Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-10-10
MURDERERS CONFESS
TO AWFUL CRIME
SIayers Of Campers In Manzano Noun.
tains Each Accuse the Other Of
Firing Fatal Shots.

Albuquerque, N. M, Oct. 10.--Mrs
James Billinslea, wife of one of the
campers who were murdered in cold
blood by two native boys while on O
pleasure trip in the Manzano Noun
tains last week, passed through this
city yesterday en- route to her home in
Trinidad, Colorado. AS she waited
for train in the Santa Fe depot here
she told of the affair and cried softly
as she did so. She is little more than
girl and did lot look to be out OF
her teens. Following is in substance
what she said:
my husband is a telegraph opera.
tor but wanted change of occupa.
tion for time and decided to go
prospecting. We went first to vii.
lard and later to Manzano where we
spent two months. My husband
loved to hunt and killed number OF
deer there. 1t was at Manzano that
we met William Mclaughlin, pros.
pector, who agreed to 60 with us
on a prospecting trip, my husband
the money and Mclaughlin
the experience. We went to Mountain.
air and on our second day out, the
two natives came into our camp. !
did not like their looks and told my
husband so. He and Mclaughlin,
however, said the boys were all right
and that they could stay with us on
our trip. We needed water that even
ing, and guided by the strangers, my
husband and Mclaughlin left for the
top of small mountain called by the
natives Red HILL All were mounted.
let one Mexican have his
because his horse SHE'D
at it and my husband gave the other
Mexican his automatic pistol to show
him how it worked. After the party
had been gone for a short time, !
heard several shots but thought tle
men were shooting at game in the
hills. Later the natives came back
with the guns and asked If the men
had returned. They also asked for
food which | gave them. They said
other things to me also but could
not understand as they spoke no
English. Later they brought me u
canteen Of water.
"At first | suspected nothing, but
when the natives deserted camp with
The horses and guns, I waited for near
ly two days and then walked four
miles to Sais where swore out war.
rant for the arrest of the men and
told my story. A searching party
found my husband and Mclaughlin
dead on top of Red Hill. McLaugh.
lin had been shot first in the head
and killed instantly. My husband was
shot through the shoulder and had
started to run, being unarmed. He
evidently ran a short distance and sat
down, suffering terribly. He was then
shot through the back of the head and
killed. Oh, it was awful.
The murderers were arrested and
taken to Jail at Socorro. One still
has the pistol, and the Winchester
was found at the home of the other.
Each confessed and charged the shoot,
ng to the other.
"They said that they killed the men
o steal me but believe all they want.
ID were the horses and firearms"
J. H. Billingslea, route agent FOR
he Globe Express Company and faith
,r of one of the murdered men visit
ID the scene of the killing. Going
here from his headquarters at Ala,
nosa, Colorado, as soon as he heard
If the crime. He said the natives evi
lently intended to steal Mrs. Billings
ca and carry her to the mountains but
became frightened. William McI4augh-
in, who was also killed, formerly re-
sided in Denver The bodies of both
men were badly decomposed when
ound and were buried where they
ell