Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-04-18
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Twelve miles east or lbuquerqu is
the Watermelon mountain, the prin-
cipal road through which Is the Scis-
sors pass. Six miles up the pass is a
town named after the pass-Tijeras.
Two miles farther is the town of st.
Anthony. Upon either side of the
principal pass are smaller passages to
other settlements: to saw mills, and
to the fire wood districts of the noun
tain.
To one u~nacquainted with the road
these lesser roads are confusing, and
without information the taking of one
of 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 to
death after a desperate life struggle
with your informant and his gang, as
in the case of Col. Charles Potter, on
October IA, 1880. Colonel Potter was
connected with the United States geo.
logical survey and was in this section
gathering data of it's mineral resources
for publication in the forthcoming CEN
sus report. After remaining ten days
in this vicinity and visiting, among
other properties the then booming
He'll n Y district, he left on Octo-
Der 12 for Santa Fe, through Tijeras,
expecting to visit the New Placers,
Golden and San Pedro. After leaving
San Antonio, about noon Of October
Il, Colonel Potter disappeared, and
Notwithstanding most diligent search
by United States and local officers,
and a thousand dollars reward offered,
no tidings of the missing man were
obtained until nearly three months
later.
held court at Bernalillo, and hat night
Sheriff Perfecto Armijo was advised
that two men were hanging to a tree
in that town. Reaching there early
the following morning the sheriff
found the bodies of two men hanging
by the same rope, one upon either end,
from the crotch of a 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 loosened. and it was
whispered that these bad men had
been members of the Marine Leiba
gang, which had been operating in Ii
jeras canyon. and it was thought one
of them could have told of the missing
American: that one of them had been
in possession of a very valuable gold
watch and chain. which he had at
tempted to sell in Bernalillo. and
which he had sold in Albuquerque.
That Information was enough to start
a good officer; it gave sufficient scent
for Sheriff Armijo to take and follow
an old trail. which lead to the solu-
ton of the Potter mystery: to the dis
covery of a horrible murder, and to
the tragic ending of a desperate band,
who robbed for a pastime and who as
sassinated for booty, whether little or
great.
At the jewelry store of j. X. Bayse,
in old town. was found and identified
the watch and chain of Colonel Potter,
but the man who sold it 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
mediately 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 sorrel mare, and armed
with a revolver left Tijeras, guided
by Herrera. for Golden. Earlier in the
day he had received information as to
the route from Marine Leila, "El Capt.
tan" who offered him the service of a
guide. BY pre-concerted arrangement
a 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
those by-roads and thence to the Chi
VERY ANNOYING.