Semi-weekly herald., 1911-04-27
BILL TRULY KILLER.
Three of the TRULY Brothers Attack
Ike Cox, Who Kills One and Makes
the Others Retreat.
Cox Now in Jail Awaiting Action of
the Court.

Bill TRULY, notorious character of
the San Juan country was, on yes
terday afternoon, shot and killed by
Ike Cox, sheepman of Trouble mesa,
down on the state line.
AS nearly as we can get the par
ticulars of the killing it seems that
the Truby's, family of five or six
brothers, have been terrorizing the vi
cinity in which they resided, ugly
stories in which the mysterious dis
appearance Of divers horses and mules
have been concerned, are told about
them and they are regarded as all
around bad men, have been having
some trouble with this man Cox, who
seems to have been good DISPOSE
toned and peaceable sort of chap,
and on Sunday, the 18th, fight oc-
Cured between Cox and the dead man
in which Cox gave his opponent de-
cidedly the worst of it, and yesterday,
about o'clock in the afternoon, three
OF the Trubys went out and inter-
cepted Cox while he was out looking
after his herds. The trio made gan
attack on Cox who pulled from his
shirt an automatic, shooting .45 cali
ber and perforated the body of Bill
Truby, the leader in the attack, with
| FIVE punctures. Another one of the
brothers, Sam, receiving couple of
holes through his clothing and his
uyhirh ha ~ Lii lal
Cox Immediately rode to town and
gave himself up to the sheriff and
is in the La Plata county Jail at this<
time. His trip to town was not WITH
out excitement for another one of
the Truby brothers got Winchester
rifle and pursued him, firing some
dozen or more shots at him as he
made his way to town.
So far as we can learn Cox has been
decent sort of fellow. He has q
flock of sheep and has been grazing
them upon government range which
the Trubys regarded as their own pri-
vate property and, although Cox had
government permit to use the range,
they have repeatedly ordered him to
take the sheep off the range and
threatened to kill him in case he fail
ed to do so. Cox seems to have been
lacking in the points which go to
make up coward and in spite of the
threats made by the Trubys he con-
tinued to use the range.
The Trubys have been of the near
outlaw class, nearly every term of
court for years has been graced by
the presence of one or another of
them in the capacity of defendant
and right now there are cases of cat
tie stealing pending in the district
court against them.
Bill TRULY, the member of the fam
lily who was given a good beating by
Cox week ago, was heard, in this
city, to make several threats that he
would "get even" with Cox and we
suppose that the mission of the gang
who went out to hunt Cox up yester-
day was to administer to him either a
beating or possibly a killing. They
were at least hunting trouble and
seem to have found it in sufficient
quantities.
Coroner Hood, his stenographer and
Attorney Russell are down to Bondad
today where the inquest will be held.
We called upon the sheriff and
asked permission to see Cox but the
sheriff refused us permission, saying
that the prisoner did not want to see
anyone and the sheriff himself very
carefully refrained from giving us
any information whatever. While our
newspaper experience has covered
several years, it is the first time we
have ever been unable to reach man
in Jail charged with murder.