The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-07-21

threatened with death If they made
any resistance.
LaFors worked on this case and
eventually secured the confessions of
all of the gang-every man being a
cattle owner or cowboy. Before
starting the raids the raiders entered
into death compact whereby any
member who divulged what happened
would be killed by the others. La
Fors himself was threatened with
death. but he worked doggedly at the
case and secured one confession after
another until all were in his net Tho
case did not come to trial. however.
as the rich cattlemen who were in the
conspiracy paid all the damages con-
sequent on their raids. and the sheep
men did not prosecute.
Works on Greater Mystery.
After finishing this case LaFors was
called to Basin. Wyo., where he is
working on a greater mystery. grow
ing out of raid on sheep camp in
the Ten Sleep country few months
ago. which resulted in the murder of
three sheep men named Alleman.
Lazier, and Emge.
The Ten Sleep case is one of the
most brutal in the history of western
range feuds The men were running
sheep on territory that was claimed
by the cattle interests. and paid no
heed to warnings to reCross the dead
line" One morning, as they were
resting about the campfire, band of
twelve or fifteen men rode up and be
gan firing. The raiders wore masks
and were all heavily armed. So
deadly was their fire that the sheep
men fell, evidently without having
time to fire a shot in return.
The sheep were butChered, many of
them being shot or dubbed to death.
and others being driven over a steep
cliff and killed The sheep wagon
was burned. and it was not until u
camp tender visited the scene a day
or two later that the tragedy was dis
covered. II was evident, from the
cartridge shells scattered over the
ground that the raiders had complete
ly surrounded the camp and had
poured volley after vollcy into the de-
fcnseless herders.
At one place, where n man had
stood, however loaded shells were
found. 1t was surmised that this man
had sickened of such bloody work. and
had refused to fire. In order not to
open himself to suspicion by having a
full cartridge belt, he had thrown
away loaded shells. This was the man
that LaFOrs aimed to get when he
went to Basin and confronted the sus-
poets in the Jail at that place. Such
clew would be sufficient for this range
detective, who is a veritable Dupin or
Holmes when it comes to ratocination.
Shadows Horn; Gets Confession.
When LaFors trapped Tom Horn, a
of assassinations that had Mortified
Wyoming and northern Colorado, he
had even less to work upon. one man
after another who had encroached
upon the great cattle interests was
shot down in his cabin or out upon
the prairie. Always a stone was found
under the victims mead. When the
son of Kels =. Nickel was murdered
in this way suspicion fell upon Horn.
who had been seen near the Nickel
ranch. The elder Nickel had been
involved i'm trouble with big cattle
outfit and several attempts had been
made to ASA ssinate him.
LaFOrs Swallowed Horn and one
night when the ex-scOut and Indian
fighter had been ovcrdrinking he
managed to secure n boasting confess
sion from the murderer. LaFors had
concealed a stenographer in the room.
who took down the evidence, and
Horn was Immediately arrested and,
after a sensational trial. was pro-
nounced guilty and hanged at Chey-
enne.
Since Horns death range wars have
assumed milder aspect in Wyoming
until the Sundance case came to light,
which was followed by the Ten Sleep
atrocity.
Colorado Sheep Ranch Raided.
In Colorado several attempts have
been made by cattlemen to drive their
sheep rivals from the open range. and
few weeks ago fifteen mn descended
on the sheep camp of Tawney Il Tay-
lOr, near Grand Junction, and killed
and crippled 1000 sheep and lambs.
The raid was made early in the morn
ing. The herders were made to throw
up their hands and were then tied
and gagged and thown face down on
the ground. Their outfit was burned
and for several hours the raiders con-
tinued their work of slaughter, shoot
ing or clubbing the inoffensive sheep.
However, the sheepmen of the west
have banded together to protect each
other in such cases, and it is believed
that after the Ten Sleep outrage has
been cleared up, Joe La Fors will take
up the Colorado case and endeavor to
bring the raiders to justice.
Use Wits as Weapons.
La Fors would never be taken for
typical detective. He is rather
slight of build, pleasant of feature,
with an intellectual forehead shaded
by heavy crop Of hair. He Is quiet
and not at all of the type ofRbullying
gun fighter. In fact he never has
occasion to use other weapons than
his wits.
Behind La ForS mild eyes and
peaceful countenanCe there is quick
brain and a determination that rec
ognizes no obstacle. He works faith
fully on faint clues after other men
have given up in despair, and inva-
riably he gets results. Today ne is |
feared more than other men by the
n Wlees element in the west He has