HOUSTON POST-DISPATCH
mqRNING, SEPTEMBER 28, 1924.
Fate Spins Into inctna History Every Thread From Varied Loom

Strnge Traditions of Obliterated Texas Town Tells Story of Early Peace, Wild Days on Neutral Ground and Strange Romance of Borderland Waifs.
By W. E. PAYNE.
In 1714, the Camina Real, or the Old San Antonio road, was opened by San Denis, an enterprising young Frenchman, who was sent into the region by a French trading company to establish trade relations through Texas, with Mexico. The highway begins at Nachitoches, La., on the west bank of Red river, and enters Texas at a little village now called Pendleton. Thence it traverses the State of Texas to Nacogdoches, Crockett, San Antonio, and reaches the Rio Grande at the old military encampment of the Spaniards called Presidio. Long years-before Anglo-Americans came to Texas, this route was the only thoroughfare into the terra incognita now known as Texas.
At Pendleton, on the west bank offfi--------------------------
the Sabine river, n tract of red land begins and extends to the Trinity.
Its width is from 35 to 30 miles, cov-
----- n large part of Sabine. San Augustine, Nacogdoches. Cherokee and Houston counties. When white men first came to Texas, they found the rod land region densely settled by
. ... Mexicans who had cleared farms, planted orchards, built comfortable houses throughout the red land region. In addition to the Mexicans the Cherokees had planted a large colony in Cherokee county, from which that county takes its name.
Ferries Encouraged.
When the Spanish took possession of Texas it was their custom to grant large tracts of land to anyone opening and maintaining ferries across rivers which could not otherwise be crossed, he beginning of the nineteenth
uutury t,wo Spaniards obtained from the Spanish government a tract of
,daml lying on both banks of the Sabine river, embracing six leagues, in consideration for opening a ferry across that stream. These' men were M. Micheli and Pedro Croe. A good boat was built and maintained and travel from the French settlements on the east side of the river and the Mexican colonies on the west was greatly facilitated.
About. 20 miles above the point where Croe and Micheli had established their ferry, on the east or Louisiana side of the Sabine '
, enterprising and prosperous colony of Mexicans, known as San Patricia.
or San Patrice. From that colony into Texas there was no ferry: and a ferry and a road for that settlement into the Mexican colony on the Ca-minal Keal were needed. So a few -years after the ferry was opened by Micheli and Croe, Juan Croe, the brother of Pedro, with his half-Spnn-ish, half-French wife, Polly, settled at a point on the Sabine river and established a ferry, and opened a road intercepting the old Camina road about
10 miles cast of San Augustine.
Early Romance.
The turbulent times in Mexico, prior to the insurrection of Hidalgo, had driven Juan Croe an exile into the United States. Being an educated gen-
___nan, he associated with the refined
French of New Orleans, where he met and married Polly, an elegant lady . with all the charms of beauty, cduca-
and wants of a primitive people and ans crossing the river at that place. Mexicans soon settled in the town, and a Catholic priest named Ivorcna established a church in the hamlet. The buildings were all made of logs, well built and strong, and altogether comfortable—cool in summer and warm in winter. The settlement was on the very margin of the iver with hills several hundred feet high bordering the low land of the alley. Since the village was in a do pression it was given the name En final, that is, basin, or depression, ii Spanish. In a short, time it was given name of "Encinal del Perdido.’’ o •'the basin of the lost,” which is figure of speech in Spanish imply in., hell. Thus was the hamlet named, but all, it was an orderly town with no officers to enforce tlie mandates of government. Eternal peace reigned and solitude kept vigil from the hills on the west side of the river.
Boundary Disputed.
In IS03. Louisinan was purchased from France. Trouble arose at once over the boundary between the United States and Mexico. (Ehe trouble grew apace. In 1S0(>, General Wilkinson with an army of observation was ordered to take position at or near the old Spanish mission of Adeas in what is now Natchitoches parish. In a short time a Mexican army appeared upon the scene and a battle seemed impending. During the night, however, negotiations were opened between the two generals, and an agreement reached, by the terms of which a strip
lands of the United States and Mexico shocked the world with their heinous crimes. Their operations were extended well into Texas to capture rien prizes of bullion conveyed by Mexican miners through Texas to the mints in New Orleans. Dreading to come in contact with the desperadoes of the neutral ground the caravuns of miners had turned their travel from the old Camina Keal, and for several years had crossed the Sabine at Encinal.
Hid Treasures.
Often hearing of bands of robbers, they hid their treasures in the- rocky
bestowed upon her.
father’s advice ns to the,.1^’
>ursue with the c*1! jjeep .
alternative but t§f,ndfl?. s*a On the following	’
should pursue was :
Child. \an uiu iwiiuwmg , was christened Lueile fl^ncin*11-a name she ever bore at/T.niid ‘SV When Johnson and l',?D,0ni A Kncinni they carried wit]?	"V'jJ
tie boy of about 4 or 5 \ i,.ft «■-- , greatly resembled the cl'1*?*	<la"‘nc(‘
Polly Croe. When niorfl,fijes deep Hie band concealed Hieing* in the wooded hills near nig'1*
of land lying between the Sabine and Arroyo Hondo was to be subject to the control of neither nation till the line between the two countries should be established by international agreement between Spain and the United States. Thus was the neutral ground established and so remained for 13 years. To say it at once afforded harbor for outlaws and desperadoes from both nations, as well as an army of political exiles from Mexico, repents an old story too well known by everyone.
