The San Francisco call. [volume], February 27, 1910, Page 3, Image 3

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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Hie San Francisco Sunday Call
Trailing Murderers Through
Hundreds ooff f Miles of Dangerous
Deserts and Capturing a Whole
Tribe of Hostile Indians Is All in the
Day's Work of These 25 Ununi
formed Policemen Who Ride the
Border : : : :^ r ' '- : •
Fred R. Bechdolt
TO carry man's written law of
right and wrong into "the" far
reaches of the southwestern des
erts — this is the business of the
Arizona rangers. Like similar companies
which have ridden in Texas since the
days trhen the Indians were thick, this
organisation is composed of peace of
ficers who have come largely from the
cowboy 6tock. In their ensemble they
make a wonderfully eScient body, of
irregular cavalry. The stories /of how
eoine of these riders have brought en
forcement of the statutes Into places
beyond the shimmering sky lines read
like the tales of the picturesque west
of yesterday; in fact they chow that
the border Is today In many places
a- wild, free land where man to . man
action continues to take the place of
civilization's eubleties and evasions.
"When they organized the Arizona
rangers In ISOI the company consisted
of 20 men. Since that time It has num
bered ts high as SO; usually the roll
contained about 25 names. The^rrests
have run xip Into four figures Yearly.
And nearly all of these arrests have
been the captures of badly wanted men,
\u25a0who themselves tad marvelous ability
In shooting and close knowledge of the
wilderness Into which they had fled.
When the company first began its
work the territory was still Infested by
the various classes of "bad men** -who
have given the southwest a hard name.
There were several well, organized
bands of horse thieves, who drove their
stolen stock via two trails into Xew.
Mexico or Sonora; a sprinkling of kill
ers from behind with reputations aa
desperadoes was floating around such
cow towns as Wllcox, and Mexican
renegades — Yaqui bandits or mountain
robbers of Spanish-Indian blood —
dropped across the International boun
dary when pressed too hard by rurales
in their native haunts. There was, too,
the usual accompaniment of Indifferent
and lawless sheriffs, whose sympathies
were not with the peaceable citizens.
Quick Changes Followed
Into these conditions the tcore of
rangers plunged, and changed- things
within the first few months. .They
were a carefully picked body. The
men-liad been selected for moral In
tegrity, knowledge of the country
and ability to ride. Incidentally," of
course, the great majority of . them
were faultless marksmen. Their dv
ii** were to enforce the laws where
others did not or could not. v f
In that, first year they put a check
on cattle and horse rustling; elim
inated two notorious, gangs of bank
and bullion robbers from the" previous
ly chaotic scheme of things, 1 , and placed
come 15 murderers behind:- jail bars.
From then on the company, continued
to work alQng these lines, and the
body's .efSciency ' needs no , better, com
mentary than the fact that there has
not been In Arizona during the' last
flye years > *«lnglt train er "bank rob
bery.
A 1 1..' this . was done -In a . country of
broken and rugged mountains, of wide,
hot. deserts and pathless solitddes. It
was accomplished by men. who % rod«
singly or in .pairs against superior
numbers, and frequently,- at the jour
neys' ends, *'shot it out" with the well
armed fugitives. The stories of these
different episodes- are seldom told be
cause ths- actors, being men of action,
are not men -of-, words! \u25a0-.--.
.One of. these stories hinges on the
f.iirous -JMufikett murder. Its similar
ity to a Jrcrfe. of. other Incidents of the
ranger's ."work makes ''lt", as'-., valuable
as an'illustratlon as it is interesting
from point of action. Old man Plun
•kett-lived'-on'-rthe edge of the desert
in. southern Arizona^. The ranch house
was the usual, low cabin- surrounded
by'the usoarco.rral, open stables, Irri
gating ditch and line of poplars. Be
yond -aH this the -shimmering desert
stretched,. " a -pla.ee "of mysteries. •\u25a0 \u25a0*.
From' this place one night two men
rode away, hard and fast, to the south.
