the excitement following the murder of wicher was so great that the james boys, clell miller, arthur mccoy, and the three younger brothers quit missouri and again visited texas. after carousing around through the state until their pecuniary means were well nigh exhausted, they determined upon the commission of a new crime, stealing a herd of cattle. it was in september, 1874, that the seven brigands rode into the southwestern part of the state, where they selected a herd of five hundred of the finest beef cattle in starr county, which were being tended by three cow-boys. the herders were cruelly murdered and the robbers drove the cattle rapidly toward mexico with the design of selling them to the mexicans who cared little for the real ownership of the cattle after they were upon mexican soil. on the extensive plains of texas where the large herds are left in charge of cow-boys to roam from season to season, subsisting entirely upon the rich grasses of the prairies, the owners often do not see their cattle for months, trusting them to the care of the herders. it is due to this fact, perhaps, that the bandits, after killing the cow-boys, were permitted to drive the herd over sixty miles and into mexico without being pursued.
[pg 74]
reaching camargo the bandits had no difficulty in disposing of the cattle, and with this money they went on a big spree, which terminated in a fight with fifteen gringos, who were saloon loafers and petty disturbers by profession. the result of this combat was the wounding of clell miller and jim younger and the killing of two mexicans. the bandits would have fared much worse, however, had they not gained their horses and made rapid retreat, gaining the rio grande so far in advance of their pursuers as permitted them to cross the river before the mexicans reached the bank.
the free-booters having eluded their pursuers stopped at camp hudson for several weeks, where the wounds of miller and younger were attended to, and in december the party returned to missouri, thinking that, as had been usual, the excitement over their crimes had so far subsided as to permit them to visit their old homes and haunts. their appearance in clay county, at least the james boys, was noted on the 20th of january, 1875, and report of their return was at once made to allen pinkerton, who, after some correspondence with county officials and others, formed a plan for capturing the outlaws.
