The officers instituted a diligent search of the entire premises. The bed in Mrs. Newton's room had absorbed pools of blood, and upon the door panels, staring at them in vivid outlines, were the impressions in blood of the woman's clutching hand. Near the wheat stack, where Bonacina and Meyers had lain, they found a collection of robes, and close by, under some sheaves of oats, and snugly wrapped in robes, was the body of the murdered man. From the position and nature of things, and from the attending circumstances, it was concluded that Meyers must have sat upright in bed, reached forward and placed the muzzle of his piece against Bonacina's temple, and finished his victim while he lay asleep. The body was elsewhere perforated by two bullets.
It was also discovered that a horse was missing from the pasture, and that a saddle and bridle were gone. Hence it was concluded that Meyers, who was nowhere to be found, had stolen these articles and disappeared on horseback.
With this theory fixed in his mind, Gen. Cook returned to Denver, and prepared to take the coach out that evening in pursuit of his man--for, be it known, the Rio Grande railroad was in those days a railroad on paper only, and travel to the southward was done either in private conveyances or on the stage coaches.
Gen. Cook went out alone, having confidence in his ability to cope with Meyers, should he overtake him, notwithstanding that individual was a young man weighing two hundred pounds, and a desperado, as had been shown by his recent acts. He, of course, went well armed, carrying a pair of revolvers and a derringer with him, for he felt that the chances were that the man would make a desperate fight if he should not succeed in getting the drop on him in making the arrest. He argued that the man who would shoot down a defenseless man and woman, as Meyers had done, must expect to be pursued; that he must expect to be severely dealt with if caught, and that for these reasons he would resist to the last if come up with by an officer.
The trip south was almost devoid of incident. The fugitive had a day's start of the officer, but the latter had not been long on the road before he began to pick up information as to the course the man had taken. Several persons had seen him riding along, and readily recognized him from the description which Cook furnished.