"When the clatter of their horses" hoofs
had died the ranch* became a silent spot
in the shadows'of the poplars— the si
lence endured with daybreak, and all of
that day and the next. A silence that
was grimi". suggestive of something ter
rible.' That something confronted a
visitor -who rode : to the place on the
afternoon' of the" third day. He found
the 'bodies of.. Plupkett and his aged
house keeper; in a disordered, blood
stained room. The two had . been
stabbed again = and again. The . motive
was robbery/ as evidenced by the rifling
of tthe rooms.' .Officers ; Iwho arrived the
next, day discoveredYevidence^to show
that two Mexican ranch hands had done
the thing and .had fled- toward the
boundary. The ' trail . made ,by the
horses that night was. followed :for
some distance. . "Afterr which .there re
mained no clew. • ;\u25a0 \u25a0* \u25a0<*-'*- * «-- ;
. Weeks of effort- brought no result; in
the way" of capture-o.r discovery. of the
hiding plate fbf'_ the"- criminals.- ...They
were somewhere i in Mexico;- and that
was as much as -.any, one knew.* At this
juncture s the irangers- took the - case.
Captain Harry, C-' Wheeler, then a lieu
tenant,.went with a' party of tjiree men
Into.Sonora.to^apprehend the fugitives.
The "dew on /which- they- traveled .was
a | bit of ; information \ to the effect . that
the murderers ;,were; In one* of the rail
road construction: camps. in" the moun
tains of northern Mexico.- • ...
The four men traversed the route of
the railroad then in course of construc
tion to the gulf of* :. California; /. After
theyhadbeen for/ several days they
came^* to the* beginning of ; a* wilderness
of \u25a0 foothills . and,- desert.- • Here ranch
lands 'ended;, there ;were ho more towns,
only, the some) 4o
miles apart, stood ;like* outposts of civ
ilization. '.-At the time the Yaquis were
being, harried -by. troops -Into' a state of
insurrection. bands"; of . these In
dians* and small'bbdies'of; outlaws led;
DONE BY THE
ARIZONA
RANGERS
by- Mexican 'and - American renegades
who were taking advantage of the war
to do guerrilla work on their own ac
count made the region dangerous "even
for those few settlers who had • forti
fied their houses. The 111 famed Jesus
Trujlllo with "a ; body of followers was
at. the time "raiding villages, levying
tribute, plundering ranches, murdering
and torturing men and carrying women
off- Into captivity. The country into
which; the four rangers were going
was his home. . '\u25a0_/ -.
Retarded by Soldiers
At the. outset of their venture Into
this region the quartet was met by. a
body of Mexican soldiery, fresh from
an encounter, with ••.= the Yaqtils. ; The
troops -were cavalry, and many of; the
men rode with blood stalnej bandages
about their -, heads limbs. " They^
had been repulsed Rafter, a sharp en
gagement,,; . and; . their commander
warned Wheeler not .to go -on. "telling,
him that to do so meant certain death
at. the hands of Indians or outlaws.
Wheeler, -however,- thought differently
about It, and . his " party proceeded.
The j next morning* a' "Jetachment of
soldierj-, ; sent out after . them, over
took them and;- jtook. them back;
virtually under 'arrest. 'The espion
age on the part "of the troops
was kept up for" a 'day, and when it
ended the rangers r went .on, only ;to
meet, more .cavalry who- repeated .the
procedure of '.their fellows. : Feeling,
that such- interruptions could \ only
hinder.- them ; and: could, bring nothing
more? than "the .safety.- for which thej*
did" not; long,", the .party : escape^ from
these last'gjuards and. made* their way
into : the hills'* without- horses \*or food.
They carried ..water*; enough '". to; last
them for half- a- day. ' They walkedVfor
nearly 100 -miles .across a-. mesquite
desert; their [water" gave out;: they -had
iio sustenance; I . ,the>v did ~.\ not- khow-the
countr}-. They -suffered fromVa-heat
unusual even for/ Mexico; .their feet,
unaccustomed -to .walking, -.became cov
erej . with ! blisters;'- the thirst made
their^lips puff. ' .But' they/ kept"oni',!until
at length, , reeling. 'froin, exhaustion ;an*d
.hunger "and V thirst, i they . came upon a
little - 6utlyin?r v ( railroad , ;-i settlement
where?' th'e"; laborers r them shelter
after having, repulsed them in the fear
that they \u25a0were Yaquis. : So • •worn . and
sunburned were all the party that* even
close view of . their faces hardly, dis
pelled this - impression 'of savagery.
