Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-08-29
EXCITEMENT
AT LINCOLN
That County the Scene of Two
Shooting ARRAYS Last
Week
ONE MAN WAS KILLED
And Two Others Are in JaiI.--Ranper
Lafayette Avent Does Good Work
Against Criminals.
Special Correspondence New Mexican


Special Correspondence New Mexican
Captain, N. NJ, Aug. 25.-The crimi
nal population of this Lincoln) Coun
ty received shock this week from
which they will not soon recover. One
man dead, two in Jail and two miss.
ing is the record of the week as a
result of the efforts of one man, Terri
torial Ranger Lafayette Avent.
Last Tuesday evening Ranger Avent
discovered four men in the act of kill
Ii 'ow belonging to the Angus w
.sfc. He had previously found the
COW tied down in patch of weeds and
had stationed himself in a position
to keep the animal in sight and await
developments. About sundown four
men with a wagon drove up to point
near where the cow was tied and leav-
ing their team they approached the
COW on foot. Avent in the meantime
had dropped into gully and under its
cover approached to within a few
yards of where the party was now
engaged in skinning the cow BY this
time it was growing dark and the
ranger at once leaped out of the gully
and commanded the astonished beef
eaters to surrender. Only one of them
was inclined to do this, however and
the others, or rather two of them,
opened fire on the officer, who re-
turned it with interest; owing to the
darkness, and the fact that the high
weeds hid the parties from view, none
of the shots took effect About thirty
shots were exchanged, and in the me-
lee, seeing that the ranger was alone,
the whole party escaped.
Two of the party were arrested the
following morning and taken before
Justice Haley at Captain, where they
waived examination and were bound |
over to the grand jury in the sum of |
$500 each, Two others of the party |
have not yet been caught, but as they |
are known to the officers it is quite |
certain that they soon will be.
Following close upon this encounter |
came the killing of Bob Rushing, an
extremely dangerous criminal who had |
two days before broke Jail at Lincoln, |
while in the act of burglarizing the |
store of Welch e Ellsworth, at Capt. |
tan.
1t appears that Rushing had made |
the threat that he would rob this store
and kill at least two men at Captain
if he succeeded in getting out of Jail.
Therefore, when 1t was learned that |
he had escaped, Ranger Avent was
called upon to guard the store.
True to his promise, Rushing made
his appearance at the store about 12
O'Clock last night (Thursday). He at
once entered the building through
window in the rear, and proceeded to
help himself to such articles of mer-
chandise as suited his taste. While
thus engaged, Ranger Avent called up
on him to surrender, which summons
was promptly met with pistol shot.
This was answered by load of buck
snot, from gun in the hands of the
officer, which put an end to the earthly
career of another desperate criminal.
After receiving his death wound the
robber fired the remaining charges
from his pistol, a 32-caliber double
action gun.
At the inquest held this morning, the
coroners jury rendered verdict that
the deceased had met his death at the
hands of an officer in the discharge of
his duty.
Ranger Avent in each of these en-
counters has demonstrated the cool
judgment and undoubted valor so es-
sential in an officer. Lincoln County
may well feel proud of such an officer.