Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1899-01-18
THE FOUNTAIN DISAPPEARANCE.
An Interview with n. W. Loomls, who
Was on the Case.
AN IMPOSSIBLE STORY.

Meeting this morning II. W Loomi.
who chancei 10 be In the city on his va.
to northern chihuahua on mining bust
ness, a reporter Of this paper. knovilj
he had been In service a. an officer II
New Mexico for the past few years, ~
was last fall engaged on the famous Col
Fountain murder case, took occasion {,
interview him in regard to the fecen.
article which appeared in the Heral,
and has been going the rounds Of eastern
papers concerning the rumor OF Colone
Fountains being alive and In the vitln.
ity OF Casas Grandes,
la response to the question. what Il
your opinion In regard TO the truth Of
The recent rum0rs in regard TO Colonel
Fountain" he replied as follows:
"COl. A. j. Fountain was one OF the
best known men In the southwest. Law.
yers, ranchers. merchants. prospectors.
cowboys, sheep herders-sll knew him.
"He has figured in mines. Ia stock deals,
In newspaper work, In the most promi.
nent criminal eases In thu courts, In In
dian troubles. In everything In fact that
would seem TO be calculated to make
everybody know him in New Mexico, in
western Texas, in Arizona and In north
ern chihuahua and Sonora. Every one, too
has heard Of his murder and Of the sensa-
tiOnal events which have since arisen
therefrom. To suppose he gets mail In
his " name, In an Oflics where all the
American letters are handled over by all
the Americans calling for mail. and 10
suppose that he has hidden himself and
the little boy for m)re than two years by
putting the magnificent distance OF two
hundred miles between him and his old
home, Is such utter nonsense az TO be
hardly worth Consideration.
Were Mckinley DESTROYS Of forever
hiding himself and should cross over the
Potomac TO Georgetown and should con.
tlnue TO receive mail forwarded there In
his own name. his utter dark. mysterious
and unfathomsble disappearance would
AFFORD quite q parallel case to this.
Colonel Fountain was murdered; HIS
little boy with him was murdered, aud
the case presents features which are
unusually aggravated because he was
sssassinated, not merely FROM personal
grudge, but because a. "a prosecuting
officer he had dared TO DO his duty and
face a hard combination OF men. some OF
whom were OF no little prom nence-be
u furthermore the innocent l.ttle
boy was not spared, and because the
murder meant not only the crime which
1t bore upon its face. bnt meant an open
and declared defiance OF law Of tho @
upon whom WI must depend TO execute
orders Of u courts and to provide and
maintain the safeguards 30 necessary for
our enjoyment of lie and property in
the southwest.
IL suppose you do not care TO have me
rehearse the circumstances OF the muir
der. You remember the motive, the fol-
lowing by armed men who had previously
made threats, the finding OF "a spot which
showed blood. cartridge shells, evidences
OF a struggle, his total disappearance, the
rejoicing OF the accused element, the
trails away from the scene OF the conflict,
the guilty conduct Of the accused parties
and the subsequent killing OF an officer,
.endeayoring TO make an arrest.
''Taese and other things not made
public as yet point most clearly to the
fact OF murder, and the idea that Colonel
Fountain Is still alive and getting his
mail at Casas Grandes Is most unreason-
able"
"Are you still connected with the
caseY"
mo, sir. Have not been In the employ
OF Sheriff Pat Garrett since the Let Of
December, and an now making a trip
into Old Mexico On purely private bust
ness la regard to mining matters.
when In Casas Grandes and vicinity
last week met perhaps fifteen people
Mexicans and Americans who knew me
and do not pretend TO have the ac-
~quaintance in this section which was
enjoyed by Colonel Fountain. He GER
tainly could not live there la hiding
long."-El Paso Graphic.