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OUTLAWS OF NEW MEXICO. T fertile regions of the West, and as the J ico. When the excitement brokefVdfover the new camp at White Oaks, heThe Exploits of a Band Headed bya.New York Youth.Las Vega*. New Mexico, Dec. 20.— One hundred and twenty-seven miles southed* of Las Vegas, New Mexico, is Fort Sumner, once the base, of operations against the Indians who committed depredations against the stockmen. The fort was abandoned some ten or twelve years ago, owing f* the removal of troops further south, toward the border of Mexico. JThe property was condemned and sold to Fete Maxwell, a 'well-known ranch* man of the section. Since then it has been a depot of supplies for stockman and a stage station oil the postal route to l.V‘o» Valley and Panhandle, Texas.Until recently, n:i almost any fairday, there might have been seen lounging about the store or engaged in target practice four mein all of them young, neatly dressed, and of good appearance. A .stranger riding in the li:tie luuuF: would have taken them to be a panv of Eastern gentlemen, who had coiue into that sparsely set* tied region in search of sport. Many who have gone into that country have struck up an acquaintance with these men and found them agreeable fellows. These men arc tin* worst desperadoes in the West, and large parties of armed men are now scouring the country in r.ursuil of them.For a number of years the people of Eastern New Mexico and Panhandle. Texas, have been harassed by a gang who have run off stock, burned ranches, and committed acts of violence til id murder. It was only recently that the leaders and organization of the hand were discovered. The leaders are Hilly the Kid, so called from his youth: Dave Rudabauch, Biliv Wilson, and Tom O’PhaJIier, the four loungers about Fort Sumner. The Kid is the captain of the gang. Their fastness is about thirty-live miles due east from Fort Sumner, on the edge of the great Staked Plain. In that region is a small lake called Las Portales. It is surrounded by steep hills, from which flow numerous streams that feed the little lake. This place the robbers selected for their resort partly on account of its hiding places, but mainly on account «*f the opportunities it afforded them for stock thieving. No matter from what direction the storm came, it dro/e to the lake the herds of cattle which roam at large in this rich grazing country. There the band built for thenir-eives one of those rude dug-outs so common on the Western frontier, two sides formed by the side of the hill, the other two constructed of sod mid dirt plastered together, and the whole covered by a thatched roof. Blockades or corrals were built near by in winch to put stolen stock. During pleasant weather the members of the gang lounged about Fort Sumner or other stations in that section. When the storm se «i cattle scudding over the pious to the 1'.aveil afforded by the hiil-nrotecred lake-basin, the gan^ would hurrv to their rendezvous and cut out from the herds tlie best cattle, driving them into their corral, whcuce they were later sent to market. Their 5»fty was large, for they had a vast stock to select from, the whole country f‘*r a distance of one hundred and fifty miles either way being a rich, continuous pasture. Besides the active members of the I and, there were many who had apparently some settled occupation, and made themselves useful in disposing of the stolen cattle. I n every town of any size within a radius of 150 miles there were butchers who dealt regularly in this stolen stock. When supplies from roving herds ran short the desperadoes would make a raid on herds that were guarded, attacking ranches and killing or driving off the inmates. Besides their station at Las Portales, they had one at Bosque Grande, fifty miles to the southwest, and another at Greathouse’s ranebe, lifr.v miles to the north. Whenever th-\y were pursued when running oilstock, they had the choice of threeplaces to which to resort.The people of the surrounding country finally found the existence of this band unendurable. After repeated searches which failed, owing to the smallness of the pursuing parties, it was resol ved to organize several bands, who should co-operate in a campaign, which should end only when the out-laws we re driven out of the country, or their capture, dead or alive, was effected. The authorities of the several counties which bordered on the country ov»*r by hue Kid’s gang had been repeatedly petitioned to send out a posse of men to hunt them down, but, a-i Las IVctaps was on disputed territory, the authorities were never able to settle* upon any plan of action. At last the ranchmen lock the matter into Their own mmds, ami the first party tie y sent out succeeded in getting on the track or a detachment of the gang, who were hauling material to Las Portales where they were