El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-07-13
A LITTLE WAR.
Story of The Fight At Lees Well.

Story of The Fight At Lees Well.
The following account is obtained
from Thomas II. Tucker, who is en-
ployed by Oliver LIE on his ranch:
Monday last o. M. Lee and S. r.
Gililland were At San Augustine
ranch. In the afternoon Clint Level
lyn went to the same ranch, and left
after short stay. Later still, Jose
Espalin went to the same ranch, saw
Lee and shook hands with him. In
the evening Lee and Gililland mount
ed their horses. and started for Lees
formerly Wildy's) we'll, about 80 miles
east of San Augustine ranch, and
reached there about 2 o'clock Tuesday
morning, and repaired to the top of
the house to sleep. James Madison
(the man who manages the pump and
family occupied the bed DOM on the
ground floor.
Before daylight a pOsee of men first
surrounded, then entered the house,
with leveled guns, and commanded
hands up The inmates, Dennis Nc
Weigh, Mr.. and Mrs. James Madison
and four little children, quickly COM
piled.
The posse finding no one of whom
they were in search left the house.
About 20 feet east of the dwelling
and on the east of the shop is wagon
shed. Onto this shed the posse mount
ed. Lee and Gililland were in
plain view, asleep. They, Lee and
Gililland. were aroused bv the sharp
crack of smokeless powder and the i'm
pact of metal patched bullets on the
roof, and against row of adObes
which hold the water spouts in place.
Lee and Gililland seized their Win
chesters and promptly returned the
fire of their assailants.
Kearney who stood his ground longer
than others (who had dropped out of
sight behind the shop shed-except one
who took refuge 10 dirt tank, fell at
the first volley, rolled off the wagon
shed into a wagon. AS Lee said to
Tucker, our informant: "Up to this
time not a word had been uttered. I
called out to Garrett: Pat, don't you
think you've got the worst of this?'
Garrett replied Don't you think I
know it?' -
81 then asked him why he didn't at
tend to his wounded. Garrett replied
He needs DOCTOR l told him to go
| after doctor. and when Garrett Ob-
| jected to leaving cover for the open
prairie I told him he would not be
burt.
Garrett then asked permission to
| move Kearney into Lee's house. The
permission was readily granted, but
Kearney was caused so much pain by
efforts to take him into the house it
gOn.
II then said: Pat, don't you think
you had better get away from here?
He said he did; and after some further
talk I agreed not to fire on them while
he and his men were leaving; but
told him would keep them covered,
in order to be on the safe side. Gar
rett asked me to surrender, and told
him would cone in all right and give
bond. AS the posse was leaving 1 said:
Now, Pat, l guess you will go away
and tell lie about this fight But he
said he would not; that he would tell
it just as it happened.
"When Garrett aud men, Jose Espa-
lin, Clint Llewellyn and Bertrand
Williams, left, myself and Gililland
went out and talked to Kearney who ia
seriously wounded in the shoulder and
thigh. He told US that he had fred
fore he left that his party was wrong
for firing on US.
"The posse fired q volley into the
room where Madison's family had been
sleeping. and the woman and her child
had to go to the cellar to avoid being
shot,
Mr.. Tucker says Lee would go in
and give bond; but he knows he would
not be permitted to give, bond, and that
is the only reason he has not surrend-
cred to the officers at Las Cruces.
The above story is from Thos II.
Tucker, who is employed on Lees
ranch. AS it tells the story from one
point of view only, we give below a sy-
nopsis of the statement made at Alamo
gordo, to a Times reporter, by Sheriff
p F. Garrett: I'VE struck the trail
of Lee and Gililland at Cox's ranch
San Augustine) and followed it
to Lees well, arriving there about
two hours behind the two men. We
morning, and searched the house: we
found two other men inside, but
not the men we wanted. AS the
horses and saddles of Lee and Gililland
were on the premises, we thought the
men must be near, SO we began a
search. 1t was believed they were on
top of the house.
Garrett, Kearney and Espolin gotto
the roof of some low out buildings. near
the house On top Of which Lee and Gill
land were fortified, behind thick
adobe walls, with port holes for rifles.
kearney rose, called to Lee and Gill;
land to surrender, and about the same
time fired. Several shots were ex-
changed, all parties taking q part.
''During the fusilade Kearney receiy-
ed one wound in the shoulder and one
in the thigh. Espsliu had the skin on
his thigh burned. Llewellyn was be-
hind large water tank. Garrett re-
ce1ved slight wounds in the face from
spliDters and quick dodge saved
bullet passing through his head. Will
liams was behind large water tank:
three bullets pierced it and let out
water which almost drowned him.
After Kearney fell few more scat
tering shots were exchanged.
One of the men working at Lees
well asked for truce. This the sher-
ifs posse agreed to in order TO gain
possession of Kearney, who was lying
within range of Lee and Gilillaud's
fire: Lee, after conversing with Gill;
land. agreed that they might take
away Kearney. provided that the sher-
Ill 3 posse would withdraw from the
field and drop pursuit for time. This
was agreed to by Garrett solely for
the purpose of getting possession from
kearney, who was badly wounded and
exposed, stating that the pursuit would
h<af COL,