Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-12-27
1900 MILE Trek.
AFTER LOOT OF
HORSE-TH|EvES
REMARKABLE JOB BY
ACATTLE INSPECTOR
! hfee Bold Bad RustIers Ian
gushing in Tucson Jail as
Result of Trip Across Two
Territories and Two States,

Tucson, Ariz., Dec. 24.-Trailing
more than a score of stolen horses
across a portion of Arizona. the ter
ritoiy of New Mexico, the state of
Texas and a portion Of Arkansas. Will
hard Wright. county cattle inspector
and one of the most competent and
best known cattle men in this sec
ton of the country, returned yestcr-
day morning from n 1000 mile trip
tafter having achieved what had been
considered the impossible.
Languishing in the Cochisc county
prison at Tombstone are three al
legged horse thieves. by name Frank.
Warren and - Swink. The men
were indicted on three counts each By
the Cochise county grand jury, which
In now in session, and Mr.. Wright's
report viii probably result in half a
dozen more indictments against each
OF them.
The wholesale theft Of horses
thirty-two in all-from the Dragon
lsection in this territory and the sub
sequent chase, recalls wildly the
d~cpredations Of horse II cattle
rustlers of the pioneer days of the
southwest. The termination of the
affair viii be vastly different, how
ever. 1t is probable la in the early
days, the three mon h are now held
By the Cochise county authorities
would long ago have sacrificed their
lives at a ropes end or would have
been thousands Of miles from the
scene Of depredations and still beat
ing" it. whereas the law now reigns
supreme in Arizona, and 1t is likely
that the trio, before many moons, will
be serving sentences OF long duration
in the territorial penitentiary.
No Pinkerton sleuth yer acquitted
himself with more glory than did Will
lard Wright in the long chase just
ended and taking into consideration
the fact that the trail was six weeks
iutd, his achievement il considered all
the more remarkable. Taking up the
trail after 1t had been cold for weeks
the local cattle inspector followed and
located several Of the stolen horses
at Fort Smith, Ark, where they had
been sold or traded by the men who
accompanied them from the Dragon
district of Arizona,
The expedition was proposed and
Financed by the live stock sanitary
board of this territory. The local
man was selected to do this work and
fulfilled his duties beyond ever the
expectations Of the members of the
board.
About three months ago. %thirty-two
horses were stolen from various
THltIllilfl III lHt IIuRDOn JctlluH4 u
Wholesale theft was reported non
thereafter to the authorities OF Co
chise county, bat little action could
be taken on the complaints that were
issued owing to the lack Of Informal
ton as to the identity of the mis-
'%crcants. The horses were shipped
from place TO place until they arrived
at Fort Smith. There they were dis
posed of. The men who are ac-
.c,,Ca1 90 ctan1ff,u tb.Yf1 rnt,rrra.I 10 fhfo
section and the cat was let out of the
bag. Don after their return, they
were taken into custody and sufficient
information was obtained to bring
about indictments against them by the
Cochise grand jury.
The authorities, however, We're not
satisfied with the evidence at the
time and the live stock sanitary
board began an investigation. Will
lard Wright was selected BY them to
take up the trail and GOV the
stock Accordingly. he went to Bis
bee. where he began his inVestiga-
tons. Although 1t was then nearly
two months after the thefts had been
comynltted and the horses started on
their long journey east. he managed
to secure information sufficient to
give him II start. He trailed the
TO Deming, \. NJ, the animals
having been taken overland to that
point. rom there they were ship
ped TO El Paso and Mr.. Wright fol-
lowed. They had been consigned from
Deming to Frank Martin at El Paso
and 1t is stated by the authorities that
the Martin is none other han Frank
IIalderman, he having consigned the
shipment 10 himself. From El Paso,
the inspector went to san Antonio,
to Houston. At Houston, the
horse thieves turned back, doubling
tracks rs ii were and the horses
were shipped from that city to Sher-
man, Texas. Mr.. Wright followed
them to Sherman and from Sherman
went to Fort Smith.
The Arizona officer was in Fort
for several days before he
made known his identify, meantime
three of the horses. Then
enlisted the aid Of the Fort Smith
authorities and the country in that
was thoroughly searched. nj
total Of ten animals being recovered. ,
Mr.. Wright returned with the horses
Yesterday and with positive informa-
lion that the men in the Jail Mt
Tombstone are the guilty parties. ltl
IS said that more interesting develop
will he forthcoming In thisl
case.
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