davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The La Jara chronicle. (La Jara, Conejos County, Colo.) 1896-19??, 1906-10-05
CLIFTON H. WILDER VICTIM OF A
COWARDLY ASSAULT

slungshot; and by still others, the
butt end of a closed pocket-knife.
At any rate it was a weapon or AN
instrument of sufficient power to
fracture Mr.. Wilder's skull at the
base of the brain.
Almost Immediately after the
assault Cochran left the room by
the rear entrance and returned to
his duties as postmaster. AL
though terribly injured the victim
of the assault walked nearly two
blocks to the Office of DR.. Schenck,
where an examination was made
and surgical treatment rendered.
In the operating chair Mr.. Wilder
lost consciousness, and did not re-
cover for considerable time. So
serious was his condition that the
physician refused to allow him to
return home, only few hundred
feet distant. On Tuesdays even
ing train, accompanied by DIR.
Schenck. Mr.. Wilder was sent to
Mercy hospital, Denver, where he
now is undergoing treatment.
While the patients condition is
as favorable, it is impos-
sible at this time to predict the
outcome. A strong constitution
and tremendous will power will do
much to assist the surgeons in
their work.
George Wilder, editor of the
Creede Candle and brother to the
murdered man, upon being noti-
fed of the crime, at once swore out
a criminal complaint charging
Cochran with assault with intent
to murder. Cochran was arrested
by Constable Oliver and brought
before Justice ,McCunnitf, where
he gave bonds, signed by w. A.
Braiden and Tom Ormond for
his appearance Saturday, October
6, for preliminary examination.
The Chronicle wishes the people
to know the truth, and therefore
publishes the following testimony
given at the preliminary hearing,
The Chronicle having been held
open for day in order that the
people may have the evidence as
by either side:
The La Jara chronicle. (La Jara, Conejos County, Colo.) 1896-19??, 1906-10-05
So Like EN-

The temperance party has made
IA great many campaigns in Colo
RADIO without getting many votes.
They have generally exhibited too
much hypocrisy for vote getters.
A number of years ago when they
made their greatest effort, they
brought in Alexander Campbell
from Rushville, Indiana, for their
principal speaker. Campbell was
an able orator and was making
votes for the party until he got too
drunk to make a speech, and their
campaign fell as fiat as their form
er campaigns had fallen.
The Independent party of Con
ejos county is making sort of a
temperance, or anti-saloon cam
paign, but nearly all of them drink
liquor and quite number of them
are liquor vendors, and the ex-
FOUNDER of the principles of this
new party tailed to pay his saloon
bills before he started out. This
is hypocrisy and there being but
few hypocrites in Coneios county
this hypocritical party will get but
few votes.
There is no sincerity in their
move. Those of them who sell Ii
quor and those of them who drink
liquor have no thought of quitting
and he who repudiates his saloon
bills has no thought of paying
them 1t is all IA ruse to catch the
votes of the church people: though
but few of the church people are
so simple and so foolish as to be
caught by such "A fraud. The
county is in the hands of honest,
efficient officials, and the people
have no thought of turning it over
to the hypocritical gang.
The La Jara chronicle. (La Jara, Conejos County, Colo.) 1896-19??, 1906-10-05

in Club saloon. Don't know who
struck first blow. Were fighting
when | went in. Wanted them
separated. Only struck few
blows. Both fighting. No weap-
ons were seen. Heard neither
make II statement.
Pink McDaniel-"W WAS in the
saloon at the time of the trouble.
Talking loudly with Wilder. Did
not see Cochran hit him first blow.
Wilder said, He's got "A billy in
hand Pursley and | parted them.
Possibly might have come into
contact with the counter, either of
them Did not go out of the sa-
loon till after Wilder. Mr.. Kin
ton presented Wilder with indie
pendent petition, who said he
would not affiliate with s-of-b-
This started the argument between
us. Didn't see any billy. Don't
think anything serious resulted.
Joseph c. Pursley-"Was in La
lara, Oct. 2nd. Saw controversy
between Cochran and Wilder. Was
in the saloon. Wilder was there.
Shortly after Pink Mcdaniel came
The La Jara chronicle. (La Jara, Conejos County, Colo.) 1896-19??, 1906-10-05
THE PRELIMINARY HEARING

