The daily sentinel., 1907-04-25
A CowARDLY CRIME
Twelve or Fifteen Horsemen Attack
A lone Sheep Herder on
Indian Creek.

Mesa county has again been called
| upon to be the scene of a dastardly
| crime. crime which. from what in
| formation and reports can be secured
| by the Sentinel, appears to be an
/ othed chapter in the long drawn and
never ending struggle between sheep
men and cattlemen OF certain sections
of the state.
AS a result of this foul deed Peter
Swanson, aged about thirty years, a
man of rugged physique and evident
! ly a sheep man of long experience, lies
at the point of death at the ranch
/ of w. J. Ponsford, one of the best
/ which stream Is about two miles
south of Hannah creek and perhaps
eight miles from Whitewater.
This morning the Sentinel was In
| telephone communication with Mr..
! Ponsford and one or two other per-
cured the first accurate details of the
tragedy that have reached this city.
Yesterday ofternoon Peter Swan
son, his brother. and another man
whose name was not learned, appear
ed in the Hannah creek and Indian
creek country in charge of 1000
sheep which they owned. Only these
three men were in charge of the big
flock. Last night they prepared to
camp on the desert about one mile
from the w. j. Ponsford ranch. They
we're headed with their flock for the
Montrose country. The sheepmen
were all strangers In that part of
Mesa county.
Ponsford by Swanson and his brother
and the third man, band of horse
men, all strangers to the sheepmen
and believed by them to be cattlemen
came riding. up to the flock about
seven O'Clock in the evening. Peter
Swanson had Winchester in his
hand keeping guard around the boun-
Diary lines of the flock. Swanson s
two companions were some distance
away.
The strange horsemen all seemed
TO be armed and We about . In
number.
Throw down that gun" command
ed one of the horsemen, according to
the story of the Swansons and their
companion. mo. | won't" replied the
lonely guardian of the flock. Then
according to the story told Mr.. Pons-
ford the shooting began, and the
mortally wounded man declares that
he is unable to say whether he or
whether the horsemen fired first IL
is said that perhaps a dozen shots
were fired and then, according to
the report of the brother OF the
wounded man the strange horsemen
rode hurriedly away, leaving their
single but nervy antagonist lying up
on the desert, with a terrible hole in
the lower part of his abdomen and
a portion OF his intestines exposed TO
view. Only one shot had taken ef-
About nine o'clock Mr.. Ponsford
states that the other swanson ap-
peared at his ranch and telling that
his brother had been shot by strang-
ers asked for assistance. Mr.. Pons-
ford went back with Swanson and
found the wounded man lying on the
ground while his companions were
caring for him as best they could, Pet
er Swanson was removed TO the fohS-
ford home and a physician from THIS
CITY summoned. The physician, DR..
TAYLOR. made the long drive to Ind
ian creek, some thirty miles away as
rapidly as possible but naturally did
not reach there until early TINS morn
ing. In the meantime the wounded
man had suffered terrible agony. The
Dhvsician found Swanson in a grave
condition and informed him that
there was but little nope for his re-
coyery. At eleven O'Clock having
done all he could for the man, the
physician started on his return trip
10 Grand Junction at noon. swanson
was still alive but appeared TO pc
sinking rapidly. He has been con-
scious most Of the time but has had
but little to say regarding the tragedy
A strange feature OF the case Is
that the diving man s brother and the
other man continued their Journey
toward MOntrOse win lhelT uoch -
sheen promising to return at an early
hour this morning ana remain win
the wounded man until he grew rev, bet bet
ter or passed away. Az noon the DIo-
ther had not appeared az lne fons-
ford ford ranch, which might indicate that
he is Indifferent to his brothers con
dltion. Also the theory has been ad-
vanced that the three men got 70
onarreling among themselves and
peter Swanson was shot and the other
.fVaar ~
d1a aJone called upon Mr.. Ponsford
for for assistance, telling the story of an
attack by cattlemen; However the IN
Inred man has made no accusation,
iybonsb conscious against his brother
and compaion and confirms their ac,
count OF the anair. Why the second
Swanson and the unknown compan-
Ion aid not aid the other Swanson IN
his fight with the horsemen has not
been explained. ,-- e,.....,,,, ,,st,e
It is said that the SWahsohs le9iue
In Montrose county