The Socorro chieftain. [volume] (Socorro, N.M.) 1902-1959, 1906-10-13
STORY OF THE MURDER
OF the Two Colorado PrOspeotors
in the Fastnesses Of the Man
zano Mountains
TOLD BY WIFE OF A VICTIM

One OF the Most Cold Blooded Grimes
in the Annals of socorro
County
The story of the recent murder
of Billiugslea and Mclaughlin.
the two Colorado proSpectors. by
Carlos Sais and Eliseo Wales, as
told by Billing>lea'S wife to the
Albuquerque Citizen, reveals an
absolutely unprovoSed crime that
must be claSSed aS one of the
most cold blooded and diabolical
in the criminal annals of Soco-
rro county. The story told by
Mrs. BillingSlea is as follows:
My husband was a telegraph
operator, but thought that he
would like to do a little prospect
ing. We took the train to Will
lard, on the Santa Fe Central,
and alter a short stay there went
TO Manzauo, where the old APP
pie trees are. 1t was nice there
and We remained two months,
the latter part of the summer.
My husband met William Nc
Laughlin and not John Nc
Clough there and the two decid-
ed on prospecting trip to the
OScurd mountains My husband
was furnishing the money and
Mclaughlin the experience.
Mclaughlin had lived at Man
zano three years and had consid-
cradle experience in camping,
mining and hunting. Mr.. Bill
ingslea liked to hunt. We killed
several deer while stopping at
Manzano.
The first night out from
Manzano we camped at Noun
tainair, and Saturday, the day of
the murder, was our second day
out The Mexicans had joined
us the day before and staid in
camp one night, sleeping with
Mr.. Mclaughlin. It's wonder
to me that they didn't murder us
all that night. They wanted to
go along with us, promising to
show where we could find plenty
of water and mineral prospects.
| told Jim that | didn't like their
looks, but he thought they were
all right and Mclaughlin also
thought they were all right, SO
it was decided that they should
go along.
1t was noon on the day of the
murder that we camped on what
the MexicanS called Red hill.
Mclaughlin could understand
them. Our water had run out
and we had to have some more
right away.
Our guides told us that there
was water on top of the hill,
which is a mountain, in fact.
They said that all four men
should go for it and take the
horses. | asked Jim to stay with
me, didn't want TO stay alone,
but he said it would be all right
and the four of them left camp,
going up the hill, all riding hors-
es. Mclaughlin was riding a
broncho that wouldn't stand for
a gun on its back, so he gave. his
rifle to the shorter of the two
MeXicans. The other Mexican
had been carrying Jim's Luger
pistol since shortly after joining
the party, and that was how they
caught the men unarmed.
Il heard several shots on the
mountain but thought nothing
of ii at the time, as there was
game in the mountains and
supposed that they were shoot
ing at deer or something else.
In about half an hour the Mexi-
cans returned. They made me
understand this one question:
Have the men returnedP
II told them that they had
not. 1t was probably 1880
O'Clock in the afternoon. ! ask
ed them if they didn't want some
thing to eat. They said 81,
aqua, which meant that they
wanted both food and water.
told them that | had no water,
but gave them some cold duck.
My husband had killed duck
the day before. They took two
of the canteens and disappeared
over a small hill nearby and
within ten minutes returned,
bringing good water, which
showed that they knew where TO
find water without going on top
of the mountain. | made some
tea but the tall one, | believe his
name is Carlos Sais, would not
drink the tea. Then the short
one, his name was Wales, made
Continued 10 bare 4.