building large stock yardlt;. Ahhougn the party wasnot sucee»fui in capturing the outlaws, they made The outlaws 1lit about the country in a more lively manner than had been their won!. Tibs showed that nothing could be done by a small force. A guard was always kept out cn the numerous peaks about Las Portales, from which outlook the country for twenty miles either waycould be scanned by the outlaws,, so that they could easily elude a smallparty.rich lands bordering upon the Pecos River are the objective point of many who intend to settle in the Territory, it was thought best to rid that region of the outlaws first, in order that none might be deterred fiom settling there. Precautions have been taken which will prevent this refuge of thehand from ever sheltering them again.It was expected that the two otherEarties would work with Garrett’s and, but the Panhandle party weredelayed, owing to scarcity7 of feed, and the White Oaks Rangers had theirbauds full in another quarter. The latter party had a brush with the Kid,liudabugh, Wilson and several others at Coyote Springs, near the Oaks camp and the outlaws succeeded in escaping, although two had their horses shot from under them. The rangers started back for reinfo:cements and supplies, and then pressed on after the outlaws, coming upon them at their other station at Greathouse ranch. It was night when, the rangers reached the ranch. They threw up earthworks afew hundred*yards from the stockadeof the ranch,'and when the outlaws rose up iq. the morning they found themselves hemmed in. The rangers sent a messenger to Jim Greathouse, the owner of the ranch, demanding the surrender of tlie outlaws. Greathouse replied in person. He came out to the camp of the rangers and stoutly asserted that the outlaw’s had taken possession of bis ranch and that he had no power over them nor anything to do with them. It was considered best to hold Greathouse as a hostage, while Jim Carlyle, the leader of the rangers, accecded to the Kid’s request for a conference A long time elapsed, aud Carlyle did not return. His men bewail to feel uneasy about him, and despatched a note to the renegade chief saying that unless Carlyle was given up in le«s than fiveminutes they would kill Greathouse. No reply was received. Soon a!ter the rangeis saw Carlyle leap from the window and dasli down the hill toward their intreuehmeuts. He hadnot gone far, however, when they saw the Kilt;l throw half his body through the wiudpw, and, taking deliberate aim, brought down poor Carlyle, killing him instantly. A sharp tight followed, but the outlaws succeeded iumaking their escape. Greathouse also getting away duriiur the contusion. Before leaving fur leone with the dead body of their leader, t:»e ranger fired everything about the place, and Greathouse, concealed some miles away, saw the smoke his burning property.The three parties are now engaged in scouting the country, and will notSIt Clbe/Fortgive up the chase till the county is rid of every one of the outlaws. Moneyand outfits have been freely offered by men who have large interest in that section. Government officials are nlt;^v interested in the campaign, for,in addition to their other crimes, the outlaws have put into circulation a large quantity of the counterfeit money maauiaetum! by William Brockwav, the forger. The bills were obtained by one of the gang nam:*d Davis, who formerly onerated in Chicago, ami counterfeit £1 IK) bills in large numbers have teen put iu circulation among the stockmen and merchants in all that region. The information that enabled the Government officers to fix the handling of counterfeit money upon the Kid’s gang came from a freighter named Smith. Hoou afterward, while Smith was on his way from Las Vegas to Fort Sunmer with a load of freight, he was waylaid and murdered by some of the gang.William Bontiey, alias the Kid, theleader of the band, is scarcely more than 20 years of age. He is handsome and dresses well. He has a fair eom-piection, smooth face, blue eyes, and brown iiair. He is about five feet ten inches tall, weighing 140 pounds, and is lithe, active, and graceful. He has one bad feature; two of his front teeth protrude so as to show when his lips are closed. A beautiful bav mare that he has carefully trained, is all that he seems to care for, unless he reserves some affection for his brace of six-shooters and Winchester rifle, which have helpei him out of many a tight place. His care of the beautiful mare is well deserved, for many a time has her fleetuess, which surpasses that of any other horse iu the Territory,saved his life. The Kid is an admirable rider, and as lie is always expecting to be obliged to take to flight, he usually rides another horse, leading his pet behind, in order to make the besttime possible on a fiesli horse. He is considered a dead shot, and much of his time is spent in target