CHAPTER LXI.
THE ASSASSINS STILL AT LARGE—GEN. COOK OFFERS A REWARD FOR THEM AND UNDERTAKES THEIR ARREST—A CLUE—OFF FOR THE SOUTH—TRACKING THE CRIMINALS DOWN UNDER DIFFICULTIES—OUT ALL NIGHT IN COLD WEATHER, HEAVY SNOW AND WITHOUT HORSES—BULLDOZING RANCHMEN AND RAILROADS—A RIDE IN A HAND-CAR—ARRIVAL IN PUEBLO.
While the valiant officer is lying at the point of death, there are other scenes enacting elsewhere. Johnson and Clodfelter are off for their lives, and the officials are hunting them down with all the avidity and keenness of scent of bloodhounds. The community was greatly enraged, and excitement was intense in Denver, as well as in other portions of the state. There were loud cries for vengeance, and the demand was made on all hands that the would-be murderers should be hunted down. On account of their well known skill, the Rocky Mountain Detective Association were called upon to take the matter in hand. They were ready to respond to this call, as they have always been ready to respond to any call made upon them.
Saturday, the day of the killing, was spent in looking after the wounded man, but Sunday the detectives put in in preparation for the work that was before them. They began the ball by offering $250 for the apprehension of the desperadoes, and by sending out circulars informing the country at large of what had been done, and describing the culprits.
On Tuesday night, a Mr. Wakeman, who lived then on Spring creek, about twenty-one miles from Denver, saw one of the posters and immediately remembered that the parties described therein had been at his place and were inquiring the way to Pueblo without passing through Colorado Springs.
This was clue enough, and immediately Gen. D. J. Cook, accompanied by Frank Smith, took the trail of the fleeing scoundrels.
Additional rewards had now been offered by the state, the county and the postal service, swelling the aggregate to $1,700, affording in itself a temptation to the utmost endeavor.
The pursuit was one of the most memorable ever recorded in the history of detective work. The officers left Denver on Tuesday morning, taking the Denver and Rio Grande train. As they traveled down the road they inquired at every station in regard to the men. At Larkspur they met a men who said that the fugitives had taken supper at 6 o’clock the evening before at the house of Mr. Thompson, only a short distance away. At Kelly’s Switch the officers received a note from a Mr. Waterbury, stating that the men who stopped at Wakeman’s were the ones they were after, and that they had gone south. No other word was received by telegram or in any other way by these diligent men until after the men were seen to enter Pueblo. Thompson, at whose house the fugitives had taken supper the night before, directed them by the Templeton Pass road, which comes into the southern road along the Fountaine at Stubb’s, which is twelve miles below Colorado Springs.
At the Springs the officers found Mr. Rickerman, a miller, whom they engaged to go over to the Fountaine road and follow it down, while they would go to Stubb’s on the train, procure horses, and travel up the road to meet him, thus cutting off the pursued. At Stubb’s they could not procure horses, and while deliberating over the matter Rickerman rode in. He had learned that the fleeing men had crossed the Fountaine two miles above Stubb’s about 9:30 o’clock that morning. As no horses could be procured. Cook and Smith footed it to Fountaine, five miles, while Rickerman went on ahead on horseback.
By this time night had come on, and a severe March snowstorm, accompanied by strong winds and occasional sleet, was setting in. Still no horses were to be procured, and the prospect for progress was exceedingly gloomy for the officers. They not only seemed in a fair way not to be able to procure means of pursuing the men, but there was a chance of being compelled to remain out all night without adequate protection from the storm. Just as the outlook seemed the darkest a ray of hope broke upon the scene.
A second Colorado Springs party of five, well mounted on the very best livery horses, and armed with carbines and pistols, and headed by a deputy sheriff, rode up. Cook and Smith had no doubt that they would be able to make terms with these men, and thus be able to proceed with their work. Consequently they made a proposition to the leader of this party to leave two of his men at the place at which they were then stopping, and to let Cook and Smith have two of the horses, agreeing to divide the reward in case the criminals should be overtaken and captured. This proposition caused the Colorado Springs officers to hold a consultation, which resulted in a decision on their part to reject it.
“We can get the men as well as you can,” said the leader. “We have their description. None of our men want to stay here, and we will not make the arrangement you suggest. We will pursue the men ourselves, and will not give up our horses. Your are out of luck, boys. Hope you will do better next time.”
This was a crusher. Another hope was blasted.
But Cook and Smith kept their own counsel and did not lose temper. They took supper at the same place with the Colorado Springs officers.
After supper the party of six, Rickerman having joined them, had their horses prepared for the go, and had mounted, when the leader approached Cook thus:
“Say, old fellow, which way do you think they went?”
It was Cook’s time now to get in his lick.
“Gives us two horses and I will tell you; without the horses I don’t know a d—d thing.”
“All right,” replied the leader, laughingly, “we’ll get ’em,” with which the well mounted party rode off, going in the direction of Cañon City, much to the delight of the Denver men, who, though still afoot, had a great advantage in their experience of years and in the knowledge which they possessed. They determined to press forward, notwithstanding the snow was falling at a blinding rate and night had well set in.
Cook and Smith prevailed upon a ranchman to take them to Mason’s ranch, six miles below, in an express wagon. Here they ascertained that the two men had passed between 3 and 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Cook and Smith then went over to the railroad station and endeavored to persuade three men, by an offer of $30, to take them to Pueblo on a hand-car. This the railroad men refused to do, as it was against orders to put a hand-car on the track at night.
“If you don’t put it on we will,” said Cook to the boss. “We must have it.”
“That would make no difference; we can not disobey orders.”
“You can’t, eh?” said Dave, as he pulled his revolver around so as to show it to the astonished Mike. “Now we’ve got to have the car; we’re officers and must have it. If you don’t give it to us we shall have to take it, and compel some of your men to go along with us.”
This was an argument of more force than had yet been used, and resulted in the boss’s agreeing to take the officers to a point seven miles below, which would be only fourteen from Pueblo, where he was sure transportation could be obtained.
In the face of the most disagreeable snow storm of the season the indomitable detectives, aided by three of the section men, propelled the car, the officers and men alternately working the lever and holding brooms to sweep the snow from the rails so as to allow the car to move. So they worked their way along for several miles until they reached Mr. John Irvine’s ranch. There they hired a wagon and team for $20, and with that went into Pueblo, where they arrived at 3 o’clock on Thursday morning. As may be imagined, they were pretty well used up. They had put in about as hard a night as ever falls to the lot of mortals, walking at times, as they had to do, through slush and snow; riding on rough wagons, working the lever of the hand-car, and all the time going through the dark and facing the wind and sleet. Besides this, they had been compelled to bulldoze everybody, ranchmen and railroad men. A hard night it had been. No wonder that when they got into Pueblo they were well nigh exhausted. Their clothes were wet through and hung limp on their limbs like clothes on a pole.
There were but a few hours left till morning, and the officers decided, after stationing two guards at the bridge over the Arkansas, between Pueblo and South Pueblo, to get a little rest. They, accordingly, after instructing the guards as to what to do in case Clodfelter and Johnson should come up, as they were confidently expected to do, repaired to a hotel, where they stretched themselves out upon cots before the fire with their clothes still unremoved, with the hope of drying their garments while they should rest their weary bodies.