The state was represented by
District Attorney Pitcher, while
Attorney Veerkamp, of Monte
/ Vista, looked after the interests of
Mr.. Cochran. When court was
called to order Attorney Veerkamp
asked for an additional ten minutes
time, which was granted.
Howard Middleton was the first
witness called by the prosecution.
Il was at La Jara, Tuesday, Oct.
End. Saw the fight. Wilder was
in the saloon when Jason came in.
Got to fighting. Hit each other
about three times. Neither had
anything in his hand. Wilder and
Mcdaniel were standing face to
face, when the fight started. They
were talking and were about five
feet apart. Jason came in the
front door. Both struck about the
same time. Am positive neither
had anything in his hand"
wv. A. Braiden was in La Jara
October 2, and saw part of the
fight. / ran in and Jason and
Wilder were fighting. / called to
separate them. Was pushed to
one side, later took Jason out.
Neither men were on the floor.
Was pretty lively, don't know
whether either person struck any
article of furniture. Took Jason
into DIR. Hamilton's to have head
and hand dressed. Hand was
bandaged.
Cross examination.-Fight was
The La Jara chronicle. (La Jara, Conejos County, Colo.) 1896-19??, 1906-10-05

in was talking angry and loud.
Took hold of Wilder and pulled
him back. Wilder said stand
back, don't crowd me-" Cochran
ran around Lovett and Mcdaniel
and struck Wilder. We, Mcdaniel
and others, pulled them apart. l
believe he was hit by Cochran on
the left temple. Wilder said Coch-
ran had used billy on him. That
his skull was bursted-blood run
ming down from his head. Neither
knocked the other down. Am sure
neither struck the counter or other
furniture
Cross examination Cochran
struck the first blow-possibly
three blows each. McDaniels and
l parted them. Saw no weapons.
Think l would have seen billy
if Cochran had it. Just looked
like scrap with the fists. Have
seen worse.
Geo. S. Lovett.-Know the
parties in the trouble. Saw Will
der and Cochran in the fight.
Started with words with Pink
AIcDaniels and Wilder. Cochran
then ran and struck Wilder on
the head. Talked with Cochran
few minutes later on the street.
Pink McDaniels and others were
present. l told Cochran never to
use billy. Said he didn't, used
knife-closed about one inch be-
The La Jara chronicle. (La Jara, Conejos County, Colo.) 1896-19??, 1906-10-05

ing exposed.
Cross examination Everything
was peacable in the saloon up to
the time of the trouble. Jason
came in when Mcdaniel and
Wilder got into an alteration.
Saw Cochran strike Wilder on the
head. About fifteen blows each
Were parted by several. Braiden
and Jason went out the back door.
Pink Mcdaniel recalled DOM t
think | heard the Lovett CONVEX
sation.
DIR. Schenck-Am IA physician.
Know Wilder. Examined Wild
er after fight. He had wound
on his head bump and cash near
ly an inch in length. Skull was
fractured. Hard tc say what
caused the injury. Would
be impossible for hand to cause
injury. Some foreign body must
have been used. Injury is serious;
After period of five or six days
after the period of Inflammation
has passed. Always great danger
in the future. DIR. Van Meter
at Mercy hospital, Denver, made
The La Jara chronicle. (La Jara, Conejos County, Colo.) 1896-19??, 1906-10-05
EVENTS OF THE WEEK 5

