Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-04-25

town named after the pass-TlJeras
Two miles farther is the town OF st
Anthony. Upon either side OF tn,
principal pass are smaller passages &C
other settlements: 10 saw mills. and
To the FIRE wood districts OF the noun
tain.
To one unacqualnted With the road
these lesser roads are confusing. and
without information the taking OF one
vt these by-roads leads to greater con
fusion. often to complete loss and oft
en- TO destruction. The taking OF one
upon Information may shortly lead 10
death after a desperate life struggle
with your informant and his gang, as
40 the case of Col. Charles Potter on
october IA. 1880. Colonel Potter was
injected with the United States geo
logical survey and was in this section
thering 1ata NJ its mineral resources
tul publication in the forthcoming cen
sus report After remaining ten DAYS
in this vicinity and visiting, among
other properties the then booming
He'll canyon district, he left on Octo.
her ~ for Sante Re, through Tijeras,
expecting to visit the New Placers.
Golden and San Pedro. After leaving
San Antonio about noon OF October
u. Colonel Potter disappeared, and
notwthstand most dili0ent search
by United States and local officers
and a thousand dollars reward offered,
no .idings Of the missing man were
obtained untl nearly three months
later
on December 2s 1880. Judge Lynch
held court at Bernalillo. and that night
Sheriff Perfecto Armijo was advised
that two men were hanging to a tree
in that town. Reaching there ealy
the following morning the sheriff
found the bodies OF two men hanging
10y the same rope. one upon either end.
from the crotch Of n cottonwood tree
At the rear Of Schuster's store Now
that two bad men had been silenced
some OF the good men felt that their
tongues could be looseped ami II was
whispered that these bad men had
been members of the Marine Leiba
gang. which had been operating in Tt.
of them could have told Of the missing
American: that one of them had been
In possession OF very valuable gold
watch and chain. which he had at.
tempted tn sell in Bernalllo and
which he had sold in Albuquerque.
That Information was enough to start
a good officer; ii gave sufficient scent
10
an old trail, which lead to the solu.
ton NJ the Potter mystery; to the dis.
covery Of a horrible murder. and to
the tragic ending Of a desperate band,
who robbed for pastime and who as.
sassinated for booty, whether little or
great
At the iewelry store OF J. x. Bayse,
in old town, was found and Identified
the watch and chain OF Colonel Potter.
but the man who sold Il was beyond
giving information. So the matter
stood for several weeks.
Toward the end of January, 1881
Armijo learned that a Mexican had for
several days been living with the Is
leta Indians. and that he was riding a
fine states" made saddle From the
arrest OF this man. Escolasto Perea,
much information developed. and i'm
mesiately Perfecto and posse went to
Tijeras canyon and upon his return
had as prisoners Miguel Herrera and
California joe"
From confessions. the story Of the
murder was learned. On the morning
OF October IA. Colonel Potter, mounted
on his fine sorTel mare. and armed
with revolver, left Tijeras. guided
by Herrera. for Golden. Earlier in the
day he had received information as to
the route from Marine Leiba eel Capi. |
tan who offered him the service OF
guide Bl pre-concerted arrangement
meeting place in the heart OF the |
mountain had been selected, to which |
the guide was TO conduct his charge. |
Through San Antonio and about a mile |
beyond had the guide and the victim |
travelled when they turned into one OF l
those by.roads and thence TO the Chi /
NAL spring where. true to pre.arrange- !
ment. Leila. Perea and Faustino Gu.
tierrez appeared. and closing in from
all sides, surrounded Potter. Leiba, |
without word, warning or opportunity /
for defense. shot Potter who immedl |
ately pulled his gun and shot Leiba In .
the arm. Then followed general as
sault, four guns belching to a common
center, Potter and his horse that cen
ter. His horse was shot. but he was
hghting He killed Gutierrez horse. |
He fought as only a man will fight
with no cry for mercy. useless waste |
Of dying energy. with but six shots /
against their twenty-four he desperate. /
ly defended his few living moments |
Still astrlde his fallen and dying mare,
In the grasp Of the tremor OF death.
the death film obscuring his sight. I
with his body bullet riddled he fired /
his last four shots without effect.
"He never said a word" confessed I
each OF his assasslns. "He fight so
hard. he fight so brave that was sor-
ry." confessed one OF them.
To hide their crime they mutilated |
the body OF the horse, and attempted ,