The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-30
SILVA'S GANG ALL DEAD.
THE WORST ORGANIZED BANDITS
NEW MEXICO EYER KNEW

Its Leader Was n Popular and Respected
Citizen of Las VeRRs-For Four Years Ii
Operated Successfully In Secret and Prose
pered on Cattle stealing and Murder.
ALBUQUERQUE. n. NJ, July 22.-Gov otero OF
the Territory of New Mexico has been informed
by the Governor of the State Of Chihuahua,
NJ exico. that Ignacio Sepulvlda died recently
in the outskirts Of the city Of Chihuahua. Tho
information settles the question OF the fate OF
the last unpublished member OF the silva gang,
the bodcst, best organized and most remarka-
BILE organization of outlaws ever known in New
Mexico. If not in the Southwest
" There never was a body Of mon in the West
like the silva gang" said ex-Unted States
Marshal Stebbins. THE Silva gang murdered
about twenty-five people 1t murdered. plum
dered and burned for four years before the
public had any idea who the criminals were.
| and during all that Vicente Silva and the Lead
ers with him were among the most popular
and respected men in Las Vegas. In some res
spects silva was wonderful leader. Had he
lived sixty years earlier in the West. before
, the telegraph. railroads and law and order
came to make life more prosaic and less pic
turesIue, he would have made a national repu-
tation. After he was killed it was strange to
observe how the years of dread Of the leader
kept many OF the arrested members OF the
gang from unsealing their lips, even though
they knew their leader was gone and that con-
fession might save them from long imprison.
ment and possibly from hanging"
Nearly all the members OF the Silva gang
were men of families and passed for persons Of
repute. A few even Joined the citizens asso-
Citations formed to pursue the bandits. The
gang had its regular meeting nights in q win
dowless apartment over Silva's saloon. They
had constitution which prescribed an order
OF business for the regular meetings. There
was long code OF signals. At the trial OF
Chavez for murder one of the gang astonshed
the court and jury by showing the amount OF
information one member was able TO give an
other without arous ing suspicion among the
bystanders. There was Il general manager
and Treasurer OF the gang.
snG e er M the aeGepSSa
or SS a the Kan Of ne
weighed over lio pounds. Honest men, who
Las Vegas. Refused to believe. when the gangs
| crimes were, revealed in court. that the loana-
bar could have been the leader of a bandit
gang. Jos6 Aguerre. whose confession at the
All Ne ,ST MeHae told abo Yef hs
rSmarkanle authority Silva exercised ri over his
meeting, of the whole gang was held once
to consider important business, Three spies.
eroy in Wien s' operoe for biz runaeT
| were present to report They had been over
Of ONE IF e bs osSs% fsF s
80 f foo@s %"f os S @SS OF
much gold could be had there, and suggested
| another and bigger highway robbery near San
| lorty, was in favor of the proposition to rob the
| Creede camp stage. Silva was in favor OF the
that his plan Rns he drew ne pistol
with each hand and. in dramatic whisper. de-
manded that another vote be taken. The sec
Onu NOto was unanimous In favor OF SilVaH
idea.
| When Col. W, A. Adams. a cousin Of the late
| George NJ. Pullman. and his two sons were
found murdered in their cabin or, their sheep
twas was seneraiiy believed I the Pueblo Indians Indian:
had reyenged themselves upon the white set:
Lag vs s1 sva sE gess
| later it came out at one OF the dozens Of trials
OF the S n gang that the murders had been
that psnclled plans had been made by Silva
lHtS He all about the ogaMs q the
eS Ssf &c mss Il mi xH Ts and
Vas WAS a. vIIuer9b there ere for ab9Ht year One
laborer, and together they started on broncos
across the country for,Colorado. The hus band,
was never fully known, but :, Silva and
Ts ssT es vegas 81 h Gstn
back travel. and month later the news fol-
| IoNtu HlttT IIlpln tnu' an american farmer IN
southern Wyoming. near Cheyenne. had found
ths hIody OF man who resem 95 Feline
near cut of Silva and his new " vile 1ift'I were ere
not bothered with disngreeaLIe inquiries by
n1IiGe "cGrs BY the sale Of small silver
opened saloon on the I'D plaza in Las Vegas
eRd ga S TEgn h tmss and
fer outlaWry. So he became the head of band
There is no doubt that the earth under
| Silva's old saloon oyer there across the plaza
| holds a number of bodies Of men who mys:
| merchant at Las Vegas recently to the writer.
But the, men who disappeared were all per-
no. one wants to pull up the floor and dig. Be-
sides. what good would it do. anyway? Seven
dropped out OF G seh here II from @ to a
| The ,Sheriffs of Santa F6 and San Miguel coun-
Of cattle and horses and burgaries Of ranch
| houses and isolated stores. and they and their
not clue to be had to the d"nders search
hard as they could. silva himself joined an
99rganiIzatiGn and contributed money toward
The successes Of the, gang turned Siva's
head. The, loader and his followers became
Refugio Eslubc. the wenlthest. rnnchman in
San Miguel county. found four Of his best bred
ranchmen he went hunting over the mountains
orthe apima!s. II" cam% upon them in ih9
forthwith he went and notified the sheriff that
at last q clue had been discovered to tho
tIleNeS lnul nuu SO IOnp D'eH TollDlnR tn3
ranches. Patriotic Macs. who was at the corral.
was arrested, aud fearful OF lynching he ee-
| cretly offered to tell all about the robbers He
was let go for n week. in which time he WINS to
get more accurate information ior the police
| A report was made to Silva at his saloon that
| Macs was about to tell all An order went forth
| for business meeting at midnight at the sa-
loon Silva presided Macs sat there ignorant
| OF the purpose o. the meeting, A member rose
| and charged Macs with Jertdy TO the gang.
Silva called for vote Oh the guilt or innocence
| OF the accused. Every on" voted guilty"
| Death had been agreed upon the punish-
| ment for pertidv when the gang was organized.
Silva hal prepared for the verdict of guilty.
and mad rope hidden behind his saloon In
the darkness Macs was bound aud gagged by
his companions. Half dead with fear the
wretch was quietly dragged along the narrow
streets Of Las Vegas an hour before dawn to
the bridge ov"r hallinos Greek, There amid
| binding snnwsturm he was hanged from Q
strnger TIL" Coroncr's jury decided that hs
had been lynchcd tor an unknown crime
Silva knew. nevertheless, that there were
suSucions concerning his guilt lie fed on
Oct ~ To a hiding place in the mount aims near