The rest and .refreshment which . they
grot here enabled ' the rangers to push
on again into; a country \u25a0 where ; even
the soldiery had not dared to penetrate.
They crossed I this belt at t night, ;on
foot, 1 In safety, .and- reached the region
of the construction camps which had
been "their goal. Here they sought
their men for .several., days. -At the
end of that time they learned that the .
two murderers had left * for Arizona.
~ Back by the route whence they had
come, at so much danger; and to the
accompaniment of so much" hardship the \u25a0
rangers went. - They reached Naco, \u25a0 the
company's^ headquarters, and to all'ap- '
pearance gave up the chase. . -
. But word was sent out to every man
In the organization ' that. tne;,Phinkett
murderers* were 'hiding la/ the
tory. A silent search 'was' -maintained
until one day Wheeler himself, walking ;
out' from Wilcox, saw. a pair of Mexi
cans sitting "' on the ; railroad track. * A .\u25a0_
driving ; rain was falling. Curiosity las 1
to why these two did not come into;the
shelter }j of •'\u25a0\u25a0 the : \ town - led • Wheeler ~to
approach; them. As he drew near he
saw -one 'of the -pair shift his brown '/
hand to "the . handle of a knif a beneath*
his!; coat. -He felt 7 positive;: then * that I:
the men: had - for him j andCh«^ :
lost :no!\time^in \u25a0.< placingathe two^of ~
them -under. arrest.;;' At^once; on seeing^
themnowj at close range," he recognized :\u25a0
the : resemblancvi tbT.the \u25a0 two fugitives r
, from ; the ; Plunkett J , ranch.*s He; had ! them %
placed j in ; separate^cells.Yand I that same |
night one: of them" confessed^ giving: all 7^
ith c de tails *of the; crimel ; Th c j chase [ t or ;
. these : two | murderers I- had* lasted ."over *
wreeks;it:had ? inlcludedsgreat:hardships T '
arid ; < dangers.*', ; But I here *; is | something 1
\u25a0 which t- the j reader . who ' lives in -more *
;ci villzed ; surroundings I aridi among: dif -"
f erent I conditions »;may s s find".: it? hard r' to - ;
; believe:- -The; 5 rangers i "pald% 'their * owni
rexpensesithroughoutHt'.aH;* they -did it \u25a0\u25a0.
f or s the lovVof ; their, business, that they, '
might : track * down land f find r. the * crim- *
inais."vW •\u25a0:\u25a0:\u25a0:\u25a0\u25a0' >' ' ; ' >.r. '''\u25a0"'^irr-if;', - : -r : '-; -v- ?-~."
%-That :idea r of idevotionUofdutyiWhlch:
;makes : these S rangers s more -cager w for
\u25a0 resul ts >j than \; over}' \ the! r '\u25a0} mileage %ac-j!
: counts -5 was t brought-^ out"^beautifully/.
; whenif Captain.^ Wheeler^ and gl2f; men i
't6ok'aiwh6lettribe : 'of 'lndians ;prisonersi'
twd| yea rs^ ago/)4This f was % the I Papago I
fexpedl tion/vi; 1 1 f earned about%as:a li
ijuence ? of i two V; murders f committed gqnl!
the reservation nearly 200 miles 'across
the desert if rom- Tucson. ; The Pa pagos
had certain'; ideas -of their own -about
justice- which \u25a0 did> not ; fail Jn" with/; the
ideas set '.forth in" > the > white -j man's
statutes. ra/consequence "when the
sheriff jof .-PI ma county" had - sent ; out- 1 a
posse of deputies to arrest these .mur-^
derers the tribe .of ; 200' :. oddCi lndians
smiled on the posse, ..toqk j them- prison
ers .and sentithemibackjtolthelr sheriff
with"*: a :. of J impolite" defiance.