l.. ID. Eskridge went to the cap
itol city Monday.
Col. Chas. Paine. of Los Cerritos.
was in town yesterday.
Harry Russell, of Conejos, was
La Jara visitor Tuesday.
Thos. McCunnitf was an Ala
mosa visitor Tuesday night.
Jno. Flintham has moved into
the Magnus house on Elm street.
Mrs. Mary Mason is enjoying
visit with her daughter, Mrs.
Bobect. at Durango.
Ed. Rich and family have moved
into their own residence and will
spend the winter in La Jara.
Sabine Marquee and wife Of
Las Sauses passed through town
Saturday on their way to Capulin,
Mr.. and Mrs. Chas. Magnus are
enjoying the sights in Denver
They will remain some few weeks
before returning home.
Mrs. c. b. Sampson of Antonito.
arrived ON Thursday of this week
to spend few days the guest of
her friend. Miss Norland.
The twelve-year-old son of Mr..
and Mrs. Tom Faucet, of Sanford.
is very ill. The little fellow is
fighting for his life with siege of
typhoid.
Mr.. and Mrs. ID. A. Gibbs, Mr..
and Mrs. B. l.. Van Vechten, Mr..
and Mrs P. n. Guymon, Mr.. and
Mrs. Arthur Guymon and Miss
Francis White made a trip to the
reservoir, Sunday.
Fred p. johnson of Denver, was
in town Monday in the interest of
the Farmers Institute to be held
here on the 22nd and 23rd inst
While in La Jara Mr.. johnson re-
called by-gone days with his friend
John Flintham.
While handling -four at the mill
Thursday, Manager Lyons pulled
several hundred weight of flour
upon himself. which resulted in
general scratching-up of face and
body. In few days, however.
he will be us good as new.
Bishop Matt of Denver, arrived
in town Tuesday. The bishop will
take a prominent part in the dedi-
cation of the new Catholic church
next Sunday. The local Catho-
lies can well be proud of their
little church home innsmuch
as its members have spent both
time and hard labor in the pur-
suance of the object they had in
view, to say nothing of the self
denial connected with it, After
all that's what counts-that little
word, "self-denial''-it lends ray
of comfort and cheer to all con-
nected with it.
The La Jara chronicle. (La Jara, Conejos County, Colo.) 1896-19??, 1906-10-05
While His Victims Back
Was Turned
Conspiracy of the Reform
ers" to Remove the One
Thorn in Their Path
Braiden and Mcdaniel Rib Up
and Support an Attempt to
Murder the One Man They
Fear.

With murder in their hearts a
crowd of the reform independ-
ents gathered Tuesday afternoon
and acting upon an apparently
prearranged program assaulted the
editor of The Chronicle. Clifton
Fl. Wilder A more dastardly at
tempt at assassination never has
been recorded. The facts the
plain, unvarnished facts are as
follows:
Thomas Kinto I, "A worker in the
independent movement.approached
Mr.. Wilder and asked him to sign
, "A petition to file the independent
ticket. He knew that Mr.. Wilder
would refuse, and apparently made
the request solely with the idea of
starting trouble. Mr. Wilder was
not particular in the language he
used in replying he has the fac
ulty of calling spade spade
and his remarks, expected and fig
ured upon as the key to the situa-
tion, gave the cue to the would-be
murderers.
1t has been known for some time
that w. A. Braiden had made the
announcement that he would see
to it that anyone doing away"
with Wilder would be assured of
protection. A coward himself, he
wished some other to carry out the
murderous plans he had devised.
SO when Mr.. Wilder refused to
sign the petition Pink" Mcdaniel,
another member of the independ-
ents, approached him and engaged
in an heated argument. This was
the prearranged cue-what Coch-
ran had been waiting for Lack
ing in every manly attribute, he
wanted something ribbed up so he
would be personally safe. While
Pink" had Wilder's attention at
tracted Braiden went to the door
and yelled Come on, boys"
Then Jason came. He sneaked
up behind and dealt the blow which
may mean murder. Wilder en-
deavored to defend himself, but
was prevented by Mcdaniel, a
much larger man. Braiden was
forced into corner by Herb Will
son and wilted like last years
torcblight procession.
That's all. Just a deliberate,
premeditated plan to murder "A man
who opposed their reform" ideas.
The Chronicle has no desire to
PREJUDICE this case. 1t wishes to
be absolutely fair and allow the
courts to pronounce the degree of
guilt or the innocence of the ac-
cused. But it purposes giving the
people an absolutely straight ac-
count of the affair.
There have many widely diverg
ent statements made as to the
weapon employed by Cochran. 1t
has been stated by some that it
was loaded billy; by others,
The La Jara chronicle. (La Jara, Conejos County, Colo.) 1896-19??, 1906-10-05

crite,' writes this amateur editor.
in recent edition of the Courier.
which statement he can nurse
with profit in his own bosom. A
man who has SO little honor as to
make pretentions of personal 10y
atty to a former intimate friend
and then within the next day hand
in copy of "A derogatory nature
for publication regarding that same
individual, is not going to run the
risk of destroying his future
prospects by what he considers
principle not by long shot.
The La Jara chronicle. (La Jara, Conejos County, Colo.) 1896-19??, 1906-10-05

Did you remark that the politi-
cal situation was getting some
what warm? Possibly. But The
Chronicle wants to tell you that it
will be hot little later on and fans
will be in demand by those who
are scorched by the sunlight of
publicity.
The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-01-04
A CONNECTICUT BROOK.
How a Hartford Man Lost a Large Trout, but He Fails to Tell Where

