The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-12-04
EPPERSON TELLS
HOW TO HUNT
MURDERERS
kaysviIle Editors Interesting Story
Of Tom Tobin's Successful Search
For Mexican Bandit

Tom Tobin," w. p. Epperson tells
the following interesting story in
the Kaysville Reflex:
Away back in the sixties there
lived in the territory Of Colorado a
Mexican named Espanoza. He was
about the same kind of Mexican as
the man Lopez, who is now fleeing
before Utah officers. Espanoza killed
a man in South Park, Colorado and
headed for New Mexico. Some forty
miles from the scene of the first muir
der he came upon prospector in q
cabin and killed him, after which he.
continued his journey to the south.
Colorado was very sparsely 49,
tied in those days and money was
scarce, but the county in which the
crime was committed offered hun
dred dollars reward for Espanoza,
dead or alive. At that time there liv-
ed in the village Of Colorado City a
man named Tom Tobin. Being short
of money and having a taste for ad-
venture. he decided to earn the re-
ward offered for the murderer.
Mounting his horse. Tobin started
alone on the trail of the Mexican.
The trail was followed from settle
ment to settlement, down the east
hoso ~ tho pN,L;ao uu%iI a. noooad
over the crest of Sangre de Christie
range of mountains into the San Luis
valley, and on south to the border
of the Mexican settlements near San.
ia Fee. It was in the middle Of win.
ter and the nights were bitter cold
in the high mountain valley, but the
Mexican fearing pursuit, passed the
nights travelling, cooking his food ov-
er fire kindled with dry fuel in the
day time. On nearing the settle
ments of the people the murderer
felt safe and decided to rest during
the night beside comfortable fire.
But the building of that fire proved
to be his undoing.
"Tobin had hung ON the trail of
the fleeing man, day after day, fol-
lowing it over the lofty peaks, well
up to timber line and over the floor
Of the sage brush valleys, until one
night he saw the glow of the Mexi-
cans camp fire. Tobin waited well
into the night, until he surmised the
wornout fugitive was asleep, then
crawled over the snow to a point
where he could command a view of
the sleeping man and his camp fire.
There Tobin awaited the dawn of
day, although the man frequently
awoke and replenished his fire. He
did not want to get the wrong man,
for there was but one way in which
he proposed to get him and that was
dead. He knew his man by sight and
patiently waited. With the coming
of day Espanoza flung aside his blan-
ket, rose to his feet, replenished his
fire and. as he stood before It, he
heard the cracking of frozen snow I'M
der the feet of his pursuer. He
sprang for his rife. but he never
reached it. A bullet from Tobin's
OLD Kentucky rifle pierced his brain
and he fell dead by the fire.
"Tobin had got his man, but he
would have to prove it before he could
get his reward, and there was no
witness, but 1t was all easy to the
simple minded Tobin. He cut off
the head of the murderer and, wrap
ping It in a gunny sack, turned his
horses head to the north. reached
home after an absence OF almost a
month, having passed most of the
time alone in the mountains and val
legs.
"On producing the frozen head Of
the murderer in Colorado City the
commissioners of El Paso county
promptly paid the reward and ever
after that MeXicans had q care of
their conduct when in the settlements
of the Americans.
"Tobin had good time at the one
saloon in Colorado City while the re-
ward lasted He lived until old age
among the hills and mountains OF
Colorado, spending most OF his time
in the mining camps as a prospector
He died several years ago and but
few of the old timers remember him
or the incident which brought him
but modest fame. It was time when
such things were not uncommon and
not much was thought of It..