Miscellaneous newspaper articles about Otero County Colorado
July 2, 1891
The Arizona Republican, Phoenix Arizona
REMARKABLE ESCAPE
A Girl Caught on a Bridge Saves a Train.
How a Brave Woman Saved Many Lives.
She Swung Down Under the Cross Ties Until the Train Passed Over.
La Junta, Colo., July 1-Engineer Roberts of the Santa Fe
received a shock on his last trip which almost turned his hair gray. As the
passenger train which his engine was pulling approached a long trestle about
fifty miles from La Junta, he saw a girl walking on the crossings of the bridge.
The train was going at full speed, and it was impossible to stop until the
trestle had been crossed.
As the train gave the warning whistle the girl gave a
startled look back at the approaching death, and then, with a shriek, she
disappeared. Roberts supposed that she had fallen to the ground fifty feet
below, and quickly brought the train to a standstill. He called the conductor
and hurried back under the bridge to get the body. A diligent search failed to
reveal any trace of her, and they began to think that a ghost had crossed their
path when they heard a voice above them. The girl had swung down upon the
cross-ties and hung there while the train passed over her.
The party made their way to the spot and rescued the girl
from her perilous position. But the most remarkable part of the incident
occurred after the girl had been attended to and the engineer had got on his
engine ready to pull out. By the glare of the headlight he noticed some dark
object on the track ahead and got down to investigate. After crossing the
trestle the road ran into a small cut, and into the cut there had been a
landslide so completely covering the track that had the train gone into it at
full speed, as it would have done had it not been for the girl on the trestle,
there would have been a fearful wreck.
April 9, 1892
Decatur Daily Republican, Decatur Illinois
Miss Blanche Burns departed today for La Junta, Colo., where she will reside.
June 2, 1893
The Arizona Republican, Phoenix Arizona
FELL AMONG THIEVES
Probable Murder of a Young Man form[sic] La Junta
Puebla, Colo., June 1-The baseball club of La Junta sent John
Hitchcock to Pueblo last night to purchase them a new outfit. He arrived in town
about 11 o'clock, too late for business and sauntered around to see the town.
Soon after midnight he went to an officer on the street with the blood pouring
from a bad wound over the eye. He had been slugged for the purpose of robbery,
but insisted that he had not lost much money. His wound was dressed about 2
o'clock this morning and he went to sleep in a boarding house near by. He did
not get up so the door was forced at 5 o'clock this evening and he was found
unconscious. He was removed to a hospital and fears are entertained that he is
fatally hurt.
July 14, 1893
Decatur Daily Republican, Decatur Illinois
Dolph Smith, of La Junta, Colo., is in the city on a brief visit. He has been at Chicago taking in the fair.
March 26, 1902
Coshocton Daily Age, Coshocton Ohio
IN A PUBLIC SQUARE
A WESTERN MOB HANGS A NEGRO PORTER CHARGED WITH ASSAULT
La Junta, Colo., March 26- A mob of 4,000 people hanged
to an electric light pole in the public square W.H. Wallace, a negro sleeping
car porter, charged with criminal assault. After the hanging the body of the
negro was riddled with bullets. The victim died protesting his innocence.
Mrs. Henrietta H. Miller, 67, going from Los Angeles,
Ca., to Denver, to visit relatives, was assaulted in the Santa Fe railroad yards
here by a negro porter on a Pullman car running between Denver and La Junta.
Wallace was suspected of the crime and he was arrested.
A peace element endeavored to stop the proposed
lynching, and a committee consisting of Robert Patterson, banker; Dr. Fleming,
Charles Dearborne, county treasurer, and other prominent citizens, asked the
privilege of trying to get from Wallace a confession. This was granted and the
negro was taken into the courthouse. After half an hour or so the word went out
that the courthouse doors were locked and that the committee would try to
prevent a lynching. Immediately pandemonium reigned. Stones were hurled at the
building until every window was broke. Then, with a telegraph pole for a
battering ram, the crowd broke in the doors, and Wallace was taken out and
hanged.
January 22, 1903
Delphos Daily Herald, Delphos Ohio
Daniel Brunk arrived home last night from La Junta, Colo. Mr. Brunk is well pleased with the climate in that state.
April 12, 1905
Daily Nevada State Journal, Reno Nevada
Visitors From Colorado
George Holly and wife of La Junta, Colo., arrived in Sparks yesterday and were
well pleased with the location of the new railroad town. Mr. Holly is a
prominent cattleman in Colorado and has been engaged in the butcher business in
that state for many years. He intends to locate in Sparks if he can find a
suitable location.
April 13, 1905
Daily Nevada State Journal, Reno Nevada
Will Locate Here
George Holly, late of La Junta, Colorado, has purchased two
acres of land located in the Prater tract from the Sparks Realty Company. He
will immediately begin the erection of a fine residence and will move his family
to this city, where they will be permanently located. Mr. Holly is interested in
mining property in Goldfield and most of his time will be spent at that place.
September 19, 1906
Chillicothe Morning Constitution, Chillicothe Missouri
Mose M. Rose left for La Junta, Colo., last week where he has been employed for the past season. His wife and children will remain here for some time.
December 10, 1913
Chillicothe Morning Constitution, Chillicothe Missouri
Mrs. Josephine Stephens received a telegram announcing the serious illness of her daughter, Mrs. Charley Sumpter, at La Junta, Colo.
September 19, 1914
Chillicothe Morning Constitution, Chillicothe Missouri
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sumpter, who have been guests at the Albert Mast home in Sampzel township for several weeks, left Saturday for Newton, Kas., where they will visit for a short time before going to their home in La Junta, Colo.
June 21, 1918
Deming Headlight, Deming New Mexico
Arthur Hubbard and Jesse Lee Hubbard of La Junta, Colo., were in Deming this week, having come here to see their brother, Elmer Hubbard, who is ill at Camp Cody.
December 19, 1921
Clearfield Progress, Clearfield Pennsylvania
D.E. Gard Edwards, of La Junta, Colo., who has been visiting his mother, Mrs. Lydia Edwards, W. Market Street, returned to his home today.
July 19, 1927
Davenport Democrat and Leader, Davenport Iowa
Mrs. Dorothy Simons is visiting her brother, Garry Gardner, at La Junta, Colo.
October 8, 1929
Coshocton Tribune, Coshocton Ohio
Tom Carnet and C.H. Green, both of La Junta, Colo., said the freight train service between Cubs city and Denver was great.
©Shauna Williams