Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1913-12-12
SHERIFF ABANDONS
SEARCH FOR LOPEZ
BELIEVES BANDIT IS STILL IN
MINE, BUT FURTHER SEARCH
WOULD BE USELESS.
Every PrecautIon VIII be Taken 70
Keep Mexican Murderer In the
Apex Workings In an EndeaVor
to starve Him to Death.

Bingham, Utah.-Further search
of the workings of the Apex mine
for Rafael Lopez, the Mexican desperf
ado, who has taken a toll of six lives,
has practically been abandoned. This
was the announcement of Sheriff
Andrew Smith, Jr., Monday night,
following a conference with Utah
Apex officials.
While admitting that a continuance
Of the search of the mine will prob
ably fail to accomplish the desired
end, Sheriff Smith does not admit
that Lopez has escaped from the
mine. If the Mexican is not dead in
the mine, he is still in there, alive,
Sheriff Smith says he believes, and
his opinion is shared by the mine
officials and the Bingham citizens
who have taken prominent part in
the hunt for the fugitive.
But while search of the mine itself
will be abandoned. every precaution
will be taken to keep Lopez within
The workings and starve him to death,
allowing for the possibility that he
has not escaped from the mine, but
has escaped death by asphyxiation.
When the mine was reopened on
December 5, after having been seal.
ed in an effort to smother the Mex.
lean, three posses went into the
mine. They searched all day for the
desperate, but without avail. On
Saturday the search was resumed.
but without success; they were bach
in the mine again Sunday morning
All this time guards were kept at
| the different entrances, in case Lopez
should still be alive and make a dash
for liberty.
The Apex is full of every kind OF
a hole, stope, tunnel, raise, incline
and shaft imaginable. Places were
found where it is evident that the
smudge could never have reached, as
the air was absolutely fresh and un
contaminated. For this reason it is
believed that Lopez, If he is in the
mine, may very possibly be alive. The
searchers crawl through the mine
with revolvers constantly ready foI
instant use.
After the searching parties came
OhS III JhO WOIhluSS Tie APEX OIL
Sunday night, members of the party
declared that they were satisfied
that Lopez was still In the mine, ant
probably alive.
belongings of the bandit were dis
covered near the point where Hulsey
and Manderich were shot to death, i
appearing to the searchers that the,
had been hastily abandoned.
The question of whether Lopez wa!
able to get out of the mine, get t
the home Of some friend, change
clothes and slip out of the minint
camp without being apprehended, il
still being discussed. The belief tina
this might have happened has grow
since o. e. Radtke, an employee o
the Highland Boy mine, reported tina
ne mad seen a man fitting the de
scription of Lopez skuIking down tn,
road on the night of December 1.
Radtke said that he was returnin,
to his home near the Highland Bo,
about midnight Monday when he say
man walking down the road. H
said the description as to size fitte,
Lopez and that the suspicious action
OF the man caused him TO step close
70 get a better look at the face tina
was hidden under a cap and pulle,
down low over the eyes. He said tn
man moved rapidly away,