El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-03
STORY OF THE FOUNTAIN CASE
[Continud from 9Th page.]

the most prominent citizens of Dona
Ana county Immediately organized
and the search began. Tf ia searching
party arrived at the buggy on Feb. 4,
here the searching party divided, some
following the trail further on toward
the Jarilla Mts., and some returning
to the chalk hills where Col. Fountain
was first held up.
The party that returned to the
chalk bill camped here for several
days. While camped here they spent
most of their time riding around look
ing over the surrounding country to
see what might develop. One of the
trail of Fountains buggy, when about
600 yards south of the chalk hill and
on the old road about 30 feet from
where the old and new roads il ter
sect, found puddle of blood about IL
inches in diameter which had saturat-
ed the ground for about one and q
half or two inches in depth.
From where the blood spot was
found to where the trail was lost there
was no sign of Col. Fountains foot
prints. East of where the buggy was
found the three men had dismounted
from their horses and walked for some
distance. Accompanying the buggy
were three other horse tracks
beside those belonging to
Col. Fountain. The three
horse tracks led east, somewhat
in the direction of Lees
tank, when somewhere near the road
leading from Lees well to Dog Canyon
the trail was lost and the searching
party returned home.
SHERIFF GARRETT
But little evidence had been collect |
ed in the case, when about ten days !.
later. sP F Garrett and Chas. Perry |
sheriff OF Chaves county, 0began their |
investigation. Owing TO the seeming
insctivity of thel then acting sheriff |
was .then living at Uvalde, Texts, Was
sent for to Investigate the Fountain
case. Garrett had previously been
sheriff of Lincoln county, and rs such, /
had gained an enviable reputation as
one of the best officer to be found any |
where and WAS a terror to evil doors. !
He had rid Lincoln county of one of
and assassins that had ever cursed any
section in the west, they being led by
the notorious "Billy the Kid" whom
Garrett killed and who st the time
of his death boosted that he
was twenty-five years old and had
BILLY the Kid" had great many fol-
lowers In Lincoln county, and Garrett
had hard task, but he did his work
completely and broke up what was
called the Lincoln county war. When
Garrett came to New Mexico to take
charge of the Fountain case he was
acting under the directions OF Cover
nor Thornton. Col. Fountain was the
principal attorney of the big cattle as
ISOLATION and very prominent Mason.
Rewards aggregating several thousand
dollars were offered for the apprehen- |
sion of his assassins, and Gov. Thorn
ton in the name of the territory also
offered $500 reward.
EVIDENCE AGAINST THREE PERSONS
It is singular fact, so say all of the
officers who have Investigated this case, |
that every clue and every particle of |
evidence that they have obtained re-
garding the murder of Col. Fountain !
and little boy all points in one direc- |
ton and directly towards three persons /
as the gui ty parties or principals in |
the crime, and those three persons are |
Oliver M. Lee, VIM. H, McNew and
ames B. Gililland, with probably two
or three who are accessories or persons
who were aware that the crime was to
be committed but not actual partici-
pants.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
There are few men whose lives can
show the record of public honor and
service that has been the history of A.
J. Fountain. for many years a resident
of Las Cruces, man whose patriotism
and loyalty, zeal and energy in every
good cause has made him famous both
at home and abroad.
Col Fountain was born in New York