The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1895-11-27
MYSTERIOUS DOUBLE MURDER.

Limbo with the news that Frank Mes
ser, better known as 'tSpanish Frank"
Il vaquero in Mr.. Cowles employ, and
Frank Jones, an Indian, who was also
in Mr.. Cowles' employ, had been acct
IDENTIFY killed at the Limbo ranch.
Jim Ewing was working at the ranch
and does the cooking. 1t was the in
tention to build "a small corral i'll which
to slaughter a beef steer occasionally
and early Thursday morning Spanish
Frank on his horse and the Indian with
. wagon and double team started for the
h Is to get cedar posts for the corral.
Mr.. Ewing expected the men back
that night with the posts but hour after
hour passed and they did not return.
At four o'clock the next morning Mr..
Ewing took a saddle horse and a rifle to
look up the missing men. The first he
saw OF anything relating to his search
WAS Spanish Franks saddle horse with
bride, saddle and rope just as ii Frank
had just got off him.
Further OH the road he saw the wag-
on loaded with posts careened against
a pile OF rocks, the team horses at the
end OF tongue, facing each other and
held by the neck yoke, the tugs having
come loose. The horses were not hurt
or bruised in any way.
Up the hill further and in the middle
OF the road was the dead body of Frank
Jones, the Indian, who lay on his back,
the hands outstretched and one leg
doubled under the body. The other
leg was tangled in a long rope that was
caught in the wagon.
Passing the body of the Indian Mr..
Ewing soon found Spanish Frank who
was also dead, a stick of wood having
passed through his body at the chest,
coming out at the back. He lay with
his face to the ground and his arms out
street he'd above his head.
How the accident happened, if acct
dent it was, may never be known. Mr..
Cowles who has an intimate knowledge
OF the ground gives the following ver-
sion as an opinion. The rope in which
the no ly OF the Indian vas entangled
was used to SNAKE" the posts down
from the hill to the road and after load
ing the posts the rope was thrown into
the front end OF the wagon which Frank
Jones drove, Spanish Frank following
on his horse. AT IA steep place in the
road the Indian lost control of the brake
OF dropped the lines and the wagon
forced the team to run. The indian
Jumped or was thrown from the seat
and becoming tangled in the rope was
being dragged to death.
Spanish Frank rode his horse down,
jumped off him and attempted to stop
the horses by catching their heads. He
fell an | the 'reach pole" OF the wagon
having broke it ran through him as
the wagon passed over him. The fore
going is simply Mr.. Cowles' opinion.
When the accident was reported here
George Dowding and Jim Ewing were
sent to bring the bodies here, the place
OF the accident being seventy-tive miles
away from any settlement.
Frank Messer is well known all over
the State, having been a vaquero in
Nevada for many years. He has an
Indian wife, a boy and a girl. He has
a ranch at Lovelock where his family
reside. He was very proud OF his
children and said when he was here a
week or SO ago that he wanted to make
a will in their favor.
George Dowding and jim Ewing re-
turned yesterday from Limbo with the
body of Frank Messer, the body OF
Frank Jones being left with the Reser-
Walton authorities at the Agency.
An examination OF the bodies by the
SURGEONS showed that both men had
been shot to death, most probably II
rifle being used. Frank Messer was
shot when his back was turned, the
bullet going through the upper part Of
the chest and ranging downward. Frank
Jones W Is shot through the upper part
OF the chest the bullet ranging from the
left side to the right. He was shot
while looking at the shooter and while
presenting three-quarters OF his body.
For the purpose OF deception pieces of
cedar wood had been driven into the
wounds OF both the men and everything
lett to make their deaths appear to have
been caused by n runaway accident.
AS soon as it was known that the
men had been murdered, a party of