Silver City Enterprise — 1888-1890 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1889-04-19
source date: 1889
availability: public-domain

It pleases us to state that one of the Apache murderers of Freeman T. Cosper, the freighter, is now a real good Indian and the other a prisoner. They have managed to evade the In- dian scouts until Wednesday, when they were discovered by a party of scouts, who attempted to arrest them. They resisted, and in the fight that followed one of the murderers was killed and the other captured. The latter will be turned over to the civil authorities for trial. Old Chilchuana, who, it is believed, was as- sisting the scouts, was wounded during the fight. — Stockman. The pardoning of Jasper Thomason, the slayer of A1 Potter, will meet with general dis- approval by all of the people of the Mogollons and the San Francisco valley. Thomason was convicted principally upon his own testimony, as he was the only witness present when the deed was done. He acknowledged, in his evi- dence, that he shot down an unarmed man, but claimed that he thought Potter had a gun be- hind a tree. The evidence showed that Potter was peeling poles, with his coat off, and was unarmed. The bullet struck his left chest and came out near his right hip, which would indi- ( 8 )

that he shot down an unarmed man, but claimed that he thought Potter had a gun be- hind a tree. The evidence showed that Potter was peeling poles, with his coat off, and was unarmed. The bullet struck his left chest and came out near his right hip, which would indi- ( 8 ) cate that he was bending over his work when the shot was fired. He fell over his work, where he was found, with his ax near by, which would certainly show that he was making no effort to reach the tree, even had there been a gun there, which there was not. The citizens of that section have always condemned it as one of the most cowardly murders ever committed in that section and why he should have been pardoned, when the governor knew the facts in the matter, will perhaps always remain a mystery. Life is held in entirely too little regard in this section. A man who takes the life of another stands a better chance to get off than the man who steals a horse. It is high time that a stop be put to this kind of business, and some of these red- handed murderers given the full penalty of the law.

little regard in this section. A man who takes the life of another stands a better chance to get off than the man who steals a horse. It is high time that a stop be put to this kind of business, and some of these red- handed murderers given the full penalty of the law. Harry Hermann, the “Wild Dutchman of the Mogollons,” spent a few days in the city this week while on his way to Socorro. He says that the people of that section are making a general “kick” at the Socorro officials for the manner in which they have been treated in the collec- tion of taxes. The tax collector did not visit that precinct, and suit was brought against those who did not pay, thus attaching enormous costs, which in many instances amount to more than the taxes. The suit brought against the Sheri- dan company is for $165 more than the tax. Captain Maunsell’s tax amounted to $300 and he was sued for $1100. Herrman was charged $8 for being two days behind the date pre- scribed by law, for paying his tax — twenty-odd dollars. Mr. Herrmann states that the people will fight the suits and take a change of venue to this county. This may be one instance when the change of venue law will prove a benefit to a persecuted community.