Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-07-02
SAN JUAN SHERIFF
SAYS FINN WAS
The ISSUE
WETHERILL SHOT FOR
TAKING COWBOYS PART
Fact That Indians Owed Dead
Trader Thousands of Dollars
Believed TO Supply Additional
Motive for Murder,
Especial dispatch 10 til. Morning Journal

Especial Dispatch TO the Morning journal;
Santa Fe, \. ~, July l.-"There
car be 40 question nov u thai
Richard Wetherill. the well known
Pueblo Bonito Indian trader, met
death by being shot iron, ambush BY
Indians, but I an convinced that
Wethcrill s ~cowpuncher. the mar
named Finn, started the trouble with
the Indians by quarreling oven "A stray
pony
This was the statement Of w. n.
Dufur, sheriff of San Juan county.
where Wethcrill recently met his
death in q sensational manner md
about which 50 much has been print
ed during the past few days.
Sheriff Dufur was interviewed by a
reporter Just as he was leaving Santa
re this morning on the Denver and
Rio Grande. lie had come here to
bring 4 prisoner, Zeh He. who escaped
from the penitentiary June 10 and
whom the sheriff captured in San
Juan county 4 few days ago.
Seated in the railway coach. wear
ing the western sombrero, and an inn
mense leather belt strapped around
his waist, the sheriff easily looked the
hero-sheriff part of the magazine
stories Of today.
1T is quite true that Wetherill was
shot down from ambush" said the
sheriff, and the way the trouble
came about was as follows;
Finn, Wetherill's COW puncher, had
been rounding up some cattle with
Indians and they got our head Of
horses. three Of which were marked
and belonged to Finn. The fourth had
no brand. An Indian wanted to keep
the animal and Finn wanted to take
IT. It appears that Finn settled the
right Of possession by knocking the
Indian down n beating him. The
injured Indians friends went to
Wethcrill the next day ana sought JUS
tice. sx
There can be no question bat that
Wetherlll was regarded by the Indians
as The man to settle their disputes and
give them satisfaction. lie had liV-
Cd long among them, had traded with
them and many Of them owed him
money, from all accounts. 1t VAS nat
ural that as Wctherill employed Finn
and as Finn had beat mp one of the
Indians. they should call on Wethcrill
and sec what satisfaction they could
get. 1t seems that Wetherill offered
them little satisfaction, telling them
that ii was not his affair If an Indian
quarrelcd over the ownership of an
unbranded pony and then got hurt.
"The Indians went away from Wcth-
erills house and very much displcas-
From that moment on, II is be-
lieVed q conspiracy was hatched TO
put both Finn and Wetherill out of
the way. There was more thar a mo-
tive of revenge to do away with Wcth-
erill. for q glance at Wetherill's books.
1t is said, reveal that the Indians were
indebted TO him in the sum of thou
sands Of dollars. 1t has been said. hut
| do not know with how much truth,
that Wetherill had been collecting
Of these debts by taking cattle
the Indians. This means of
out the debts did not please the
owners Of the cattle. IA at all events
Finn was the man who brought this
TO a crisis and Wetherill had
l|ispleased the Indians ny his refusal
10 give them satisfaction for Firms
up one of their number.
Indians Law in ambush.
# think the story that Wethcrill'
seen hv the Indians about ,Finn's
conduct. broke one OF the Indians
on q rock. is also true and that
fuel to the flames. At all
the Indians seem to have pitch
Il on one of their number. a consump-
i've 10 do the sharp shooting, and ly-
ne in ambush they caught Finn and
vcthcril riding together and fired
pom them.
AN that saved Finn from biting the
.ust wae the rearing Of his horse at
err one of the shots was fired and the
ullet missed him. Another shot
aught Wethorill. Rim. instead of
utting up q fight then and there, put
purs into his horse aud broke away.
he Indians were then in open pursuit
the c%oNpuncher and II Of the
u policeman. called to him ,
, halt. 1t seems Finn had some !
looting to do before he got home :
nd put q bullet through the hand OF I
ne of the Indian pursuers. \
Finn managed to -ct back &c thci /