Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-12-04

to the prospector, who grasped it and
then returned his hand to his pocket.
Gen. "Black Jack" Maceo sent out a
detachment, armed with wet stake
ropes, to investigate. The army was
in full flight before they reached the
field. The prospector said Gen. Wey-
Ter deHall had paid him seven dollars
for killing the burro and So cents for a
bran new coffee pot which had been
perforated by a stray bullet.
1t is doubtful if the true history of
the fight which resulted in the death
OF Bob Hayes will w be known to
the world. The LIBERAL has printed
two or three versions, land there are
Others" The Enterprise last week
had an account which told how Wal
ter Birchleld ran out from the am
bush, picked up 'Black Jacks" pistol,
which had fallen to the ground and
shot him through the body, that he
a trailed a mile by the blood stains,
but got away. The LIBERAL has evil
dence that at the time Of the fight
Walter Birchfield was miles away In
charge of the Diamond A round up.
J.L. Dow, sheriff elect OF Eddy county,
who was with the posse, in an inter
view printed in the Ell Paso Times last
Sunday, says that there were but
two officers and himself in the cele-
brated scrap; that when the robbers
got within sixty yards of them he
called on them to throw up their
hands; the robbers whirled their
horses so their heads were between
the officers and robbers, then leaned
back in their saddles and the circus
commenced. ''Black Jacks horse
reared and he had to clamp his spurs
to keep from being thrown off. This
set the horse to pitching. A man on
a pitching horse is a hard mark and SO
Dow killed the horse. "Black jack
lifted the horse up, secured his win
chester and then went away. Dow
thinks he was not touched. Sheriff
shannon was not in the fight. VIM.
Holmig was in town Sunday and told
more OF the particulars Of the visit he
received from "Black Jack" IL was
about dusk the day after the fight
when he rode up to the ranch, which
is sixty miles from Deer Creek. He
wanted something to eat and Holmil
got supper for him. He told Holmis
there were ten or twelve officers il
the fight. After Hayes and the horses
were killed he left. About a milk
from the battle ground there is
small rocky bluff where he hid. Th'
officers hunted all around the blui
but did not lind him. The officer
kept close together. He wanted Il
get one mar alone so as to kill hin
and get the horse, but he could not
After the officers gave up the hun
he started for the Grey ranch afOOt
his friends being nowhere In sight
On his way there he am pushed a lOnl
cowboy, and took his horse and saddle
telling him he needed them more tina
did the cowby. He went north an.
later rode up to Howell's ranch. A
he approached the ranch he saw
number of guns leaning against tn
house, and as he wac not anxious I
meet the officers he did not make
!, call. Mr.. HOlmig advised him {
leave this section of the country as b
surely would be taken sooner or latel
but "Black Jack" positively refused
He was infatuated with the excitin
life he was leading and proposed I
continue il right ia this section of th
country. 1t will be observed that a
the stories of the fight agree in but tw
particulars. that Bob Hayes was kille
and that "Black jack escaped. A
ter leaving Holmig's "Black Jack
met james Nc Gable, who had a bunc
horses, and in his usual persuasive wa
induced Mr.. McCabe to give him h
pick OF the horses.