The San Francisco call., 1898-07-03

that 1t was Silva'S property.
 It was smooth sailing for the band for several years. Silva laughed and played the agreeable host at his sa- loon and gave money to the church and for the Orphans Home and poor old people about town. But almost every day he had reports from the members of his band, and once a week or fort night there was a secret meeting at night among the dark, heavy old adobe buildings in Las Vegas. Periodically there was a division of the proceeds from recent sales of cattle, mules and sheep from Silva's mountain ranch to the buyers for the Eastern stockyards. The ranchmen were continually com blaming of theftS of cattle and horses from their herds. The several Sheriffs and their deputies secured the coun- try over for the thieves, and the ranch men banded themselves together to protect their property. Still the thefts went on.
 In July 1891, over seventy cattle were reported stolen. and three small postoffices were robbed. There were mysterious disappearances, also, or miners and cowboys who carried money about their persons, and had no interested relatives in the Territory. For instance, Pedro Vejar was seen go- ing to Las Vegas one evening in May, 1890, after he had sold his wool for s2O0. He was never seen alive again. Then there was Antonio VasqueZ, who drew two months pay from the santa Fe Railroad Company one afternoon, and was seen last at Silva saloon few hours later, partially drunk. His cousin and sister searched diligently for him, but not a clew could ever be had to his fate. Ramon Oberro dis appeared in the winter of 1S9l-92 along with $500 from his sale of mules. The Indians were given good deal or credit for the crimes, but no evidence could ever be found against any Of them.
 The people were shocked when the news came in the summer of 1891 that the ranch home of George E. Payson lin San Barnalillo County, a young man just out from Cairo, H.. had been foa1nd broken into and the remains lay badly decomposed on the floor, where the young man had fallen in desper- ate encounter with unknown murderers The house had been robbed of the money Payson was believed to have had there. besides it's valuables. A hunch of cattle had been killed and skinned on the ranch. There was never even the faintest clew to the mur- derers and robbers, except that several skins bearing Payson's brand were found a year later after Silva had been killed. among several hundred skins secreted at the Silva ranch near San Pedro.
 "There Is no doubt that the earth under Silvas old saloon over there across the plaza holds number of bodies of men who have mysteriously disappeared from this locality" said a merchant at Las Vegas recently to the writer as he talked of the crimes that the arrested members of the Silva gang had confessed in court and the findings of the detectives. "But the men who disappeared were persons without friends and relatives here and no one wants to pull up the floor and dig. Be- sides, what good would 1t do now, any way? Seven people quite well known in San Miguel County dropped out of sight from 1888 to 1892. The Sheriffs of Santa Fe and San Miguel counties had a constant flow of reports of robberies of cattle and horses, and burglaries of ranch houses and isolated stores, and they and their deputies were ceaseless- ly vigilant There was not a clew to be had as to the offenders, search as hard