The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-09-24

! assume the dignity cnclrcInA the Guy
judiciary. Jimmy was doomed 10 pass the
night the guest OF the municipality. lie
ruled otherwise. and after nlghtfal pro
| ceeaed 20 dig his way out. hunt up DIS
pony and ride out 10 camp.
DIDN'T MEAN TO.
That ne did not intend 20 beat the city
out OF a fee for his amusement was evil
douced by the fact that he rode into
town the next morning. entered q plea
of guilty to the charge OF "dischafglns
! FIRE r within the city limits, ana
paid a fine OF SO.
There was up 70 the time Of the advent
Of Jimmy Catron. nothing very rapid
about Old Conejos. but after he dropped
into It's life. which was a short time
after the Incidents recorded above, life
there. at times, assumed a dark merlno
lint.
II was his misfortune one night in a
dance hall. 20 Kill a Mexican who made q
thrust at him with a big knife and Kept
coming. TIE sheriff of the county was
! present. and a witness to the killing. lie
| saw tnat Catr0u was so clearly in the
right that De refused 10 take him into
| custody. About 3 o'clock in TIE morning,
as Jimmy was leaving the dance hall Dy
q darksned side door 10 avoid a possible
adjustment. a pistol flashed at his side.
a bail passed before HIS face and his
right cheek was blown fun of powder
grains. He had n revolver IN each HAND
and his arms crossed. AS the pistol -
his right flashed he fired with his left
| hand. and i'm answer To- a fash in front
Of him,as he fired with his left. he an
swcrcd with his right. Whether it was
chance or skill 10 matters not. but when
| lights were brought they disclosed TWO
dead MeXicans.
Two weeks after this Catron rode into
the town % make some purchases. As
he was riding ont, reading a paper and
with his p0uy's bride rens thrown over
his saddle horn. he heard q shot be-
mind him and q bullet whistled past
his head. lie put his spurs into his mount
and made for a wall in front OF a Catho-
De Church which commanded the street.
FROM behind this he answered the shots
from down the street.
PURSUED by THE GREAsERs.
The Mexicans were after him for The
triple killing of the dance hall fight.
Secure behind the wall DE held his fire
until his assailants grew careless, and he
succeeded I'm dropping one as he thought
lessly exposed himself. At about this
time bullets began TO glance from the
wall. coming from above. and he made
the discovery hat he was being fired
upon from the roofs Of the houses. This
occasioned a retreat 10 the church it,
self. which he held until rescued by men
from his camp.
After this he went TO southern New
Mexico. remaining until 1888. That year
he came to n place fifteen miles below Old
Fort Garland and took charge of a large
herd OF sheep and Mexican herders. for
his brOther-n-law resided I'm AlamOsa
One day be and the foreman. am Ameri-
can. rode 90 the pOst-Onice and got their
mail. As they entered they noticed that
o. soldier. wearing the chevrons OF "a SER
geant-major OF cavalry, passed out. Civ
ing Catron a hurried but critical glance.
While resting i'm the Office Catron's com
pauion called attention 10 a plaCard offer
ing $4,000 reward for the arrest OF a stage
robber. The description almost exactly
fitted Catron. His companion remarked
this and both la"ushiugly commented upon
Having rested their ponies. they mount
ed and started Tor their camp. Just here |
followed something strange. resulting 90
seven dead soldiers; one dead and one
wounded civilian. an AFTER inquiry by the
War Department. and several transfers /
Of officers from Fort Garland. Although
only sixteen years have passed. 10 g. al
most among the traditions. bat the inyes-
tiFation OF records will exhume the story. |
Catron says they were riding along
talking. mainly OF the description of the
stage r0bber. when they heard the com.
mand Haiti and simultaneously with il
came what almost amounted 20 q volley
from The carbincs OF a troop OF soldiers
drawn mp across the road. Catron's /
partner fell over the pommel of his sad
die. bur not before ne had drawn his six
shooter. Catron out with both Of his,
and together they charged the soldiers.
Catron's partner fell from his saddle be.
fore they got half way through. CatrOn
succeeded ia making his way clear, get
ting 1--WE. while his partner got tive.
KEPT on RUNNING.
Not knowing what 20 make OF 10 Catron
continued on the run, the soldiers firing
az long range, WOunding him in the right
thigh. That night he teiegraphed his bro
ther-ln-law. who came "a him with a
surgeon, looked after the body OF the
dead man and set on foot an inquiry as
o. the cause Of the attack. The result Of
Tie inquiry disclosed the fact that the
soggtaut-maiOr. who saw the two men
in inc D0st-Oflce. returned 20 the fort re-
porting hat the stage rohbcr. Tor whom
the $1,000 reward was offered, was there.
The officer m ordered a neI-
tenant TO make the capture, with The
result as here recorded.
In 1886, during the railway strikes, when
Dat AleNNNl5Nn NNh lhh4lk out NlaAlia
from Pueblo for the Santa Fe, the Denver
& Rio Grande officials sent for Jimmy
Catron. His reputation was known, and
whenever the strikers saw an engine com
ing through thc yarcs with q little man
wearing a brown oYercoat. and seated
upon the pilot with a rifle resting across
his knees, they made no attempt 10 'kil"
engine. although 10 was nothing un-
usual for them 90 chase a guard Of half a
dozen special policemen.
Dodge City. Kansas. next knew him
There he pre-emptsd eighty acres near
the city. He soon found that a cattle syn
dicate wanted 10, and that he had q
'%nelghbor" IN the person OF one OF their
men. lie proceeded TO hic a contest, and
IN the meantime the cattle people tried
TO chase him OF. lie refused 20 be cbas-
ed, but built him a sod house com.
manding O view OF the whole tract and IN
the language OF a citizen OF Dodge City,
20 stand on Mysterious Dave
and every outfit they sent after him"
He fought II out in the Land ONCE, as
all AnA .t,rA "a IArtotAa INha, a..