Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-07-31
MARSHAL CROOP
- = Is HELD UP
He and Companion Handcuff-
ed on Lonely Prairie
NERVY ACT OF
A LONE DESPERATE
The Fellow, Who Is Thought to be
Starr, the Oklahoma Outlaw,
Trailed to the cedars.

Trailed to the Cedars.
That the lurid tales Of the wild and
woolly west which fill the pages Of the
ysllow-backed dime novel are sometimes
founded upon facts. may well be believed
by those familiar with the experience
that last week bsfell Marshall Croop and
Frank Johns Of this city. The most vivid
Imagination Of the penny thriller" can
picture no more nervy act than that OF
the lone desperate who for almost a
whole day kept the. two men momenrarily
expecting a bullet to end their career.
and at the last handeuffed them together
and left them afoot and alone many
miles out upon lonely prairie.
Last Thursday morning Marshal Croop
and Frank Johns left town on the trail of
a party who had the night before stolen
q work harness belonging to the Jackson
Lawson Coal and Transfer Co. About
- hours later they got back to town.
weary and footsore.
While following the supposed trail OF
the thief northwest of town they came
upon a man encamped by the roadside
and thinking he might give them some in
formation whether the thief had been
seen to pass that way the marshal asked
him how long he had been eamped there.
twenty -four hours, you -" re-
sponded the man. at the same time level
ling a Winchester on the two men. whom
he bruskly commanded to throw up
their hands.
As the fellow had the DROP" the Mar
shal and his companion thought best to
obey the admonition and sent their hands
skyward. They were then ordered out
Of their buggy and the. holdup relieved
Marshal croop Of his shooting irons"
Mounting his horse the despsrado ordered
his eaptivss back into their rig and at his
command they set of in . northsastsrly
direction.
With tsrss warning that he wanted
no back talk and would blow their id
heads off, IL they attempted to summon
assistance from anyone they might meet
the kidnaper drove his quarry across
country ahead Of him for several hours
until about 6 o'clock they reached Tim
bsr lake, about 10 miles north Of Cheraw.
when the prisoners were again ordered
out Of their rig. The next command was
to unharness their horse and turn It loose.
and the unwavering rife pointed in their
direction made them promptly obey.
Then the fellow took the marshars hand
cuffs and fastened together his unarmed
eaptives. His next order was for them
to hit the back trail. which of course they
did-and this was the last seen Of the
desperate.
After walk of about eight miles the
hungry and weary mon reached the
Osborne ranch in the lower Holbrook
country where they made known their
sorry plight. Mr.. Osborne filed of their
shaekies and took the men to Cheraw'
when Marshal Croop telephoned to this
city for an automobile and upon its arri-
val they were taken to La Junta about
o'clock Friday morning.
Sheriff Potter, who had been notified
was awaiting Marshal Crops arriva
anu Will O ISSoS shSy SS'-
where the two men had been turned
adrift upon the prairie. They speedily
found the trail Of the desperado, followed
it south into Baca county and when Mar
shall Croop returned home on Tuesday hi
Stated that the outlaw had made tht
Cedars, where he is believed to be II
hiding.
The desperate is believed to be the
famous Oklahoma outlaw. Henry Starr
who was implicated in the recent robber'
of the bank at Am!ty. A reward o
$4,000 has been offered for his captur'
and determined effort will be made Il
take him dead or alive, but he will no
likely be taken without some shooting. a
he packs an arsenal at all times and ha
his eye peeled for trouble.
Blame the Santa Fe.
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