Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-08-13

men were Mortified at the crime. 1t de-
vcloped two years ago, however, that the
murder was ono of the deeds of Silva's
gang, and that it was done because Colo
mel Adams had discovered who was rob
bling him ard his fellow shcep raisors and
was about to expose the robbers.
Silva, tho leader and organizer of that
gang, WAS the last nl;,n the people of Las
Vegas would have suspected of being tho
promoter of al the TSspinc and blocdshed-
ing in jkat region. Vicente Silva was
saloon koeFGr in Las Vegas. He was born
in san Darn1lillo county, y. NJ, in 1915,
was tall and we'll bsilt and had an inteIli
gent face anI =gFeeaii]c manners. He once
ran fer shcriE aud had a large vote He
was reared rciGhbor OF the Navajo In
dams, and as "a youth he saw repeated
wanton murders ard knew ell about rob
berries and rapinc. 1t is natural, then,
that he was an outlaw at 20. He went
with dozen other Mexicans to Wyoming
in 1877 and was a vaquero there for about
year.
One day he met the wife of u Mexican
railroad laborcr, ard together they started
on bronehos across the country for Colo
RADIO. The husband, Felipe ACuilar, came
homo the next day and started post haste
after the clippers. What took place was
never fully known. but Silva and his now
wife reached Las Vegas worn out and
ragged after weeks of horsebaci. travel,
and month later the news followed aftor
thcio that an American farmer i'll south
crn Wyoming, near Cheyenne, had found
the dccon,posed remains of II man who re-
semhled Felipe Aguilar beneath a straw
stack. The head was nearly cut of, and
there We're mortal cuts through tic chest
No ON ever doubted that Felipe had come
upon Silva ald the clipping wife, and that
the husband had EcC:i stabbed TO death
and his body concealed in the straw stack
The meeting place of the band was the
Silva saloon at night after the lights had
been put out and the business closed. No
band of Molly Maguircs were ever bound
by such secrecy and Oaths as were the men
who joined the silva gang Robbery of
cattle, horses and sheep from the nuIner
Gus lonely ranches in northern New Mex
leo, with al occasional! burglar II. u
murder il il became necessary IN the
course OF operations, Ts.a tie purpose OF
the band silva bought for "a ilcrc song
ranch 81 miles from Las Vegas. near san
Pedro, among TIE Ration mountains. as
the base of operations for his secret band
of robber5. 4 more isolated and tlninvit-
ing spot could hardly have been found in
all that region Scarcely dozen people
went that way in the course of a year. The
route there twisted among towering cliffs
and pinnaclcs of granitE. Patricio Macs
and Manual Malonado were appointed TO
look after tho ranch and to tell possible
inquirers that it was Silva's property
1t was smooth sailing for the band for
several years. Silva laughed and played
the agreeable host az his saloon and gave
money 10 the church and for the Orphans
home and poor old people about town.
But almost every day he had reports from
the members CT his band. and once q week /
or fortnight there was a secret meeting az
night among tho dark, heavy old adobe /
buildings in Las Vegas. Periodically there 4
was division Of the proceeds from recent
sales of cattle. mules and sheep from sill /
vas mouBtain ranch 70 the buyers for the ,
eastern stoekyardS- The ranehmen were .
continually complaining OF thefts of cattle
md horses from their herds The several ,
sherifTs and their deputies secured the /
country over for the thieves, and the 1
ranchmen bandel themselves together to
protect their properly. Still the thefts
went on
In July. 1881. over 20 cattle were re-
ported stolen. end three small pOstOfiices
were robbed There were mysterious dis
appearances, also. OF miners and cowboys
who carried money about their persons
and had no interested relatives in the ter
ritory. For instance, Pedro Nejar was
seen going 10 Las Vegas one evening in
May, 1890, after he had sold his wool fox
s2C0. lie Was never seen alive again
The gang g7tW boi1er and the secret Of
the frequent crimes came suddenly nj last
Refugio Esquibei, the wea!thiest ranch
man ~ san Miguel COUNT. found four OF
his best bred horses missing from the
range. H.ih bis ranchmen he went hunt