Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-03-20
TOUGH OLD TOM ToB1N.
From tho Now York Sun.

TOUGH OLD TOM ToBIN,
From the New York Sun.
"Tom TObln was so years old and
over when he died not long ago, but
he was game to the last" said an ex-
army ofiloer. "He was brcther-in-
law OF Kit Carson, and the last of that
pioneer band of scouts, Indian-nght-
ers, hunters and trappers that ven.
tured upon the unknown frontier way
back in the thirties. When he died
be was the worst chawed and elawed
up man. guess, that ever took life
course in the Rocky Mountain school
of fexperience. He bore the marks Of
grizzley bears, mountain lions, Indi-
ans, bad men and other wild animals,
from the crown of his head to the
sole of his feet. He had beeu shot
nineteen times. Indians took his
scalp once and left him fer dead.
-Four times he had been stripped pret-
ty much bare of flesh by grizzlies, and
three times chewed out Of shape by
mountain lions. Rattlesnakes had
sunk fangs into him three different
times without putting him to any
great Inconvenience. The last time
saw old Tom, which was only a little
while before he died, he said, with a
shake Of his head;
7 e..
more scars, or think I'd wobble out
and give something else chance at
me. I'd like to have a Gila monster
try me once jest to see what he could
do
"Tom was tough piece of bone and
sinew and no mistake. His fame was
great iu the early days. The Indians
feared him. Horse thieves and other
outlaws gave locality a wide berth
if Tom Tobin was known TO be hang
ing around it. Colorado ought to put
up monument to him, for he risked
his life once to do an act that with
one crack Of his rifle set that territory
ahead ten years at least. That ex-
pleit was the ending of the career Of
the two Espinosas, Mexican brothers,
who were the boldest, blood thirstiest,
mest-dreaded desperadoes of all the
murderous outlaws that terrorized
that part Of the country in the pie
neer days. ] have heard old-timers
say that the very mention of the name
of the Espinosas was enough to make
the settlers shudder These cut
throats committed murder for the
sake of murder. The most brutal
Sioux of those days would have hesi-
tated before committing some of the
crimes that these two Mexic2ns were
guilty Of.
"Fort Garland was the military post
that guarded tho interests of the Col
orado settlers. The troops there were
under command of Col. Tappan. In
1862 the Espinosas had brought enc
portion of the territory under such
reign of terror that the inhabitants
sought the aid Of Col. Tappan in rid
ding the region of the Mexican cut
throats and robbers. In their appeal
to the colonel they declared that
ranchmen, stockmen, miners and all
classes in the San Juan country sim
ply took their lives in their hands
when they went about their affairs.
Col. Tappan detailed a company Of
men to seek the trail of the Mexican
outlaws and hunt them to their death.
Rewards TO the amount Of $4,000 had
been offered by the territorial legisla-
ture for taking the Esplnosas dead or
alive. Tom Tobin was at Fort Gar
land when the company Of troops was
ordered out TO hunt the desperadOes
down and volunteered to go along.
1.-TWO days after the start Tebln dis
covered the trail of the Mexicans. 1t
led to the heart of the Sangre de
Crlsto mountains. The desperate
character of the Mexicans was shown
by their holding up the Placervllle
stage, killing the driver and two of
the passengers, and robbing the mails
and express boxes the very day Tobin
discovered their camp, in deep and
lonely gulch in the mountains. This
was five days after the discovery Of
their trail. Tobin had told the lieu
tenant of the company that he needn't
attempt to take the Mexicans alive,
because they wouldn't be taken, and
any attempt to do it would only re-
suit in the death of all that made it.
"'There amt any use Of that, said
Tom. III follow these greasers to
their hole. II come back I'll have
'em both. II don't come back, they'll
have me-.
"Tom followed the trail into this
gulch until he came to the isolated
You Can Believe