practice. He was born in New Yoik State, but ills parents removed to Indiana when he was quite small, and thence U Arizona. There, in the Tombstone District, the Kidkilled his first man, when he was only 17 years old, and was obliged to leave the conutry. l iecame to New Mexico, wdierc lie hasThe Panhandle Transportation Company an a-Hociuiiott of stockmen of western Texas, banded together for mutual protection, com in issioued their superintendent, Frank 8’ewcrt, a brave ft*How, who was just the man for such work, to ' rgnnize an expedition against the outlaw’s. The While Oaks, a nourishing mining camp, organized a i/and of rangers Still another party of picked men, under the lead of Sher-ifl Pat Garrett of Lincoln Countv, who is considered one of the bravest and coolest men in the whole region, joined in the campaign. In the latter part of November Garrett, with a force of fourteen . men, made a dash for Bosque Grande, riding all night, and there succeeded in capturing five of the outlaws. One of them was a condemned murderer who had escaped from jail; another of them was a murderer for whose arrest $1,600 had been offered. These are the sort of men who reinforce the band. Las Portales has long been an asylum for fugitives from justice. ^Bosque Grande (Great Forest) is situated In one of the mostV,havwillpiyiandotlnilived.About throe years ago a difficulty arose in Lincoln county. New Mexico,between the stockmen'aud the Indian tup nt on the reservation. The trouble arose in regard to some outlie ilnu ban been purchased for the Indians. Nearly every man in the county was under arms, and the troons were called oui by Gov. Wallace io quell the disturbance. Tne Kid was mixed up in the affair, and had some narrow escapes.On oue occasion he was hotly pursuedand. was obliged to take refuge in a house in Lincoln, which was surround ed by sixty colored soldiers. To the demand to surrender he only laughed and shot down a soldier juet to show that he was game. The house was set on fire, when the Kid, after loading up his Winchester rifle, leaped from the burning building and made a dash for liberty. All the while he was running he keot firing from his Winchester, bringing down a number of his pursuers. Bullets whistled over his head, hut he made his escape, and leapingon a horse was *oon laughinir at hispursuers. There is no telling how many men he has killed. He sets novalue on human life, and lia- never hesitated at murder when it would serve his purposes. Gov. Wallace a few days ago offered a reward of $60(1 for his capture, and prominent citizens would make up a handsome purse in addition.Billy Wilson is much the same sortof looking fellow as the chief. He isabout the same build, with dark hair and a Blight moustache. He left the Ohio home, where his people, who are all highly esteemed, ptill reside, several years ago. After being engaged in the oattle business in Texas lor some time, he came to New Mex-IDnVftlllhighandvery Vete I wa Kexi lt;Uhot! it a tion: lamlt; I us freetheno r useuse!went there* and waq engaged^M the butchering business.. He waflHnrays considered a smart, energetic^ fellow, and was well thought of. In #some way the Kid persuaded him to join his party, and it was by him that much of the forged paper was put into circulation.Tom O’Phaller is a Texan, and is also a man of good appearance. He has a ruddy, beaming face, and can bean exceedingly agreeable companion.He has beeu with the band from first, and has committed many crimes.Dave Rudabaugh is 36 years old, aud was born in New York City, where he lived until about eight years ago. He has raided over Southern Kansas, the Indian nations, Texas, Southern Colorado, and New Mexico. It would not be difficult to establish charges of murder against him in any or all of those States and Territories. In Colorado, a few years ago, he ran off some Government stock, and, while pursued by a detach men t of soldiers, he killed a Sergeant and two privates.He once headed an attack on the Las Vegas jail, in order to liberate one of jhis friends, and shot down a guard who interfered. He is a thorough desperado in look, word, and action, I ready at all tunes for a fight. He thinks no more of putting a bullet, through a human brain than thiough the bull’s eye of the target before which he is continually practicing.He is 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighs j about 180 pounds. He has a swarthycomplexion, black hair and beard,and hazel eyes, whose cruel, defiantexpression has oftfeu been noted.The career of the band is about run for they are hotly pursued, and the chances are that before long they will be killed or captured. It is not expected that the Kid or Rudabaugh will be taken alive, as they will fight to the j ^Jg last. •Santa Fe, N. M., Dec. 28.