Pine Cienega gang — Grant County cattle rustlers
For about three years, a band of horse and cattle thieves operated in Pine Cienega, in the northwest portion of Grant County, under the leadership and protection of the Hall family, who were ostensibly ranchers [2][4]. Hall senior and four grown sons: Peter Hall Jr., Bob, Dick, and Tom Hall [1][4]. They were recognized as desperate and dangerous men who belonged to the rustler class and terrorized their neighbors so thoroughly that no one dared make open complaint [1][4]. The family arrived at Pine Cienega about three and a half years earlier with fewer than two hundred head of cattle, but through rustling their herd grew to nearly two thousand head bearing the Hall brand [1][3]. A. bar cattle, kill the cow by beating its forehead with a rock, and brand the calf with the Hall brand; they treated mares with suckling colts the same way [1][3]. The gang also drove cattle from ranges, butchered them, and disposed of the meat, hiding the hides in pits and burning them [5][6]. They burned barns of obnoxious neighbors, carried off grain and implements, stole wire from fences, and ran stolen horses out of the country [5][6].
Sources
- The Hall family consisted of Peter S… (1891)The Hall family consisted of Peter S. Hall senior and four grown sons, Peter Hall Jr., Bob, Dick and Tom Hail. The members of this family were generally recognized as desperate and dangerous men. They were no…
- For the past three years it has been cur-… (1891)For the past three years it has been cur- rently reported that there existed in Pine Cienega in the northwest portion of Grant county a band of horse and cattle thieves, who plied their nefarious business under…
- Silver City Enterprise — 1891 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1891-09-11 (1891)and dangerous men. They were not at all back- ward in letting it be known that they belonged to the rustler class, and they terrorized their more honest neighbors to such an extent that none dare make ope…
- Silver City Enterprise — 1891 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1891-09-11 (1891)ruces; Ad. Meyer, Kansas City; G. D. James, Whitewater; Fred N. Pingrey, Rincon; N. Sack and R. L. Benson, San Anotnio. Mrs. G. O. Smith expects to have eighteen night-blooming cereus plants open out tonigh…
- killed in this manner… (1891)killed in this manner. In just anger at such barbarous business he threatened punishment to the perpetrators should he find one more. Mr. Lyons’ conversation was repeated to Tom Hall who remarked that the d — n…
- Silver City Enterprise — 1891 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1891-09-11 (1891)s Dick and Bob together with him- self had killed the second day after those found by Mr. Lyons. There is also evidence showing that the gang were in the habit of driving cattle from the ranges and butch…