How a Hartford Man Lost a Large
 Trout, but He Fails to Tell Where.
 No man is blessed with greater number of true sporting friends than I am. Real lovers of the rod and gun from whom that grasp of the hand or that hearty slap upon the back means a whole lot and pleasant recollections of days spent amongst the hills and dales or by the broeRside vfvidIy re- called. These glorious days add such spice to life that business cares and hard roads seem much easier
 One hot June morning I was awak- ened by the changing calls of the alarm clock and groping my way to the den, soon was in my fishing togs. The rod. fly book and waders had all been put in readiness and night before, likewise a goodly lunch which the good wife knows so well how to prepare for a hungry man. The gray mare was in fine mettle, and as Henry sank into the easy cushions of the runabout he re- marked: We should do 1t in about an hour and a half this morning"
 As the sun rose from the eastern hills 1t found us far on the Journey, and as the mist rolled away the wild birds be. gan their morning foraglng for food withall the accompanying musical clat- l ter, The cute little ehipmunk with his bushy tall bristling in anger, would
The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-01-04

knew to be the sameold king trout, Careful" says Henry, with his eyes popping out and with landing net in hand. Be careful, I say.'' I struck, and had the satisfaction of feeling the hook go home. Now came the battle royal. First the thrill of a certainty and then my heart almost stopped beating as the grand fish made frantic rushes and lunges to reach the snags, now on this side and then or, the other, with wild rushes up stream, shaking his old head like the warhorse that he was. I worked him carefully and steadily towards one side of the pool to a shady shelving and Henry was husbling with the net. "Now we will get him He Is a dandy! For heavens sake be fareful! Don't lose himi''
 Another wild rush and he is checked come back head on with renewed vigor Too warm now for the reel (arld what would I have not given for one of those new-fangled automatic ones), so tore the line frantically through the guides with their ee hand picking up the slack the best way could. Swish! Away he goes again, and before he could be checked, reached the snags. A flash, a slap from the tail and he was gone. I sincerely believe that as I caught that last glint of him he was grinning.
 How long that homeWard hill seemed in the twilight and how easy the soft cushions of the runabout; but what cared We two happy mortals, for we had had our day in the fields and sunshine?-N. K. M. in Hartford Times
The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-01-04
VERACITY IS LOST ART AMONG
 PERSIAN RESIDENTS.

Veracity is a scarce article in Persia, according to the Rev. Napier Malcolm. In his Five Years in the Persian Town he writes of conditions in Yezd, as follows: In the Yezd bazaars prob ably not Jess than one-third of the speeches made by the Mussulmans are falsehoods. One day cook of a Flu ropean went to the bazaar and after the usual haggling fixed the price of some meat at 12 krans for thirteen pounds. But, said the cook, you've got you thumb on the scales Did you think, retorted the butcher, that I would give you meat at thirteen pounds for 12 krans unless I kept my thumb on the scales?' We had neigh Dor who was considered a fairly re- spectable man, whose sole business was the forging of seals. But the fact is that every class, from the highest to the lowest, is thoroughly permeated | by the leaven of dishonesty A Mo- 1 hammedan assured me that truth | speaking and honesty had nothing to do with religion, but were purely a | matter of climate. Is that case said l, the people of Persia ought to speak the truth very well, for one of the 1 Greek historians who lived before the Mohammedan era declared that the | Persians were famous for speaking the | truth But who does not know re- piled the Mohammedan, that the eli mate of country changes entirely ev- cry 2,oO0 years?"
 | Of the strangest of telegraph poles MT. Malcom writes: "1'he poles were l rough sticks, like those a washerwo- man uses in England to prop her clothesline, I suppose, taking the good line with the bad there was on an av- craze about one insulator to every three noles--that is, without counting
 the insulators which hung midway be-
 tween the poles, apparently by way of
 ornament In a good many places the line lay on the ground; at others it | crossed the road about the level of a | horseman's chin. One day in Yezd a l European wanted to send telegram
 and inquired when the line would be
 up. They sent him a polite message
 that the line was always down-that
 was not the trouble; but a camel had stepped on it."
 Concerning the alleged resen1blances
 between Christianity and Moham1ne-
 danism, Mir. Malcolm says: There are
 really not many resenblances to note
 An officer of Indian troops replied to
 a Mussulman's suggestion that there
 were resemblances between the two re- ligions: There is hardly a single prac- tical point where Mussulmans and
 Christians are not entirely. at issue. Whereupon the Mussulman said:
 'Sahib you have read your Bible and
 have also read the Koran, I always make that remark to Christians l
The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-01-04

