The St. Johns herald., 1898-01-22
CATTLE STEALING.
Wholesale Operation of a Gang
 of Thieves.

On last Sunday, the 18th inst, Audon
 Gonzales. Rafael Gonzales and Arismen Duran returned from trip which took
 in Las Lunas, Socorro and a goodly
 portion of the neighboring territory of
 New Mexico. The HERALD man had an
 interview with Mir. Audon Gonzales
 and listened to & story which if even
 one half of which be true, convinces
 one of the existence of an organized
 band of cattle thieves located just over
 the line of this territory, in the western
 parts of Valencia and Socorro counties
 New Mexico. The operations of this thieving organization had assumed
 wholesale proportions, beside which the movements of the single rustler with a rope and branding iron paIes
 into insignifoance.
 MT. Gonzales story is as follows:
 ''On the Eth of last December, while
 in the neigh borhood of the Zuni vil-
 lages, struck the trail of three men driving large herd of cattle. I gent
 back for assistance, and was joined by Rafael Gonzales and Arismen Duran.
 The following day We came up pretty close to the outfit, which had been joined by George Hardin, who seemed to assume command and directed the movements of the whole party. After wards several other men rode up and joined the party we were watching. After while, myself and companions went to Las Lunas, New Mexico, and made complaints and swore out war rants for the arrest of the men driving of the stock. We were accompanied on our return by Deputy Sheriff F. X. Vigil, of Valencia county, New Mexico, and Richard Lewis, of Albuquerque, a cattle inspector.
 During our absence the cattle had been moved farther east, and we found them at ranch between Bluewater and San Mateo, owned by w. D. Chad wick and John NegIer.
 "The cattle had been cut into two herds. The large herd was still in the hands of Hardin's men, while three other men, all strangers to me, and who claimed to be working for one Wesley Coats, were holding the smaller herd. Deputy Sheriff Vigil arrested the men in charge of the small herd. as all the cattle bearing my brand were in that herd. The men gave their names as Frank, Sam and Jim Jones'"
 After the arrest, Deputy Sheri7 Vigil with the prisoners and Messrs. Gonza- les and Duran, went to Las Lunas As the particular steer ch harged in the com plaint was owned by Audon Gonzales, who lives in Socorro county, the whole party went to Socorro, where the Jones men had preliminary hearing before d committing magistrate, at which Au- don Gonzales and Inspector Richard Lewis, of Albuquerque, were witnesses. The defendants were bound over to an- pear before the next Socorro county grand jury, and in default of bonds are now lodged in the Socorro jail.
 Mir. Gonzales says that all the cattle held by these parties at Chadwick's s ranch numbered $40 head, and bore the brands of the Wabash Cattle company, Pratt & Becker, w. H. Phelps, George Phelps, St. George Creaghe. George w. Henderson, Jose Garcia, Miguel Duran, Audon Gonzales. Rafael Gonzales J ohn Cox, of New Mexico, and almost every body else having cattle running on the range Tn Apache county.
 Inspector Richard Lewis, of Albu- querque, called the attention of the Live Stock Sanitary board, of New Mex ico, to the matter, who took charge of the cattle, and they now have the stock in their possession, awaiting further developments.
 It is hardly necessary to state that both George Hardin and Wesley Coats skipped out at once, and have not since 1 been seen. A little over a year ago, Hardin purchased the " brand of cattle from Johnson Brothers, of Gal lup. and has since made his headquar- tors at Ojo Bonito, just over the line in New Mexico, northeast of this place. | He has borne good reputation before this occurrence.
 Wesley Coats is a common, ordinary | COW hand, and was supposed to be work ing for Hardin, as he has been making | his home for some time past at Oio | BonIto. It is supposed that Hardin and Coats have left the country together.
 There IS some quiet talk that Hardin is not the head of the organization. and it IS pretty openly charged that certain other parties rank him in the business. Be thls as it may, 1t will all come out in time, and we hope to see the big men and moving spirits of the thieving organization brought to time, and receive their just desserts.
 Call for Miners Convention.
 Governor McCord, on January 5, is- sued the following call for miners 
 in |