Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-01-21

"The Custer Wolf is dead
He was the master criminal of
the animal world.
Through the region around Gus
ter, S. d., that day, the telephone
lines were buster than they were
on the day the armistice was
signed.
For nine years this WOLF had
lived as an OutlaW--the CrueliSt,
the most sagacious, the most sue
cessful animal outlaw that the
range country had ever known.
His cruelty was surpassed only by
his cunning. He killed with the
refinement of animal fcrociLy,
Here tOnight-tomorrow he deVas-
tated a range half hundred
miles away.
He Hoped through every kind OF
danger and spurHed them all. He
shifted at the subtlest poison and
passed it ny. The most adroitiy
concealed trap was as clear to him
as a mirror in the sunshine. Old
hunters, unerring shots, drew the
bead on him and saw him glide
away unframed. The price on his
head was $500. Bounty hunters
sought him for profit. Sportsmen
put forth every device to slay him
for reputation's sake. And still the
old wolf went unscathed about his
work of destruction.
Had Uncanny Intelligence.
Credulous people said he was a
charmed thing. Others attributed
his immunity to n wisdom greater
than beast ever before possessed.
Still others said he escaped by plain
luCk-the mysterious tang that ad-
heres to some animals as to some
men. In whatever way they eX-
planned his unCanny eluslVenesS,
everybody feared him-perhaps not
consciously, very rarely openly, but
there was no man throughout that
region who did not feel a shlVer
run down between his shoulder
blades when, alone or in the dark,
he thought of this gray devil OF
the desert.
All kinds of stories got abroad.
This thing, they said. was not a
wolf-not merely wolf. They be-
lieved that nature had perpetrated
a mOnstrosity, half wolf ana nan
mountain lion, possessing the era :
tiness of both and the cruelty OF
hell. In public opinion, he had all
the qualities of the Were wolf Oh
the old World legends.
No wonder the telephone
hummed when the word went out
that a hunter, sent by the United
States department of agriculture
to protect the livestock industry
had killed the criminal wolf. That
word ended a nine years reign oi
dread during which the stockmen
around Custer had paid tribute II
this wolf to the extent Of $26,OVC
worth of livestock. And mere mon
ey loss was not the whole OF inc
horrible toll he took. When nc
killed for food, he took only the
choicest animals, but sometime
he killed in atrociOus ways FOR tne
mere sake of killing. often ht
wounded cattle, breaking their legs
biting off their tails, mutilatlne
them in unspeakable ways,
Took But One Mate.
Four years ago his mate was
killed. He never took another anc
many people supposed that he de-
voted himself to revenge for hei
death. Later on, he attached him
self to two coyotes, not as equals
but as servants. He never permit
ted them to come near him, ant
they could feed from his kills only
after he himself had finished
They Travelled far out on his flanks
giving him warning of ambush OF
approaching danger and adding tt
the atmosphere of mystery tina
surrounded him.
After bounty, reaching by
stages from 500 to $500, failed
to bring old criminals scalp
after private trappers and sports.
men hunters had given up the
quest; after poisons and dogs had
failed. the stockmen tried a round
UP. Having, as they thought, To-
Gated the wolf, a large number OF
riders started in great circle
ard closed UP. This, like all the
other devices, was unsuccessful
Sonic Of the stockmen, in resigna-