Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-06-02
The Last Of Tod Cayer, The
Noted Bandit, Who Run to
Earth, Blows Out His
Brains
ACCIDENT
PREVENTS CRIME
Exciting Pursuit Of Despcrados
Over The Mountains and
Through The Forests

the following graphic account Of the
attempted hold mp OF n Rock Island
passenger train last week.
Last Sunday night Tod Carver, an
Arizona bandit, Casper Lopez. and a
third party whose name Is not known,
attempted d hold up Of No. / north.
bound passenger and the execution d
the robbery was only prevented by &c.
cident.
No. AS scheduled out Of Alamogorao
Ut about 10 o'clock. Sunday night the
engine failed here and q freight waa
sent out In the meantime, and beyond
Tularosa about nine miles the EN-
gineer noticed 4 Are ahead Of him In
the middle Of the track. Slowing
down. he observed rocks piled over
the track. Anticipating the purpose
Or ihe signal and obstruction be back
I'd his train into the nearest telegraph
station and wired the circumstances
10 Alamogordo. Several United a. ates
deputy marshals were taken aboard
here and The passenger pulled out pre-
pared for emergencies. When near
the point sof the reported obstruction
the fire hove In sight and the rocks
piled on The track were plainly visi.
bic. The passenger slowed down and
the officers with a number Of pas.
sengers jumped or Al quickly as pos
siblc. A couple OF men were seen %
jump from the blind baggage and
make on into The bushes4 They we're
pursued and captured. brought back
here and locked up.
Nobody showed up aud "a r0bbery
being attempted the rocks were re-
moved ana the train pulled ahead
with little hpss Of dine.
The two men arrested gave their
names as Harry porter1eld and Mar
shall Beck. and were released Mon
day morning, considered guilty OF
nothing further than stealing d ride
on the blind baggage.
Monday morning sheriff Hunter
and j ". Latham put their horses on
a spechi and went 20 The scene OF
the supposed attempted hold up. on
examination they discovered tbe
tracks OF nisn on either side Of The
track. Following them d short ais
lance into The bushes they found
where a Morse had been hitched and
which had evidently been ridden
away hnrricdiy. as the rope had been
cut, leaving 4 portion Of Il tied 70 the
tree. This occurred, Mr.. Hunter.
thinks. when Tho officers aliehtcd
from the PASSENGER and ne robbers
saw their plans had been frustrated
ss later Il VA discovered that the.
horse had been hitehcd ON the other
side Of The track. the supposition be
ing that he had been moved across 70.
where The ropa was cut and left tied
10 the tree after the freight had back
cd out Of danger into the station. The
horse was tracked some distance east
and found tied iii d thicket. The rider
was trailed on nea Tulorosn, where
his tracks were lost The officers
then returned with the horse, and
leaving him at the section house took
the trail " a footman leading toward
ihe mountains. hut soon turning In
the direction 81 Three Rivers. After
following Il FOR about seven miles
thcy came upon d Mexican asleep In n
thicket. He gave bis name AS Gas
per Lopez, and said that he had stay
Cd all night at the section house and
had taken his breakfast there lie
said that he WAS going 20 Three
Rivers . had only passed The Are
from which he was tracked en routc,
He was taken TO the section house ana
when asked TO point out the man
witb whom be slep, pointed 10 one
of the section men, 4 Mexican. and
ssid thai n the man But tho man
denied 4 and said the prisoner did
moi eat there and had no slept there.
neither had he been i 1 about thc
section. The prisoner and the horse
we're brought back TO Alamogordo
The prisoner wal landed IN jail and
the horse was found 70 belong 10 A. j.
Buck, who had hired him sunday
morning 90 . cowboy. giving his
name NJ John Franklin, and Who said
be wanted 70 go 70 Lees ranch in Dog
casyoa. Instead of soins 10 Lees
sunch, However. as developments