Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-12-15
THE TAOS RIOTS.
Additional Details of the Excit-
Inc Times Now in Progress
at that County Seat.

Respecting the trouble in Taos, quite
fully reported in THE Optic of last
eganing, the appended additional in
formation is taken from the Santa Fe
New Mexican of yesterday:
This morning Charles A. Scheurich
received the following telegram:
EMBUDo, Dec. 14.-Taos all under
arms. Sheriff killed. Send marshal to-
day. Every American is in danger.
ALBERT GUsDoRF.
The matter was at once called to the
attention cf Judge McFie, who sent
Deputy United States Marshal sheridan
to the scene Of trouble on the morning
Denver u Rio Grande train.
The trouble grows cut OF the killing
of Sheriff Luciano rrujillo in Taos yes
terday by Albert Clifford, and since none
of the particulars of the affair had been
received, all kinds of rnmors are afoat.
The prevailing opinion here is that Gift
ford has been hidden by his friends
somewhere III the vicinity of Taos, and
that his action has angered the friends
of the dead sheriff, who are determined
to secure possession Of the young man
who killed him.
Later in The morning another mes
sage from Embudo was received, stat
ing that the messenger who went to
Embudo to telegraph for help, was COM
pelled to sneak out of town, as the
friends of the sheriff had the place
guarded, and that about ten or fifteen
of those who do not want violence to
rule are standing off the rest of the
town Trujlllo's friends want to lynch
Clifford, but this will not be permitted
CAUSE OF THE SHOOTING.
At l o'clock this afternoon the fol-
lowing telegram was received from
Embudo, giving the particulars Of the
trouble:
EMBUDo, Dec. 14-On Monday even
ing, December IL, at Gas o'clock, Sheriff
Trujillo, of Taos county, was shot and
dangerously wounded in a saloon in
Taos, and is not expected to live at this
time. The whole population of Taos. is
in an uproar, the Mexican people threat
ening the lives of all American resi-
dents, claiming that the sheriff was
killed by an American.
Previous to the shooting the sheriff
arrested to Americans, Phillips and
Meyers, for no other reason than that
they did not remove their hats while
the prt cession of the church, celebrat-
ing the day of San Guadalupe was pas
sing, The two Americans are recent
arrivals from the east, and did not un-
derstand the customs nor the language
of the native people. They were thrown
into Jail under the protests of their
friends, and bond was raised among
the leading citizens. The protest was
met with threats from the sheriff, who
was badly intoxicated, and who assert
ed that he would arrest Americans at
his pleasure.
Entering the saloon where he was
employed, Clifford protested IN a friend
ly way against the arrests The sheriff
at once fired several shots in the crowd
ed room at Clifford without effect, and
the shots we're returned by parties un-
known TO your correspondent. The
Mexicans claim that Clifford did the
shooting. Perhaps there are a dozen
witnesses to the shooting. Clifford,
who is a soDer and respected young
man of Taos, has escaped aud bis
whereabouts are unknown.
Immediately after the shooting al
places OF business were closed but the
saloon where the shooting occurred was
afterwards entered by crowd of Mexi.
cans and all the furniture and fittings
destroyed The Americans are under
arms to defend their property, and
while no lives are in danger. the pres
ence of United States marshal is nee
esSary to restore order.