Hands Up; or, Thirty-Five Years of Detective Life in the Mountains and on the Plains / Reminiscences by General D. J. Cook, Chief of the Rocky Mountains Detective Association

by D. J.‏ ‎ Cook

CHAPTER LXV.

CANDADO COSTILLO, A RED-HANDED MURDERER, DEFIES THE OFFICERS FOR YEARS AND RAIDS THE COUNTRY AT WILL—FINALLY CAUGHT UNAWARES BY MARSHAL HYATT AND SENT TO THE PEN—SERVES OUT HIS TIME—AFTER HIS RELEASE, HE ADDS FOUR OTHER MURDERS TO HIS LONG LIST OF CRIMES—HIS TRAGIC DEATH.

Candado Costello, a nephew of the famous murderer, Espinoza, although the blood of the ancient Castilian nobility flowed through his veins, was a bad, bad Mexican.

And, although we have neither the space nor the inclination to moralize at any length, it might be well to remark, for the benefit of the boys who feast upon blood-and-thunder novels of the yellow-back variety, that bad men invariably come to grief. For a time they may rob and kill and plunder, and swagger around saloons on the proceeds of their crimes, terrorizing peaceable and defenseless people, yet sooner or later justice will overtake them, and they must pay the penalty of their crimes. This is the inexorable law of fate, and though they may be able for a time to evade its penalties, they are only enjoying a respite—their days are numbered, and the number is never large. But to return to our subject.

Costillo was a murderer as well as a thief, there being no less than four cold-blooded murders that have been directly traced to his blood-stained hand. But the particular case which we wish to relate here, is that of the killing of a wealthy Mexican cattleman near Bernallilo, N. M., in 1886, for which he was brought to justice by two members of the Rocky Mountain Detective Association—Frank A. Hyatt, and Walter O. Malley, of Walsenburg.

Costillo, with his brother Juan and a number of other relatives and friends, made their homes in the almost inaccessible Huerfano cañon, about twelve miles north of Walsenburg, Colo. From this stronghold they sallied forth on many a raid after cattle and horses, which they generally managed to escape back into the cañon with in safety. In the raid on Romero’s ranch, he and his brother secured a fine bunch of cattle and were driving them toward home, when they were overtaken near Española by Romero and his son. They turned and fired upon their pursuers, and the elder Romero fell dead. The son escaped back home and tried to persuade their neighbors and friends to organize a posse and follow his father’s murderers, but they were all afraid to follow the desperado.

Mrs. Romero offered a reward of $5,000 for the capture of Candado Costillo, Juan having escaped to old Mexico. Gov. Shelton offered $500, and an uncle of Mrs. Romero $100 more. All these rewards did not tempt the local officials to capture him, and the sheriff of Huerfano county, for some reason or other, did not make any effort to apprehend the criminal.

Finally, Senator Barilla, of Walsenburg, a friend of Romero, the murdered man, wrote to Dr. Gale, of Alamosa, asking him to interest Frank Hyatt in the case, as he knew of no one else that would undertake the difficult job.

Hyatt commenced work on the case about the 1st of May, 1887. He went up to Walsenburg and had a consultation with O’Malley as to the best means of securing their man. O’Malley said that it would be almost useless to attempt to take the murderer at his home, but added that Costillo was subpœnæd as a witness in a civil case that was to be called up for trial in about a month, and that would be the best time to effect his capture. So they agreed to wait, and Hyatt returned to Alamosa.

On the 2d of June he received a message from O’Malley, saying: “Man O. K. Come at once.” He went to Walsenburg that evening, and the next morning, O’Malley came to his room at the hotel with the information that Costillo was then in the court room. They both went over to the court house, and Hyatt stepped into the office of Treasurer Nolan to wait while O’Malley hunted up Costillo. When O’Malley entered the room with Costillo, Hyatt was pretending to read a paper, and paid no attention to them until O’Malley introduced the Mexican, who stepped forward, with his right hand extended, to shake hands. Hyatt seized the Mexican’s right hand with his own left, and held it as in a vice, at the same time leveling his revolver with his right. Realizing that he had been neatly trapped, Costillo did not make a struggle, and O’Malley quickly slipped the first pair of “dead cinch” handcuffs ever placed on a murderer’s wrists on the prisoner.