Then the* rangers Vwere ; called upon. - -"-;\u25a0
Wheelerv Dauntless ; Captain
| Whe'elerihad *just" gotten: out of .bed,
whence %he ?. had -^been • driven. by.: three
bullets from the: pistol'of. a, man twhoni
Arizona iwanted.'; .His /doctor "insisted
thatia 200 'mile^ride across ; alkali flats
and j rock Cribbed 'mountains --.was bound
to be 'i bad i for/j the • open .« woun ids.: .-But
"^heeler,^ as .^others ; have^ done,, put ; by
thejldoctor's^Tadvlce rand' went forth.
Being a man of ;theout of 'doors, he was
able .to ] do*thisfand mot •; regret -It. • The
13 : men"; madeltlie "ride;; the, route; led .by
way lot the^oid \ Black . mountain , wilder
nesses, grizzly., bears. and spotted
tigers; stiir-jliye* undisturbed. {.rr During
the 'last; day^tbeiposse; ckme.'upon an
Indian .making ; -in' the"; direction " ; in
which", they Hhemselves;, were;: traveling.
His c general ; : demeahbr,n was i. that iof „ a
man in iextreme;haste;and ; sbmeappre^
herislon; took* him in"- and! cared
fprihim— and> guarded 'him * ;|jWltb.|this
convoy . they on, until, they "came i at
length; to >,a-^ high; hill" overlooking .-a"
Pa'pago'Xvf HagelT-* Here"! Wheeler ? halted
his /men * arid i \varned Uhern * not * to * try.
and - ride'*in * ah cad | of >him-^-a {common
practiceVoh'Jthelpart-of .theses rangers,"
whose 'Vnxietyjfor, action of ten had",led
them -to, try to^beat- their captain 'to ;tb:o
danger. vvW;?"^''-\..- : .;.: ; -. -v: -, ••;\u25a0•'.- '\u25a0
?"After tightening^upithelricinches.the
13 : swept ! 'down-.upon|the village,* guard-*
ed ; Its , . two Vpolnts ; of entrance and \ found,
the 1 town* to; be^ tenanted fonly •; byj a', few
bld^womjen£and"children:\>-The_men," It
seemed, * were"; out- atiwork: rounding- up
theirjcattle/^;;;;^.'.-*^-"^'.^; — ;\v"--: ; -*:;\u25a0\u25a0' /
'• VThel problem I wa's'jfaj delicate "one ; to"
tak e ; these ' men, 51 ; now,; out on a jrange, I , to
get 1 themf all ; and|to Bift',themJd6wnVto
find 5 among ft them >ithe"4 two i murderers.
.Theyjsetiat^once^aboutJit^TheJrotite'to
the J country »; of «',the!rrouridup|;went/» by
way?of a*"narroV/*deflle,- in- a i widening
of , -which the village lay. In a "close
shut- portion . of ! this Tgorge the party
concealed themselves, just "as highway
men .'hide? -when waiting for victims.
Evening, came on, and 1 with It the In
dians. They rode. down the canyon in
twos- and- threes. They* rode with no
thought of trouble, no idea of anything
save >thelr. home "and -rest.. I» this happy'
frame of mind ( they found themselves
facing . rifle muzzles.' They . complied
with the 1 demands of the men" who bore
these .rifles, .laid down their own fire
arms andiwere marched off to one side
inja place, hidden from 'the. trail. The
rangers'. ln >' this" manner, captured one
groupafter another.nntll-at length they
had^allVthemen ot ;,the - tribe under
guard.f'lt then ;becajrne\their, task' to
find' the; two who .'were^wanted.' Here .
came in for. use the Indian whom they
had I taken fon > their ;way from . Tucson.
