BOY BANDIT HUNTERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 203, 7 September 1901, Page 5 (Supplement)

BOY BANDIT HUNTERS.

PLUCKY ARIZONA YOUNGSTERS.

Two young heroes have been developed in Arizona (says a correspondent of the Chicago "Inter-ocean.") The "boy scouts" Dick and Alfred Boscha, 14 and 15 years of age—have shown true nerve and fearlessness, and have laid a foundation for fame as Indian trailers and sleuths which already is being broadly* disseminated. Diminutive of stature, and with simple and cblld-like faces and manners, these lads have accompanied their father, Pete Boscha, deputy sheriff at Congress, Arizona, on the most perilous expeditions and criminal hunts, never flinching in their duties, and braving leaden missiles from ambushes with the impunity of two boys engaged in snowballing.

They started their crusade against sanguinary Indians and desperadoes more than two years ago, when they had scarcely ceased lisping their numbers, but they began the practice of pistols and rifles at an age when the ordinary lad mounts his first hobby horse. It was with fear and trembling that Dame Boscha first witnessed her precocious boys handle firearms with the gusto of veteran cowpunchers, but her expostulations were to no avail. That was In Casa Grande, Arizona, six years ago, where the proud father had been hardened to Western life by a score of years of experience as an Arizona thieftaker. The early predilection of Dick and Alfred for firearms delighted the pioneer character, before his wife could offer remonstrance he had purchased for his two sons TWO BRILLIANT NICKEL-PATED PISTOLS that were the envy of the older boys ot the ancient pueblo. For marksmanship tho two Bosaha boys outrlvalled everything in the community. Several members of this unique company of Juvenile guards subsequently developed into outlaws who terrorised certain sections of Arizona. Burt Alvord and Billy Stiles, famous train robbers and murderers, whose dare-devil band has just been broken up, were distinguished and older members of the Casa Grande band. Their career subsequently has been one of killing and plundering, but strangely the boscha boyfs adopted a widely different course.

"I can't remember when I didn't want to {{ill Indians and bad men," suid young Dick Boscha. "When I got my pistols 1 used to shoot at tin cans and beer bottles. Then I would hunt jack rabbits, and then my father took me nnd my brother with him when we trailed three Indians that had murdered some squaws. We could ride horses as well as the men, and we helped them to trail because our eyes were better. We were never nfraid. My mother wants us to stay at home, but my father says he trailed outlaws for 25 years and never was even wounded by a bullet. Alfred and me want to be sheriffs some day."

Alfred Boscha first distinguished himself two years ago by the capture of Sinovia Garcia, a notorious Mexican desperado. Garcia had made love to a pretty youug bride and alienated her affection from hei husband, Manuel Veldez. Garcia and tho wronged man FOUGHT A SENSATIONAL DUEL in the mountains near Congress by a prearrangement which contemplated a survival of the fittest. Both were wounded, but the wronged husband fell a fatal victim to the bullets of his hated enemy, and the latter made for his mountain rendezvous to join his companions and plan for the capture of the young widow. Sheriff John Muuds of Gavapai county, Deputy Sheriff Pete Boscha, and his two sons started in pursuit of the bandit, and, aftei- following the trail for some distance, separated. Several days later Alfred encountered the duellist in a lonely canyon, and succeeded in getting the "drop" on him.

Garcia surveyed the dwarfed and youthful figure before him with considerable amusement, and laughed at the boy's assertion that he was under arrest. He reached for his gun, when young Boscha opened fire, chlpping.^off. one of Garcia's cars and sending two bullets through his hat. This was convincing proof of Alfred's aim, and the bandit Surrendered himself unconditionally.

A few months later Dick Boscha was the hero of a capture that was equally as re markable. Vicente Ortego and two others cut the throat of an Italian and robbea him of considerable gold dust. The lad trailed the murderer over precipitous mountains, and after several days returned with him triumphantly. Ortego is now serving a life sentence in prison at Yuma for his misdeeds.

The Weaver district* where the Bosohas live, IS the heart of what once Constituted the bad lands of Arizona. Famous old Ge rohlmo, at the head of the most sanguinary band of Indians then Ifi existence, infested the Rich Hill mountains and the Weaver and Blue Tank districts, firing settlers' cabins, murdering, plundering, robbing stages and bullion trains, and creating a reign of terror that will live in history.