The Leon reporter., 1900-08-16
VINCENTE SILVA


Indians had again revenged themselves
on the white man. Silva himself went
about declaring that he would be one
of committee to go and bring the In
dlans to justice. 1t transpired two
years ago, however, that the crime was
done by the Silva gang, and that Col.
Adams was murdered because he had
caught the bandit gang robbing his
range.
How many crimes may be attributed
to the gang will never be known. Silva
himself was killed three years ago, and
with him went the secrets of much of
the outlawry. From 1890 to 1895 the
seventeen bold, merciless outlaws held
the people of Northern New Mexico
and Southern Colorado in terror. No
one outside the gang itself had an idea
of the identity of the men who were
stealing and killing their cattle, rob-
bing their storehouses of wool, plum
dering stores and postoffices, and occa-
sionally assassinating man on a
ranch remote from any community.
Silva was middle aged man when he
organized his outlaw band. He was a
saloonkeeper in Las Vegas. He had
an intelligent face and agreeable man
ners. He once ran for sheriff, and had
large VOTE
The gang grew bold and reckless.
The secret of the frequent crimes came
suddenly at last. In 1895 Refugio Es-
quibel the wealthiest ranchman in San
Miguel county, found four of his best
horses missing. With his ranchmen
he went hunting over the mountains
for the animals. He found the ami
mails at Silva's lonely ranch. He noti-
fed the sheriff that at last there was
clue to the thieves that had so long
been robbing ranches. Patricio Macs
was at the corral, and fearful of lynch
ing he secretly offered to tell all about
the robbers. He was accordingly let
go for a week to get more accurate in
formation. A number of the gang
learned of Macs perfdy. Macs denied
and other members of the gang told
what they knew. Silva called for a
vote on the guilt or innocence of the
accused. Every one voted guilty"
Silva had prepared for the decision,
and he had rope and moose hidden
behind his saloon. Macs was bound
and dragged along the streets Of Las
Vegas at night to the bridge over Gal
limos creek and hanged. The coroner's
jury decided that he had been lynched
for an unknown crime Events moved
swiftly with the Silva gang after that.
Silva knew there were suspicious con-
cerning him in Las Vegas.
Suspecting that his wife and her
youthful brother. Gabriel Sandoval
were giving information to the sheriff,
Silva planned to kill them. Silva and
Guadalupe Caballero rode stealthily
into Las Vegas. Two policemen in
the town, Julien Trugelio and Jose
Chavez, who had been partly in the
leagne with the gang from the first,
were sought out. They agreed to go
with Silva and stand guard while
Silva and Caballero went inside to de-
liberately stab Mrs. Silva and her
brother to death. Jose Chavez was
sent ahead to spy out the situation and
came back and reported that Mrs. Sill
va had company.
The deed must be done that night,
so the murderous scheme was quickly
altered. Trugello was sent to tell
young Sandoval that he was wanted
by a sick friend. The young man re-
sponded to the call. Just as he was
passing along a narrow, dark street
Silva leaDed from a dark retreat and
stabbed him. The body was dumped
into a cesspool from which 1t was dug
out s.A months later.
After washing his hands at Police
man Chavez's house Silva hastened to
his wife. He protested his devotion
to her and told her how he had risked
his very life to come and see her
again. He coaxed her to leave with