Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-07-01
DID FINN CAUSE
THE TROUBLE?
Sheriff Dufur Discusses at
Length the WetheriIl
Case
ONE STRAY PONY FOUND
And Indian and Finn Could
Not Agree About
Ownership.

There can be no question now but
that Richard Wetheriu, the well
known Pueblo Bonto Indian trader.
met death by being shot from am
bush by Indians, but | am convinced
| that Wetherills COW puncher, the
man named Finn, started the trouble
with the Indians by quarrelliug over
stray pony"
This was the statement of W. 7.
Dufur, sheriff of San Juan county in
which Wetherill recently met his
death in a sensational manner and
J about which so much has been printed
! during the past few days.
Sheriff Dufur was interviewed by a
reporter of the New Mexican lust as
he was leaving Santa Fe this morn
ing on the d. G r. G. He had come
here to bring prisoner Zeh He, who
escaped from the penitentiary June
13 and whom the sheriff captured in
San Juan county few days ago.
Seated in the railway coach, wear
ing the western COW boy hat, and an
immense leather belt strapped around
the waist, and gazing with an un-
| flinching eye, the sheriff easily look
ed the hero-sheriff part of the maya
zine stories of today.
1T is quite true that WetheriI was
shot down from ambush" said the
sheriff, "and the way the trouble came
about was as follows:
| Finn, Wetherills COW puncher had
been rounding up some cattle with
Indians and they got four head of
horses, three of which were marked
and belonged to Finn. The fourth lad
no brand and an Indian wanted to
keep the animal and Finn wanted to
take it. 1t appears that Finn settled
the right of possession by knocking
| the Indian down and beating him. The
! injured Indians friends went to Weth-
erill the next day and sought justice.
WetheriIl as Arbter.
'There can be no question but that
Wetherill was regarded by the Indians
as the man to settle their disputes
and give them satisfaction. He had
lived long among them, had traded
with them and many of them owed
him money, from all accounts. 1t
was natural that as Wetherill en-
ployed Finn and as Finn had beat up
one of the Indians, they should call
or Wetherill and see what satisfac-
ton they would get 1t seems that
: Wetherill offered them little satisfac-
ton, telling them that it was not his
affair if an Indian quarreled over the
ownership of an unbranded pony and
5 then got hurt.
/ Indians Incensed.
S "The Indians went away from Weth-
erlIs house and very much displeas
ed. From that moment on, it is be
S lieved a conspiracy was matched tC
r put both Finn and Wetherill out of the
., way. There was more than a motive
: of revenge to do away with Wetheril
Q for a glance at Wetherill's books it is
- said reveals that Indians were indebt
ed to him in the sum of thousands Of
dollars 1t has been said but | dc
not know with how much truth, thai
i. Wetherill had been collecting some O.
these debts by taking cattle from the
:. Indians. This means of wiping ou
the debts did not please the owners O.
cattle But at all events Finn was
the man who brought this trouble tt
4 a crisis and Wetherill had displeaseC
- the Indians by his refusal to give
O them satisfaction for Finn's beating
up one of their number.
q Lay in Ambush.
= II think the story that Wetherill
=. when seen by the Indians about Finn's
=, conduct, broke one of the Indians
- guns on a rock, is also true and tha
!, added fuel to the flames. At all events
:, the Indians seem to have pitched OF
one of their number, consumptive
to do the sharp shooting, and lying il
= ambush they caught Finn and Weth
AZ erill riding together and fired upol
them.
u Shot Scares Horse.
"AI that saved Finn from bitin$
ST the dust was the rearing of his horse
'C after one of the shots was fired anC
II the bullet missed him. Another sno
y caught Wetherill Finn, instead o
E. putting up fight then and there, pu
III spurs into his horse and broke away
II The Indians were then in open pu1
T. suit of the cowpuncher and one of tn
ID Indians, policeman called to hin
n to halt. 1t seems Finn had SOM
'r shooting to do before he got hom
and put bullet through the hand o
h one of the Indian pursuers. Finn mar
9r aged to get back to the Wetheril
/" home but Wetherill was done for
le Sheriff Dufur said that the Indial
e. who shot Wetherill is in jail but jus
e, what will be done with him remain