The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-15

Cattle i'm DrOVes and Long Escaped
observation-disclosures with His
Life, the Spaniard Led His Pursu-
ers 10 IA Mysterious Cave.
From the Buffalo Express.
The oldest butcher of New Mexico died
the other day. He was Chris Eberlein
He died outside of New Mexico. II he
could have had his wish he would have
lived out his life at Fort Stanton. The
reason of his living and dying elsewhere
calls up the story of his life and scenes
Of early days in the southwest Eber-
lein was past 70 years of age. He was
born in Germany and turned up in this
country in PHILADELPHIA where he start
ed in the meat business i'm 1850 His shop
was in Water street. After four years
Of bad luck he failed, sold out his effects
and started west. He drifted about for
twenty years, and finally turned up at
Fort Stanton. For two years he dickered
in cattle and made little money
Then the gold fever caught him and he
moved to White Oaks, N. NJ. drawn by
stories of fabulous wealth lying loose
in the town. White oaks was in the
full flush of it's glory. Chris set up a
butcher shop and Immediately made a
hit. He accepted anything for beef, even
town lots. In 1879 he was the richest man
in White Oaks, owning half the town,
all due to butcher bills. Then came the
season of outlawry, and before Chris
realized what had happened his half of
White Oaks had been jumped by outsid-
ers. and he was ordered out of town. He
went, and made straight for Ford Stan
| ton.
The Thirteenth infantry was stationed
| at Fort stanton in those dQVG At ALL mill
| itary posts beef is bought by contract from
! a successful bidder. Joe Tulouse was the
| beef contractor at Stanton. He knew
! Chris years before in Texas. Chris made
an arrangement with Tulouse to supply
| him with beef at price lower than the
be allowed to sell beef at the contract
| price to outsiders. Chris worked alone
for time, and then picked up a Mexican
men were direct opposites in physical APP
pearance. Lopez was tall and dark, with
a thick bull neck and powerful limbs.
| Chris was short and slight with light hair
| and fair complexion. He had lost his left
arm at White Oaks.
Lopez and Chris would disappear to-
gether, and after an absence of three or
four days Chris would turn up alone emp
| ~ handed, followed day or two later
by Pedro and a number of cattle. Pedro
would invariably come in at night. In
stead of driving the cattle on the trail
through the post he would circle around
the, fort, reaching the butchers corral
Chris would kill and dress the cattle as
soon as they were brought in. Lopez
kept watch by the corral gate while
Chris worked. 1t was wonderful to watch
this butchering of cattle by a one-armed
man. On the blacklist night he would
raise his rife with his one arm and fire
without hesitation Sure of his aim he
would drop the rifle and take up his knife.
Holding the hide in his teeth he would
skin a steer quicker than any other man
with two hands could do it. 1t was re-
garded as peculiar that after taking off
the hide and horns of a steer Chris would
leave 1t and go on to another. The hides
and horns were never SEEN Before the
break of day all the steers would be hide
less and hornless, while Pedro and the
hides and horns had disappeared.
In broad daylight Chris could be seen
working leisurely over the meat, dress
ing and sending it up 20 Tulouse to be
sold to the government When asked
where he got his cattle, Chris would in
variably answer:
AS time passed and Chris thrived in
his meat business. complaints began to
pour into the military authorities about
/, wholesale and persistent cattle stealings.
The thieves always managed to get away
with their plumber undetected.
the Col r6ops oTt tsen in
tigation followed, but resulted in moth
ing. The finger of suspicion, however,
was raised toward Chris and Pedro. They
both protested their innocence. Col. Brad
ley said that they could easily rid them
selves of suspicion by producing the hides
Cant do it, said Chris. I'VE sold
''-Who bought them?" asked the colonel.
"Greasers," said Chris.
who sold the cattle to your" asked the
colonel
"Greasers," said Chris. "Greasers sell
All this time no one knew where Chris
and Pedro butchered their cattle. They
had forsaken the corral used by Tulouse,
and the sandy plain and the level back
of the post. Some time in the night they
would bring their meat to Tulouse. Guards
were detailed to trace them, but they
worked in vain. When Pedro was ques-
toned he referred to Chris; and when
Chris was examined he referred to Pedro.
The largest ranch in New Mexico in
those days was known as the Neevee
ranch. 1t began about five miles from
Stanton, and ran for many miles beyond.
1t waH owned by English capitalists.
managing the thousands of cattle. Dur
ing the career of Chris and Pedro the cat
tie Of the Neeyee ranch were not molested.
The punchers grew careless and lax when
one morning Toory Scott. the herds
man, rode into Stanton, straight to Col.
Bradley's Office. Showing open the door,
he pushed in past the orderly.
| What's the natter" asked the colonel.
Matter. hell" roarsd Scott. Two hun
dred of our best steers have been stolen
stolen right before our eyes"
where are they2' asked old Bradley.
"Where2 Lifted up in chariot as far
as we can tell" said Toory. Not a trace
OF them-not hoof-print In the sand"
II seems that the night before about a
thousand Of the cattle had been driven 10
the Little Bonito river, "A mile beyond
any trouble, when suddenly the herd was
stampedcd without diFcoverable reason,
and in the confusion and darkness 800 Of
the finest steers got separated from the
herd ana disappeared a. completely as
~ the earth had swallowed them up
Col. Bradley sent for sefEt MAJ. Heller.