Knowlng.that this. man was ridtngifast
with the; idea of warning: the tribe of
their approach.: theyihad-flgured that he
must be acquainted -with the pair whom
they l-wanted. : .They; therefore ordered
him I ta.-pick ; these ' oht-s; Somewhat a-wed
by/the' Quick actibn'of the posse which
he had .witnessed. | the; man sobeyed5 obeyed un
quesUonlngly.*JAnd;the party.of 15 rode
backiwith .the felons; : .The fact that
they had imprisoned more : than lOilmes
their 'number, and: had iddne: this in a
country j- which inoneiof » them'- had ?ever
seen t before— a :coumr>-, far^ from 'their
own "^ did impress, these
ran gers/-as ibein g '.any thing, wonderful.
.Their^buslness » was | tqicarfy, the tstat
utes into just, such; spots, and they, had
doneHheiribusines»-rtha.t'wa3_alL
,'. IThelbad .man as he existed In Arizona
during- the . old'^days^of and
the% Lincoln 7corinty. V war ; .across ± the
boundary.. has been-the .themeof \u25a0 fiction
for' years.*: .r.thlsl individual was
a '; coward \ who vjshot : .- an "\u25a0 unprepared
enemy..Sometimes"he:ha'd great bravery.
'Almost ;" always L\ he -was, a wonderful
shot sand .-knew^ the jjcoun try 'perfectly.
DuVihg " the^ flrst,- f eWVyears of ..th"c !com
pany's. life* the'naeni-htjnted down ; most
of '- thesfij renegades^bf 'note 1 ; andT"e!ther
jailed .' them" or*'-drpve \ them r: > f rom-.,the
state. -*'; Among : : . those '^disposed-: of ,;were
Stiles ;j,and.r": Alyord.! famous '.L In r ;i border,
history^- as * bank f. and -i bullion ;; robbersi
Anothe*rr ;^he"Scainei''fcbniJ I Mexico— was
the i.- famous ~j Cliicon^ i who- had -a ", list " of
60 ": murders * standing against * his* nama
when Captain Mossxnas, then . In com
manJ of' the company, took him near
the international boundary. Chicon
had been lured across the line by an
informant. At the time of the arrest
he was rolling a cigarette. Mossman
thrust a revolver against the bandit's
line. Chicon calmly finished roll
ing-. the paper cylinder ar.il asked for a
match, -which he was allowed to light.
Puffing then, he said tersely in Spanish,
"I -" thought there .- was* something
wrong." He was hanged a few months
-later, and from th« drop said to thoss
assembled for th» event, "Adlos,
senores." Of all those -wholesale mnr
derers who in other days have ridden
In and out among the. miraga bordered
deserts. thi3 man was said to be too
-cruelest, and in the days h©
awaited his death it Is said "of him that
he never showed so much as the tremor
of Tan eyelash.
Offenders of Many Kinds
. - If you look over « the records In th»
territorial ."capital you , will ; find that
these felons, while they constitute- th»
large proportion, are byno^meaaa all
the prisoners whom the rangers take.
There .are many arrested for misde
meanors.. The 3© . Infractions of petty
laws seem, a small thing. But th»
nature of the crimes, makes tha mat
ter different. The wrong- doings in
question- comprise, suchoSerUes as in
:sulting" women, encouraging small
boys to fight, keeping saloons open oat
of hoars, and disobeying . the gambling
laws.; Some of the most notable of
the. .company's duties have b«en ttho
enforcement : of « the laws in communi
ties where local officers were Ind!ffer
\u25a0\ ent-r<loslng 'down of towns llke.Tuma.
where the women had to appeal to ,th«
"company for help. . And, In lina with
i this, is a little fact about these men.
Nearly all of them, when they ride out
into -the deaert. carry. In ' their saddle
bags,! candy "and. oranges. . And. when
s the " children of outlying ranches .see
these rangers coining they invariably
run lout to, greet .them.
•Taken from the cowboy stock- — the
finest stock which the old west" grave
I the -.west of ? today — these men > are ; a
tender hearted Hot. ' and brave; they
. are quick to act. and sure, they cherish
a • simple and san untarnished In
" the" greatness of ; tbsir .-" fiuyr.