GULL ISLAND IN LAKE SUPERIOR.
 "Gun Island one of the Apostle group of Lake Superior, is one of the most in- teresting bits of land in this country. 's said Charles H. Collins of Ashland, flor the entire island, early in the sum- mer, is literally a mass of gulls' eggs. The birds do not bother much about nest making. A little clumb of mud. kicked up into a mound, with hollow top filled with grass or feathers. is all that a gull requires to lay it's eggs. These are usually laid three in a. nest, In the daytime they are left to the ten- der keeping of the suns rays, while the old birds hunt food. When night falls the mother gull sits upon the eggs until the sun has again come well up into the sky, so that they are never chilled.
 "The nests are built within a. few feet of one another and there are thous- ands of them. Fortunately the island is $eldomly visited by vandal class, and most tourists are content to take ons or two eggs as souvenirs, leaving the rest undisturbed. While walking about anon gnthe nests one is surrounded by a crowd of shrieking gulls, but in spite of their size they are not savage before the eggs are matched. After the nests are filled with young, however, the parent birds will fly into the faces of any marauders and make 8 savage fight for their little ones. Milwaukee SenfiuaI
The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-01-04

had to hold my boat betF en the break CTS and the surf, for t% have been hit by breaker would hate been equally fatal
 By yeIls and signs directed the other men where to coljne and how to hold their boats. On the approach of a breaker they were to do as I did-pull away coward shore a E far as they dared and when the wave broke row toward it with all theirt might to keep from being carried ashore. They did it as long as their strength held, but after four hours they o1e by one failed ito get far enough away tfrom the break CTS and were swampdd within plain view. For five hours heidi my boat there. All the time Kept saying over and over to myself, 'Yhe wife will be waiting for me to com4s and I held.
 During the sealing 4eason we figure that a hundred men aFe lost from all the boats. That is what miladi's seal skins cost-the lives df 100 men each year. Things happen in the north and along the Japanese and Siberian coasts that never get into the)papers.
 "There is another thing up there that puts the fear of God into the soul of the sealer, and that is the killer, or sea wolf. Some say it is a species of gram pus, others a species of whale; but we call it the killer They are about half the length of q whale, from twenty to thirty feet, have teeth about three o1 four isches long and an inch through and fin eight or ten feet long on the back. I have seen them swallow whole sea lion calves, weighing from 75 tC 100 pounds. Two or three of them car get away With a big whale. If a sea 1 boats gets in the vicinity of those kill. CTS, or even one of them, it gets away as quickly as possible
 Many men and boats have disap peared in fair weather and have never been heard of again. A killer does no hesitate to attack a small boat and striking it amidships, will hurl it ter feet or more in air The blood of tn, seals bailed out of the boats attract! the killers, they come for the boat witt a rush, and it's lost at sea for tha boats crew. Frequently a ship ol steamer comes to port, the passengers of which will have a thrilling story about witnessing an encounter between thresher or killer and whale tha they had seen, and heard the resound ing whacks of the attacking party! flukes against the back and sides of { whale.
 'To sealers and whalers this is anus ing. In the first place, the tongue of ( whale is the point of attack, and in tn, second place, when a whale is attacked he goes down deep, and he goes fas and stays down until he is away iron the scene of danger What they say was a COW whale lobtailing with he calf. The calf stands on it's head ant swats the old COW across the vack witt it's tail They will play on the surface of the water in this manner for an hou at time, swimming around in kinc of circle.
The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-01-04

PoLHs BIJoU THEATER.
 One Entire Week of January I,
 POLES STOCK co.
 Will present the famous play
 "The Little Minister. AS made famous by MAUDE. ADAMS. Poli Popular Prices Prevail FyenX ings, 10, 20, 30 cents; matinees, 10. 2N cents; ladies at matinees, 10 centa Seats for evening show reserved.
The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-01-04

made it to the padre the other day and they almost always say, Very true; Mohammedanism has a great deal in common with Christianity" Well sahib, when they say that, I know that they have not read the Koran and that they have not read their Bibles"
The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-01-04
dNimter 9esnrts.

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The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-01-04

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