Gilpin observer., 1909-05-27
PARTIALLY DESTROYED MASKS
EXPECTED TO LEAD TO AR.
REST OF sLAUGHTERERs.
LAMBS LEFT TO STARVE
UNDERSHERIFF DE S c r 3 e s
CHASTITY SCENE ON WEST
ERN SLOPE RANGE.

Denver-A Republican special from
Glenwood Springs, Sunday, says: Half
or loaf of bakers bread, carelessly
cast aside after a hurried meal on the
mountain side; partially destroyed
handkerchiefs from which masks had
been made, with descriptions of the
owners of the bread and handker-
chiefs, will probably prove to be the
strongest clew leading to the arrest
of the fifteen men who on Wednesday
of last week killed and crippled 1000
sheep and lambs belonging to r. A.
Tawney and F. A. Taylor of Grand
Junction. Undersheriff Divilbiss of
this county returned to Glenwood to-
day after spending two days and
nights among the mountains and on
the sheep ranges near Atchee and
Carbianero, in the extreme western
part of this county, near the Utah
line. He and Undersheriff Wallis of
Mesa county visited the scene of the
sheep killing and Divilbiss says the
people of the country have no idea
of the cruelty practiced by the gang
OF supposed cattlemen who wantonly
slew the Tawney and Taylor sheep.
When asked when he thought the
arrests would be made Mr.. Divilbiss
refused to say but said: "It will not
be long and remember you are going
to be surprised, for the leaders of the
gang are known by nearly every one
in Garfield and Mesa county. One of
them did not wear a mask and .
trapper at camp got a square look at
him. In fact one of those trappers is
in a position to know every one OF
those men in the gang of sheep kill
ers and we are going to land them
all"
In speaking of the affair. Mr.. Divil-
bliss said: you have no idea Of the
terrible sight that greeted US as we
came near the sheep camp. Great
piles of dead sheep told story, but
not with the same force as did the
hundreds of little lambs that were
running about seeking their mothers.
The bleatings of the starving animals
Is something | hope never to hear
again. l only wish | could have had
hold of the fellows that did the bloody
work. 1t is a disgrace to civilized
people and if l live long enough l will
make those people suffer for their
work"
The Tawney herders say there were
about fifteen or sixteen Of the men in
the bunch that killed the sheep. They
said the men rode up on their horses
about O'Clock Wednesday morning,
while they were getting up and pre-
pairing breakfast. They were ordered
to throw up their hands. and did as
they were told. They were then bound
with ropes and their eyes blindfolded.
Three men were left to guard them
while the rest Of the crowd went to
the Taylor camp. a short distance
away. They returned with two more
sheep herders, who were bound and
blindfolded. There were also two
trappers who had stopped with the
herders over night and they were
treated the same way. These two
trappers were Americans. Two of the
herders were Americans and four
Mexicans.
The whole crowd were then taken
out on the range and placed face
downward and three men stood guard
over them until 3 o'clock in the after
noon, when the band of sheep-slayers
had finished their work or become so
tired that they quit.
The herders and trappers were then
released and the sixteen men rode
away toward the hills. cutting the
telephone wires as they went.