Document text
ldith L. Cramfard
CarriMS*0 N. Mx.
By. OMIT turloson.
110e.worde.
My husband Pete Burleson, came to Cimarron, low Mexico in
Colfax County in the year of 1876, from the Big Bond country in
Texas, which is located in the Davis Mountains, be arrived in
Colfax county with about (1500) hundred bead of cattle, he ye.
tied on a placo on the /ed Riker, built a two room log cabin
and settled down to raising cattle.
In 1877„ my father O.K. Chittenden and MAY Allison
brought Mr. Burlerons down to our house to try and persuade his
to run for sheriff of Colfax County, is how I first met his.
Re first said he would not consider making the race at all
as he had his cattle and place to look after, and how such bet.
tor off he would of been if he had only etaid with his first de.
oision as he realized very little out of his rancho and cattle.
They kopt after him until he made the race and was *looted
by a large majority, this was in November, 1877, he took office
January 1, 1P,78„ one of the firet things he did after taking of.
tics, was to run down a msgro an by the name of Jaok (is the
only name I ever heard him called,) he had killed Mr. Maxwell
and his twelve year old boy, they had just come to Colfax °sun.
ty from Iowa t and had bought a Rancho and were living in a tent
they had this negro Jack hired to out post for fencing the place,
he killed Mr. Vaxwoll in the tent, took one of his saddle horses
and redo dews the read and set the boy seethe is with a lied
et seots, be spoke to the boy and rode on by the wages twitsad
sad shot the boy in the beck welched his Will be *ow his fall
from the wagon.
The horses with the wagon went on down the road until
they earns to the gate entering the 'well Towbar, en passing
through the gate one of the front wheels °aught on the gate
post, and held the wagon feat, the team stood there two days
without food or water, one or the neighboring ramblers was
passing by and PaW the team 'tending at the Este, be stepped
by to tee what was the matter as the horses *wood to be so
restleet, he wont an up to the tent whore be talus& Yr.Verwell,
dead allot through the head.
Hi went back to the horse. unbitohed them fed and watered
them, and then started out for help, ha had only Oas a alert
distanai from the gate when he found the boy face down in the
middle of the road.
He summoned help and started looking for the novo but he
was se where around the,rasebe, so they knew this negro would
know something ahem* the killing, so the hunt for the assto
started sod they towed his at his home inTriaidad, Colorado,
hel his wife lived.
Darlesest billesalit his hook to Oisarres. New Vi21040*
to iliat trial, bat the halms was so bitter against the sepia
be was takes to Tees, IOW 1,00.00, for trial and was sesteseed
to be hanged at Bimarren„ New Maxie*, Delfax aunty *Mune
still wanted to take the negro out and hug Ma, but Mr. Mae.
luesi appealed to these eon as eitiseas *I IPOlfax Dewitt to
lot the lam take it, course and hang the awe, sad this wee
the first hanging by law is the Territory of Ws Mule°, It
was is tile 110011 of NY aunt and I went t* see the
negro hug but upon seeing his as the gallows sad bearing his
eonfession that be did not knew why he killed Mr. Maxwell and
hie gen' we did not stay to see hin hung, but lets of people
did as ft was a publie hanging and the first ene in that put
of the country.
Mrs Burleson and I were married in TriniAad, Oolorado„
July 21„ WC I was going with Mr. Burleson when he ran for
sheriff the first time, and did not want to marry his until
hie term expired, be begged and promised me if I would marry
his that year he would not run for the second term, but there
was am mmeh pressure brought to bear that be did run the ***end
Has and was sleeted by the largest eajority that any sheriff
had ewer been *looted by, at that time, he ran against a man
by the name of Joe Hollbrook.
It was either the 29, or thirtieths of November 1879,
that the Banta Ye Railroad crossed the line into New Merl**,
WA4101107 one of the engineers who helped rurvey the riatioif
weird/me, the first spike and Mr. Burleson, then sheriff of
Oelfax Oeunty drove the woad wpike„ in the first Railroad.
to eater New Mule,.
I went to Trinidad, Colorado, on the last stage (mach
that run for the next day the mail cams in on the train.
In July, Milo Governor Lew Wallace, asked mr. Burleson
to organise a posse, and go to Lincoln County and help oatch
Billy the kid, about the time they were ready to leave for
Lincoln County, Pat Garrett, killed the Kid at Fort Bummer,
New Mexico. When Mr. Burleson's time expired Deeetber 31, 18$1,
we moved to springer, New Mexico, and wen* into the (tattle bus1
loess again but did not do so well, so Mr. Burleson went to
work for wages and we moved to Magadelena, New Mexico, we did
not stay there very long as the VT Cattle Company sent for him
to come to Lincoln County and take charge of their cattle we
staid there a couple of years and then moved to Lincoln, New
Mexico, where he was deputy sheriff under Dan W. Robert* for
two terms, an4 deputy sheriff under Emil Writs, for two years.
While Mr. Burleson was sheriff and also deputy sheriff
he never went after a man but what he got him.
There was five children born to this union, our oldest a
boy was 'Forn in 1879, at Cimarron, New Norio*, the second a
girl at Springer, New Mexico, and the next a girl in fl000rro
County and the last two boys in Lincoln, New Mexico.
Narrators Mrs. Mary E. Burleson, Age 7, Carrixoso, New Mexico.