Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-01-23
Believed to Be Parties Who
Robbed and Tortured
Episanio Vigil and Wife Near
ProgreSSo Ten Days Ago.
TAKEN INTO CUSTODY
AFTER LENGTHY SEARCH
Two Prisoners Former OkIaho-
mans and One Has Bad
Record as Gun Man, Two Of
the Bunch are MexicanS.

Special Dispatch TO the Morning journal.
Mountainair, N. NJ, Jan. 22.-Lieu-
tenant Collier of the New Mexico
mounted police and two deputy sher-
ifs, arrived in Mountainair today,
having in custody five prisoners, all of
whom are suspected to have partiei-
pated in an outrage committed near
Progresso, some ten days ago, when
Episanio Vigil and his wife We're
robbed of $240, their savings for many
years, and were tortured brutally by
the robbers to make them reveal the
place where their money was hidden.
The men were taken to Estancia this
evening, where they will be placed in
Jail and strongly guarded, pending a
preliminary hearing, which will be
held there Monday morning. The pris-
oners were manacled and shackled to-
gether and every precaution is being
taken to prevent any attempts on their
part to gain their liberty. h five
men include Jud CraVens, better
known as "Tex" Cravens, d. a.
Tucker, A. I. Shotzer, Dorateo Torres,
and Lazario Cordova. Cravens has a
bad reputation as an all-round bad
man and is said to have several
notches on his gum. Tucker and Shot
ger came to New Mexico some time
ago from Oklahoma and little is
known concerning them. Torres lives
at Mountainair and Cordova at Pro-
gresso. Cordova is an e~x-convict, hav-
ing served a term in the territorial
..,stnn4{n ~ ~ NJ Caoto no Ia ~ a
witness against Domingo Wales, who
was charged with having killed Col.
]. Francisco Chaves, near Pinos Wells,
several years ago. The chase after the
five men covered hundreds of miles of
territory and was one OF the most OK.
citing that has occurred in several
years. The hunt for III" men was di-
rected by Lieutenant Collier, several
deputy sheriffs and other officers join
ing in the chase which lasted nearly a
week. The chase grew especially OK
citing in the Abo Pass, which is still
pretty much of a wild country, al
though nothing like it was some eight
or ten years ago. All the five prison.
ers in charge of Collier refused to
make any statement regarding their
guilt or innocence today and there are
few new developments with reference
to the manner In which Vigil and his
wife were robbed. AS far as can be
learned the Vlgils live near Progresso.
which is some fifteen miles south of
Willard. on the night of January 10
six masked men entered tho Vigil
home and with drawn guns command
ed Vigil and his wife to throw up their
hands and deliver their v~aluables.
Vigil protested that he had nothing
of value in the house. The robbers in
sisted that Vigil had some money hid
den somewhere about the mouse and
again demanded it. Vigil continued
TO assert that he knew nothing of the
money. Becoming impatient at mis-
refusal. the gang secured punches of
rags, soaked them in coal oil and
wrapped them about Vigil and his
wife, threatening TO cremate them. OIL
soaked paper was placed between their
toes and lighted, and other tortures m
flicted. Finally Mrs. Vigil promised TO
tell the thieves where the money
was hidden If they would cease their
tortures. Some $240 was secured by
the robbers, which represented the
saving of a lifetime on the part of
the Vigils. A gold watch, valued at
$40, was also taken, and the criminals
hiked out to the Abo Pass country, GO
ing in different directions. The Vigils
notified the officers of the outrage
and a vigorous hunt for the robbers
was begun, which ended in them be-
ing run to earth, one by one, Lieuten-
ant Collier arresting Cravens and one
of the Oklahomans near Scholle, on
the Santa Fc railroad, Friday after
noon.
The affair has caused much excite
ment in this part of the territory,
which. however. has died down since
the arrest of the five men, whom 1t
IS believed can be connected with the
outrage without much difficulty, as
there is strong evidence against them.
Although all members of the gang
wore masks when they held up their
victims, the men now in custody are
said to answer the general descriptions
given to the officers.