The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-01
4 NIGHT At Las CRUCES.
Hot Drinking. Enchiiades. and . Surprise By
the sheriff mt the End.

AaNS huu - nv
the sheriff nt the End.
Five minutes after leaving the house in com.
pany with my host, f. A. Van Patten. Sheriff OF
Dona Ana county, came the first exciting ex.
perience OF the night. said a man from New
Mexico in telling OF some happenings in that
Territory when the railroads there were new.
We had crossed an open lot and turned up the
sandy street leading to the principal street Of
Las Cruces when. bang-bang-bang! from
in the darkness ahead came the re-.
ports of q rep atlng rife or heavy revolver.
mingled with the whizzing screech Of bullets
coming straight down the road with us Ia the
direct line o, their course. At the first shot Van
Patton and I stopped still. and a man
Walking along at a little distance be.
hind us jumped to the roadside and
went fat to the ground in the ditch. He
wasn't hit. and didn't mean to be. The second
bullet passed between Van Pattcn and me. the
wind of 1t Tapping the SherifI's hat brim.
The third-well. i wasn't there any more. but
was making three jumps to the second to get
behind the corner of an adobe wall that fenced
an orchard from the road. The sheriff stood his
ground and laughed at me for running away:
then went back TO the house for his revolver.
When we got up TO the main street we learned
that the firing had been done by a Mexican tax
ing shots at another Mexican in a quarrel over
'~p esSs "shA So AA' bluAlCI pdSSftA.
THE city's principal street was ablaze with
the lights of saloons. all open in front on this
hot September night and crowded with Gus.
toners. Miners. ranchinen. soldiers, lawyers,
tourists. and Spanish. Americans. rich and poor.
passed in and out or lounged about the door
ways. The Sheriff, a candidate for reelection.
talked with everybody in English or Spanish. as
this occasion demlnded, and set up the drinks
often for the crowd as we cruised from place to
~I-zA L- . n
telegram came hunting for him. and soon a new
excitement spread through the town, and men
gathered in groups TO listen to such details as
had had reached tho city OF an attempt
at train robbery that had occurred on the Atchi.
son road that night a few miles above Las
Cruces. Tho robbers had tried to ditch the
southward-bound passenger train. but had sue
cceie ed only in stopping 1t, and after attacking
the express car had been beaten of. A mile from
the place the same men. 1t was supposed. had
held up a rich ranchman and robbed him OF his
money. pistol, and watch. Messages had at
once been sent by the division superintendent OF
the road TO the sherifs OF Dona Ana, Lincoln,
Sierra, and 30, orro counties notifying them OF
arrived in Las Cruces on n special locomotive
and were in consultation with Van Patten by IL
o'clock III 1t night.
that we're in town; and sent two with a posse
up TO the scene OF the attempted robbery to trail
ries on foot as to whether certain untrustworthy
characters living at Las Cruces were in town AZ
everything apparently. that could be done that
night toward detecting and capturing the out
laws, Van Patten said to nc:
Let's go up to Juana's and eat some en-
chiladas before we go home
We left the main street and its revelries and
went up the hill TO the east, among the fiat.
Ioofed adobe houses OF the poorer Mexicr n resi-.
dents OF The town. As we passed these humble
homes through the doorways left open for cool.
ness the forms of tho inmates asleep upon the
floor OF the one room within could lndistinctly
rant. and here. at midnight. we ordered the
enchiIadas. which were brought to us on a plat
ehiladas are tortillas"thin CAKES OF p nnieayen nni
In size and shspe,,on which is spread a mixture
setheF. With "a bottle Datl ep 81 beer ePof 70 ae ep no:
PaGy them, found the enchiisdas not
a pretty Mexican girl in a white muslin gown,
and birehCa3ed. cnme in, whom the Sheriff
They chattcd together in the Sp nish tongue as
ate our enchiladas. and he iCked her about
Se pHfs6n whom ne ctlled shitty BIZ. Our
night to her and Josefa, and went out into the
darkness. We did not go back the wav We had
come. but. taking another route. passed an
aGote house in which u light was burning, while
THAT is Iosefs's house. the Sheriff said to
me. We walked on as far as the next house. a
few steps beyond. Van Patten pulled me into
wen wait here a bit. Don't speak or make
a noise, he cautioned me,
,, oA MINUTE mir II is!Sr | found myself standing
] htd not noticed his So.ng.. As 1 stool IN The
shadow wondering what all this mystery was
opened; and the white robed form Of Jo-eia came
through the darkness toward her house. Ar.
dooE parity open. Then came the sound or foot
steps OF some on" walking softly toward the
the doorway saw a man in dark clothes and
wearing n so.nbrcro, on the point of entering
His foot was at the threshold when click.
the sound OF a pistol hammer suddenly
and the S%heri-'s voice said sterniy:
The ma man at T' the p iSre eJhhs"dG Started back as IL
ne Nd been stnnG and, turned; but his hands
Van Pat,en. who had stepped behind him from
road The corner ~ tho house; covering him ,
moment enough to turse VIGOROUSLY, Van Pat
in ne doorwHy vas sereSminF !ors rescue and
in, She would have attacked him tooth and
nail. bat he declared that he would shoot the
prisoner with the first interference from any
ITS no use. Bil; you'd better come along
when we get to the caIaboose. This gun'll do
whstIl hS.pen i you -Fop yoaF hands. Right
Down the hill into the main street Of tho
town we went. where Mt past o'clock in the
trade almost MS good as in the bcginnin: OF the
\ crowd gathered and followed MS tho
sheriff took his prisoner to the lock up. There
had been no ch ,nCe. since the arrest was made
for the M n TO get rid OF anything he had con.
cealed about him. and there were round in his
possession, nes;des the pair, OF r~evolvers and
knife at bis belt a black mask and a gold watch
and pockethOok with money, which after
ward led TO bis cony .tion for the crime OF at.
tempted train wrecEing. and for the robbery OF
the ranChman. The arrest OF Shitty Blll-suCh
was the prisoners title, his real name being
Philip Huiskamp-was followed by the capture
his two accomplices within the next twenty.
four hours, 30 that this episode was quickly
suspected from the fl st that Shlfty, Bill
had q hand In the business up the no I'd. said the
sheriff. as we walked home Together In he
early morning, Why Instinct | suppose,
found out that he hat not been in town
through the afternoon ant evening. When his
Josefa. zane 'Or enchi.LdHs and frr.oles TO
lake TO her hOme-that WAS her errani /
Ilana's. ma e up my mind IN she expected
hinrto arrive late nd hungry. Di' You see her
!h'e when | Joke! her ahOu, BIZ She ". anN.
for him, an showed H.. - when he came
to hGr house tooS The risk OF a~rrestinG hin,
and ! made no mistake. "