Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-05

to his opponents one. Cameron also
fired. but ii was Wheeler's shots that
did the work. Both Kerriek and Bent
ley were killed and Wheeler hurried
a messenger 10 ella Bend, who wired
the news of the tragedy to the sher-
ifs office here.
Jim Kerrick was bad man, and has
a long record of deyiltry and crime
behind him. For years he has been
alleged TO be a cattle thief. He began
his record by killing a sheep herder
in southern California when but a
youth. An old man had been keep
ing a flock of about 500 sheep in a
little valley between two mountain
ranges in the San Jaeinto mountains.
kerrick was a partner in a company
that had a flock over the range. One
day the old mans bones were found
in an ash pile and Kerrick's herd was
found to have suddenly increased in
numbers. Kerrick was arrested, tried
and sentenced to twenty years at san
Quentin. Kerrick made a record for
good behavior in the California pris-
on and finally When friends repre-
scented hat mistaken circumstances
had caused his conviction he was par
doned. Immediately upon leaving the
penitentiary he came to Arizona and
resumed a career Of thievery and
crime. After being suspected of va
riouse cases of cattle rustling and Of
being involved in other difficulties at
Yuma and all through the lower ella
valley he was hauled up and sent to
the penitentiary for cattle rustling,
and here he served his tenn Of two
years. When released lie o o up
mining and since has had as a COM
panion Lee Bentley. The men had
evidently decided TO try tlteii fortunes
once more in bucking law and order
when their career was ended by Rang
er Wheeler last night.
From the circumstances surround
ing the killing of Kerrick and Bent
ley near Ajo II is reasonable to con-
clude that a hold-up of the bullion
stage which passes from the King of
Arizona mine to Sentinel IN the
Southern Pacific, was averted.
The rustlers at the time of the
killing were possessed of six crack
saddle horses which they had stolen
from %ranchers; and they were in
secret camp along the roadside
where passes each week the stage
which carries the bullion from the
King of Arizona mine TO Mohawk on
the Southern Pacific road. As Ker-
rick and Bentley had every facility for
n hold-up. including several brand
new .33 Winchester rifles of the latest
model and had familiarized them
selves with the nearest and best trail
by which they could make their es-
cape across the line, ii is believed their
plan was to rob the stage. pack he
bullion on their speedy horses n
make their escape to Mexico.
Sheriff Pacheco, who returned
from the place of the tragedy, tells
the story Of the killing as follows:
After the arrival of Kerrick n
BENTLEY In the country south of ella
Bend about three weeks ago the
ranchers in that vicinity became un-
easy on account of the reputation of
the unweleome visitors and wrote let
ters to Ranger Frank Wheeler at
Yuma asking him to come up and put
a watch on them as It was believed
that they were 'rustllng" their
stock in the foothills of Sierra del
Aio. Wheeler responded to the call
and came to ella Bend ten days ago.
Near Aio he was joined by John
Cameron, who owns a ranch and is
a stock grower In that section.
Wheeler and Cameron then got on the
trail and followed it into old Mex
leo, then back and forth through the
hills for five days. Saturday at mid
night they came upon the men at
sheen Tanks where II was learned
they had been lying in camp for near
~ a week. Wheeler and Cameron had