Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-10-27
MAGDALEkA KILLINGS.
The True Facts About the killing Of
Robert Mcmahon.
OTHER MURDERS.
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence. ea
Socorro, N. NJ, Oct 26.-Doubtless
readers of The Citizen would like to
learn the true circumstances under
which Robert Mcmahon was shot and
killed at Magdalena week ago last
Sunday morning by Bud English. The
press of the territory has made more
or less comment on the killing. but In
no instance have the facts been stated
fully and clearly. ~
Both men were employed by the v.
X. T. Cattle company. and arrived in
Magdalena Saturday morning. the day
before the tragedy occurred, with a
bunch of cattle which were to be ship.
ped to market. Cole Railston, man
ager OF the V. X. t. company. was in
charge of the outfit, and was the only
absolute eye witness to the shooting.
The men were gambling and drink,
ing at the different resorts of the little
city Saturday afternoon and the great
er part Of the following night. 1t is
said that bad blood had existed be-
tween them ever since English's con-
nection with the outfit. In the nights S
gambling and carousing they had sew
eral trivial disputes. About o'clock
the men went to the outfits camp wa
gon. where serious trouble began. Nc
Mahon took his six shooter from the
wagon and loaded 1t. English stood
by and watched him. and not until
English had snapped his gun at him
did he pull his. The distance was about
twenty feet. The gun was of bull dog
make and Of small caliber. and consid-
cred a poor gnn for good shooting. but
proved most deadly in this instance.
The ball entered the left side pierre
ing the stomach and tearing the intes-
tines. MaMahon fell to the ground
suffering agony. Railston, who was
standing a few feet away, gave the
alarm and summoned assistance. The
injured man was carried to a near by
house where physicians dressed the
wound. The wound was at once pro-
nounced fatal. Mcmahon lived until
late the following night and then died.
After the shooting English got on a
horse and has not been heard of since.
He had not been working for the V. X.
T. people but a short time and it is not
known where he came from. Bud
English is supposed TO be an assumed
name. He worked with the V. X. T.
outfit as camp cook.
Robert Mcmahon, or Bob as he
was known by the boys, has been as.
sociated with his late employers some
time and although a little hot headed
was generally well liked.
The body was taken by friends to
the deceased's old home in White
Oaks, where it was buried.
Old settlers of the territory will re-
member by looking back over the trag
ic history of New Mexico that Magda-
lena has had periodically every four
years for the last sixteen years muir
der OF some dreadful character.
In 1898 after a night of drunkenness
w. II. Sanders shot and killed a man
by the name of Baker.
Four years before, two cowboys
named Horn and Reed, while engaged
in a game of poker quarreled over a
trivial sum like 70 cents of 81. In the
dispute that followed each man rose
from his seat at the table and opened
fire with six shooters at each other at
only a few feet distance. When the
smoke cleared away both men were
dead.
In each of these cases the particl-
pants were under the influence Of H.
quor. IN isfs.