—At a latehour last night three oi the most desperate outlaws who ever infested the Territory were brought to town aud placed undercharge of the military authorities, the jail not t eing deemed safe enough. They are Billy Smith, nicknamed “the Kid,” Dave Rudabaugh and Wm. Wilson. For four years past these, with others, have ruled Lincoln county with the pistol and Winchester rifle, committing at least a dozen murders during that time. The outlaws were captured three days ago at Stinking Springs, sixteen miles east of Fort Sumner. According to the accounts of the men, the cap;ure was easily efte fied. It was as great a surprise to them as to the public generally. They say that at Sumner, during the latter part of the week they were informed that the “Kid” and his gang were at Stinking Springs, aud having collected a posse of sixteen men they went after them.The “Kill’s” party consisted of Dave Rudabamrh. the murderer of Lopez, the Las Vegas jailer; Billy Wilson,Tom Pickett, and (’has. Bowdre, making with himself five men in all.The posse under Sheriff Garrett reached StintiugSpriuirs just before day break,and surrounded the house in which tiie “Kid” and his men were quartered. They satisfied themselves that the outlaws were in the house and then waited quietly for them to come out. Soon after it had become light enough to see perfectly one of the doe rs of the house opened and a man stepped out.Tne besiegers thought it was the“Kid” nd fired. The man went back into the house, then came out again and fell dead. It was then ascertained that Chus. Bowdre had been shot. Theposse continued to guard the housfc until nearly dark, when the outlaws surrendered, although the “Kid” was violently opposed to it, and were made secure by their captors. They were then taken to Las Vegas and Drought from there here. At Vegas there was a strong disposition to lynch the men, and it was deemed safest to bring them through to Santa Fe. It is said that the Vegas people were for taking the prisoners away from the guard. Pickett was the only one of the four captives who was left at the Vegas Jail. The arrival here of the prisoners created a a good deal of excitement, and Sheriff Garrett is the hero of the hour.Las Vkgas, N. M., December 2S.—The notorious gang of outlaws composed of about twenty-five men, who, under the leadership of “Billy, the Kid,” have for the past six months overrun Eastern New Mexico, murdering aud committing other deeds of outlawry, was broken up last Saturday momimr bv the killing of two and the capturing of four others, including the lender. The prisoners were lodged in Las \V;.*s Jail and calls of lynching were provoked, but I le’.vigilaure of the captors, Deputy Sin riff Garrett and others, prevented. Yesterday forenoon Garret ami olh r captors hoarded the train with the prisoners for the purpose o,' (idling them to Santa Fe.Sheriff Homers remonstrated against taking Ivudubangh, urn* o: the prisoners who killed the Las Vegas Deputy Sheriff, to S.uila Fe, hut to no effect.,Iie then went to the depot with a po x* of 300 moo and made a formal demand for the prisoner.*, but was told that if he wanted the prisoners to take them. The Sheriff then stationed men at the engine to rover the engineer, 1 lt;and the balance of the Sheriff's oohro ! lo:crowded about the train, the platforms of which were crowded with additional guards, pressed into service by Garrett, and nearly every window of the cars served as a port-hole for rifles. Somebody suggested to take the prisoners now. Stewart, of Garrett’s party, said the instant the first shot was fired hewould unloose every man and arm him. A fight seemed imminent, when Chief Engineer Robinson appeared and demanded the train be allowed to proceed, and the Master of Transporta* lion said that if the train was not allowed to proceed he would arm all the railroad men and take it out. Detec-live J. J. Morlev, of the Postolfice Department, jumped into the cab with a pair of six shooters aud told the engineer to leap out. A conference was finally concluded, and a compromise being effected by which it was agreed the Sheriff and two men should go to Santa Fe with the party, and if the Governor agreed bring Rudabaugh back to Las Vegas. The train then proceeded.H.andI h\Spa'lonptheruortheh«r.‘bunmetforverK1I*doll me i tie.PrirYOUK«»i lod hot of I my outwhi 1 di curfairliyoi;audenlhot in tSIT I t: »!:» Ianlairha\androosunEsda)ONit* p! t!S0lit***sin:blitBTower of Fisa.The leaning tower of Pisa was builtin the twelfth century. It is one hun*etidred and ninety feet high and leans thirteen feet from the perpendicular. The inclination was caused Dy the settling of one side of the foundation.canaafiandanhmilperan)su«iMV(thean)ormeeerwitHwereceeiPDubeprlt;
Newspaper Details
Greencastle County Banner
Greencastle, Indiana, US
Thu, Jan 20, 1881
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
James T.
USA 08 May 2020
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