The copper era., 1907-05-09
New Mexico Governor Was Outlaws
Friend.

Friend.
A correspondent in Ration, N. NJ
of the Denver Times writes rather
interesting story of the early life of
George Curry, who is named as the
successor of Governor H. J. Hager-
man as chief executive of New Mex
leo in dealing with Captain Curry
in Colfax county. The story follows:
Back in the stirring days of the
sos, George Curry, now governor of
Samar, P. l., who was appointed by
President Roosevelt to succeed Gov
ernor Hagermau, of New Mexico,
was well known character through
out this territory and took part in
many exciting happenings during
that unsettled period.
Dick Rogers, the noted outlaw, was
one of Curry's friends before the
formers lawlessness got him into
trouble with the government and
later resulted in his death. Even
after Rogers began his life of out
lawry Curry stood by him as friend
and assisted him in many ways, al
though always cautioning him against
any further wrongdoing.
Among the most notable of the af-
fairs in which Curry was interested
was the pursuit of>Rogers by COM
pany H, New Mexico national guard,
in the spring of 1885, after Rogers
had shot John Hixenbaugh, sheriff of
Colfax county. Governor Ross organ
lied the company for the express
purpose of running down Rogers and
appointed Jim Masterson captain.
There were sixty men in the COM
pany.
For days and weeks this company
secured Colfax county looking for
Rogers, but his numerous friends
among the cowboys kept him in
formed of the militia's movements
and he succeeded in keeping hidden.
After six weeks of this camping out
in the prairies and mountains of New
Mexico, the company returned to
Ration and camped in the old Marcy
stable over night. They had no
guard out and were captured before
morning by the cowboys, who escorted
them to the top of Ration pass at the
Colorado line and warned them never
to return to the territory. Curry was
one of the party of cowboys.
Charles Wheeler, who was then
Governor Curry's employer, furnished
Rogers with fresh horses whenever
the outlaw was in need of a new
mount in order to escape the militia
pursuing him, and it fell to the lot of
Curry two or three times to take the
fresh mount to wherever the bandit
was hidden.
Curry was great believer in law
and order but he believed in the
ethics of true friendship fully as
much, and many a time assisted his
friends to safety after they had got
ten into trouble of one kind or an
other.
Daring an attempt at Jail delivery
of prisoner named Dodd, who, the
cowboys asserted, had been unjustly
accused of crime and railroaded to
prison for long term, Dick Rogers,
Red River Tom and Jim Curry, a
brother of George Curry, were shot
and killed. George Curry then joined
band which set out to avenge the
deaths of the three but the band was
rounded up by a troop of United
States cavalry sent from Fort Union,
forty miles away, to quell the trou-
BILE. The members were afterward
fined on a technical charge of dis
turbing the peace and melting a riot.
Shortly after this event Curry left
Ration and went to Lincoln county to
reside. There he was one of the
foremost citizens. When the Span
ish war broke out he joined the Rough
Riders there and served under Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt throughout the
war. When Roosevelt became presi-
dent Curry was remembered and
since 1900 has filled several govern
ment positions.
He is known to all his neighbors in
New Mexico and to all the members
of the Rough Riders as man abso-
lutely without fear, with a great
sense of justice and a true friend.