The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-06-11


counted for In 1866 a relentless
political quarrel ragged In Dona Ana
county. where a political fight means
personal hostility Of the most rancor-
Gus sort. and the factions were on the
verge Of armed conflict for many
months The little town OF Las Cru
ces was on a war footing most OF the
time. Shotguns and rifles were kept
handy In Offices and stores and every
bodys waistband bulgea with six
shooters. and some Of the leaders be-
lleyed that their opponents we're try
Ing 20 hire men 20 assaAsinate them.
I, was while Affairs were In this con-
ditlon tina, Colonel Fountain disap-
peared. lie had been 20 Lincoln 20
prosecute number Of cattle thieves
and had written 10 his wife that he
would reach home for dinner on the FOL.
lowing Sunday With his little boy he
commenced the journey homeward.
Near white Sands be- met the stage
driver. They stopped and held a few
moments conversatiOn. The colonel
complained that he did not like the APP
pearance Of three mounted and armed
men who had been following the trail
for several hours The stage driver In
sisted on Fountain turning back 10
white Sands and making the trip home
by stage the next day. To this the
colonel replied that he had promised
his wife 10 reach home Sunday. and he
did not like 20 disappoint her. They
then parted and went Ia opposite dlrec-
tons Several miles back the stage
driver passed Eve mounted and armed
men. al going toward Las Cruces. IN
the direction Fountain was travelling
Sunday morning the stage driver start
ed on his return trip 10 Las Cruces. and
some distance beyond the spot where.
on the previous day he had met the
vehicle driven by Colonel Fountain he
noticed that tho tracks lei, by the
wheels ~ the blackboard IN the sand
turned on from the main road In the
direction Of the Jarilla mountains This
struck the driver as being very odd a.
the direction In which the vehicle
tracks led was entirely opposite from
Las Cruces The driver, upon a close
scrutiny Of the trail. discovered the
tracks OF Ave horses following the
blackboard. Upon reaching Las Cru.
ces he reported these facts TO citizens.
and the news created the most intense
excitement, for Colonel Fountain had
not returned home Posses were inn
mediately organized and the country
was secured In all directions.
posse returned the following even
Ing and reported having found the
/ blackboard some ten miles from the
main road on the San Augustine plain
/ but the colonel and his little son had
/ disappeared completely. Tho horses
were found several days later stripped
Of harness and roaming on the plain
Only one arrest was made no that
time Herrera. q Mexican horse thief
was Jailed and kept O prisoner for som,
time on suspicion. and although eyi
dcncc was strong that the horse THE
WIS lNlAFN VIZ lN W NhAfNfl NfiNINfA GU
the san Augustine plain IL was lmpos
slhlc 90 make ease against him W
r. Thornton then governor OF New
Mexico seeing that IL would be i'm
possible TO solve the mystery while
leader ~ one NJ the political factioni
was In the sherfis ONCE. sent 10 Texai
for Captain Pat Garrett celebrated ~
the slayer Of Billy the Kid" and ap
pointed him sheriff Garrett immedi
ately began to investigate the crime
He went about this work quietly ant
20 leisurely that citizens Of that 10
callty had begun to believe that IN,
mystery would never be unraveled an,
the murderers arrested More thar
two years have elapsed since the Foun
tains disappeared and since Pat Gar
rett took hold ~ the case A few day
ago the community Of Las Cruces wa
electrified and greatly wrought up owe
the arrest Of w. NJ. McNew and WI
pam Carr two prominent cattlomen
Both were arrested on bennh warrant