The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-03-21
IN SEARCH OF HORSE THIEF
SHERIFF MAKES CAPTURE

The following account of III" saarch
and capture of horse-thef will b.
of interest to those familiar with the
man hunt" engaged in last week on
the plains. This article was published
in the Vega, (Texasl Sentinel:
1t took four days constant going
but Sheriff Halliburton got the horse
thief all right
An understood stranger struck town
Tuesday. He lounged here and there.
He sold a tire tester at n fourth its
value. When the afternoon passenger
came in he met it, but did not get
aboard. Later solid brass well cyl
indcr consigned to j. r. Owen was
missed.
The stranger took his supper at the
Vega Hotel and going out left the
cylinder on the couch wrapped in his
overcoat.
On his return from uptown he was
hunting about for something and Mr..
Montgomery volunteered that if he
was looking for his overcoat it was
in the washroom. Going thence he
suggested that in moving his host must
have found the coat heavy.
When paying for his room the guest
asked to be called at $50 saying that
he was broke and would have to walk
to Tucumcari before breakfast. He
was told that there was an alarm
clock in the room next his and decided
he would risk that waking Kim. He
did not come down then and was call
ed AT $50.
Not long after that W. p. Ballard
noticed the traveller hurrying up the
railroad track carrying something on
his back.
Evidently the fellow tramped it far
toward Adrian. Finally he espied an
auto coming and came to the road. II
was Mr.. Harwell and he was permit
ted to ride with him. AS they passed
the Ritterspach place the man wanted
to know who lived there. Finding that
the owner lived in Adrian but kept his
horses there, the stranger, who was
put off by Harwell at Adrian, came
back and examined conditions. After
dark he caught ride out from town
to the Ritterspach ranch with drum
mer, and his mode of travel was de-
cided upon.
The traveller felt somewhat ut home
about Adrian, claiming he had driven
water wagon there six years pre-
viously. lie is said to have told Buren,
Spande that he was agent for vac
cine and gave him one outfit, probably
worth So, for his supper.
The next morning it was found that
two locks had been cleverly broken.
One of these was on the door to the
horse stable, and the other to the room
where the thief found saddle.
Sheriff Halliburton had been notified
of the theft of brass but when he was
phoned Thursday concerning the horse
he had no idea of any connection be-
tween the culprits. Jumping in his
auto he picked up Dr. Ritterspach who
accompanied him in the chase.
The fellow says that he reached
Endee about 3 "a. m, unsaddled the
horse and slept in the depot till just
before daylight. Leaving the Ozark
Trail next morning he rode six miles
north to l.. Jerks place, where he
traded the good saddle for another
saddle, with gun, box Of shells and
a belt that he wore in sight. He says
he then crossed the road at Bard City
about 9 p. M, and went south into the
foothills of the Cap Rock. That night
was spent ten miles south in the Cap
Rock wilds.
Down here the pursuers lost trace
of their man and did not get their