas, shot
q desperate who had openly defied the
laws OF the State for eight years.
Robert Ellis, or "Big Bob" as the out.
laws OF the Rio Grsnde county called
him, began his career as q government
teamster, hauling 'commissary supplies
from Ban Antonio TO Fort Richardson
and further west, but was dismissed on
account OF his savage temper and its
manifold disagreed BILE consequences. He
boosted OF having ''got event. with all
his adversaries, and once shot off the
nose OF a Mexican rancher who had VEN
tured to NEEDLE with what big Bob"
considered his private business. On
another occasion, when a wagon master
gave orders to pull out before Bob had
adjusted his harness. the enrsged team
ster rushd out, and with two cuts OF his
bull knife severed the hamstrinzs OF the
leader mules. Instead OF Stacking the
maniac and putting him in jail at the
next station the teamsters agreed to make
up a story about an accident and divide
the load OF the diminished team, rather
than incur the enmity OF the yindictiys
rufian.
As rule the n~avlgators OF a prairie
schooner try TO cultivate the good will
OF the settlers along the line OF their
route. but "Bjg Bob had 10 be placated,
and II he happened 10 get In a row with
a wayside rsncher two or three OF his
comrades generally agreed to join IN
some act of retributive mischief.
On being dismissed in consequence OF
complaints that could not all be explain
ed away, Robert Ellis doomed out into a
gambler and desperate at large, says Inc
81. Louis Globe democrat.
He never wasted q verbal argument
where the click OF a revolver would an
swer the ssmo purpose and In the course
OF the eight years following the summer
OF 1887 Is known 20 have committed at
lee st a dozen murders, besides numerous
acts of aggressive violence with less than
fatal results. Some VI his bullets. 1t Is
true, rid the State OF criminals who would
not be brought TO justice In any other
form, but three of his victims were guilty
only Of having attempted TO thwart the
capr'ces OF sharpsbooter and nevertheless
their slayer continued TO roam the coun-
try under his W name and the protec-
ton Of its sanguinary prestige. In 1897
he crossed the Rio Grande on business
some smuggling enterprise, II is presumed
and having got himself INTO at
Reynoza, Mexico, he returned 10 the Texas
side of the river and opened a gambling
booth near a place known as I'll Roancho
des los Prietos. A Mexican spy, who had
followed him in disguise, was shot and
flung into n creek tilt bis relatives hshed
him out Ter cover OF darkness TO
effect his burial in his native soil. Their
complaints remained unheeded for nearly
q month, and the official eventually dep
utied for the Investigation Of the charges
found such difficulties in getting up q
posse that he had TO content himself with
reporting the rumors that ascrihed the
whole trouble 10 q race squabbie net
worth specifying.
Dick Turpin could not have gone to
greater lengths of audacity In the plen-
itude OF his fame; yet our Southern
border states abound with similar charac-
tiers, aud Southern California South OF
Monterey county, alone boosts OF twenty
two unpublished manslayers some OF them
profes sedly ready to repeat their offence
upon provocation, and relying on the re-
luctaLce OF an American jury TO convict
"murderers OF the non-mercenary class, y
% a correspondent Of a Los Angeles msga-
zine calls them.
In New Mexico homicidal "Greasers,"
who do not transgress upon the reserva-
tions OF their Anglo-Ssxon rivals, are
rarely molested, owing 10 their country
mems aversion to an appeal for the inter-
cession of detested foreigners, and SINH
| lar causes may partly account for the i'm
munity OF the Corsican brigand. Andrea
Gontalcone ruled his mountain giens as
state within q state, II was not satisfied
with guaranteeing his followers security
OF property and lie. The mere threat OF
interference with his proceedings was
enough to provoke his vendetta, and on
| several occasions he appoars 10 have held
midnight councils after the manner OF
Nehmlc courts to deliberate upon the
fate OF ~malcontents who had tried TO
incitc q revolt against his authority. III
they were able to rsy n fine they could
ransom themselves after a certain period
OF detention; otherwise they we've re-
uuired to furnish hostages or sign q
solemn compact OF truce.
"He could travel scores OF miles afoot,"
says q French press correspondent, Ito
ascertain the author OF a formal CON-
plant and take his, measures accordingly.
Principiiis obstR-'sCppress the FIRST SYM
toms'-was a principle which he APP
piled to the conspiracies of his neighboTs,
and his system OF espionage backed by
the offer OF rewards from his reserve
funds, was as complete as that OF Fou-
che and Mettetnich. The dread of his
displeasure made the natives reticent,
and he gave them distinctly to under
stand thst an armed invasion OF his
stronghold would oblige him to tranfer
his headquarters TO q shifting camp. and
support himself by .forays. In 'SS the
government put q price OF 400 francs upon
his head. ANYONE who wants 10 earn
that reward, he said, lis welcome to try
it, but while l live you have the choice
between an equitable administration Of
affairs and the license OF rowing out
laws So impossible it was to gather
reliable information apon the ways aud
means OF suppressing that relic OF feuda-
lism that the very location OF his head
quarters remained doubtful 10 the gen.
osrmes of the lowland towns. In his
extreme old age the offer OF a general
amnesty inspired h m with the bravado
OF q trip to Marseilles, where he resided
like an Oriental nabob for a few weeks,
closely watched by tho local police-to too
closely, in fact, for an intimation of their
surveillance provoked him like gross
breach Of hospitality. With what means
be had left he returned 10 his native
mountains, revoked the terms OF the
truce and died defiant, surrounded by
his devoted hencbmen."
After the Newspaper.