Soon bands of the most hardened and obdurate outlaws of the border-
bills between Eucinal and the Camina Keal. This is why we hear, even at this day, such glowing accounts of buried treasures in the hills in the north part of Sabine county.
Among the heroes ot the neutral ground was one Long Bill Johnson whose crimes were numerous and daring. Johnson was a renegade from the United States. lie had been thoroughly educated and was a man of good intellectual powers. Ilis bold robberies and murders had not only extended into Tcaxs but lie was accused of many raids upon the prosperous French in Louisiana. In conducting his nefarious business he had occasion often to cross the Sabine river at Encinal and had made it his business to put himself on terms of friendship with Simon, the Jew, and Polly Croe. Frequently after a great robbery he would stop at Encinal for many days. Polly was now a widow, Juan Croe having died about this time. That some secrets subsisted between them everyone suspected, but what they were no one knew.
Johnson Returns.
The autumn had been disagreeable and much rain had fallen, obstructing, travel greatly along the primitive roads.. Johnson had not been seen for months at Encinal and reports of robberies had been of daily occurrence. One cold night in November some one rode to the gate of Polly Croe, hitched his horse and carrying a bundle, he gently knocked at the door and demanded admittance into Polly Croc’s room. When she opened the door Polly saw Johnson standing before her. She motioned him to a chair and she took another near the fire. A whispered conversation ensued, after which Johnson took his leave. A hurried whistle brought three other men on .horseback to him and the cavalcade rode down the river to a cluster of cliffs about a mile from town. When day dawned there was little to show that Johnson and his band had ever visited Encinal.
After Johnson’s departure, Polly Croe went to the bed took up the bundle and began taking off the garment which concealed the most beautiful little girl about two years old one ever saw. From her piercing black eyes, olive skin, ns smooth as alabaster it was evident at once that she was of French extraction. Polly exclaimed in raptures over tlie child. “She is pure as a dewdrop fresh from the hand of God and as beautiful as a star.” Taking the little one in her arms she went to bed and did not wake till the sun was shining in the room. Her first act on rising was to send a hurried call to Father Lorena by a Mexican boy to come to her at once. The good old man soon stood before her.
Having related the circumstances of
. ... mid rmnninrd there J,‘rej®!?1 During that night the pa* *e the 1“ Nacogdoches. Johnson £? tllm He boy to a Mexican, who*®*1 in the him to an American tt'Jffgon town of Nacogdoches. J01 j ground disappeared from the nc»n • _ nio£e and Encinal. and was seen ,. ^ No for many years in that 1* j driven :..................c..~*o
mime of humanity, in the name of all that is pure and jjood, 1 forbid the bans of this marriage. I murdered the father and burned the home. over tlic head of the mother of these children, but I will never permit the marriage of this brother and sister. In vender cliff below this place are $30,-000 worth of plate and $50,000 in gold which I took from the home of their father after 1 had murdered all the family but these two children. Close this gibberish mockery, go with me and I will show you the cache where the treasures are concealed 1”
Scene Indescribable.
To attempt to describe the scene in the little church at that moment would be romantic madness. Pioi
isited the place where Encinal stood, and tried to locate the old church and] the groves near it. but the traces had} become so obscure 1 could locate nothing I once knew well. “Rcquicscat | in pace.”
WE LARGE GAS COMPANIES MERGI
The little girl with blooming nd safeguarded by a wise <mu, s0,
losrer-moiner, grew apnej-. **:	i
became the idol of the den»*cn; ;ns ro cinnl. Polly Croe took French, teach her lioth Spanish mm.., cnoke and by the sixth year the r „eile when huciit!
each language fluently. When r;;-old. Father Lorena £
her literary education. Wljen.
15 the good old priest declared, ne could teach her no longer. Jj" was now in the first flush of ^orann hood, and even more beautiful Hi she had been in her infancy. During the long years of solitude Father uo rena had collected a library in toe fields of history, poetry and romance.
had lost consciousness and lav prone upon the floor. Polly was in hysterics and bather Lorena stood spellbound
Those were a constant literary feast to Lueile.
Boy Educated Also.
The little boy, now called Pierre
Lacusse, was given by the old Mexican to a gentleman of wealth, education and good birth, who resided in Nacogdoches. He caused the boy to be well educated. In a few years lie was greatly rejoiced to see Pierre de velop into an intellectual prodigy.
Realizing that, he must soon begin the battle of life, young Lacasse resolved to seek a situation with a business man. where his attainments would be required. About this time Simon the. Jew at Encinal lost his health and desired the assistance of some competent man. In some way Simon heard of the young man. After a short time Lacasse was employed by the old Jew of Encinal.
As Polly Croe’s caravansary was the only place where the young man could secure board, he was brought
- ,	.. ..........—« spellbound
and speechless. Lueile rushed from the church and sought refuge in her own room. Old Simon and the few Mexicans in attendance wcic left to restore order.
"When the commotion ceased the procession filed out of the church, knowing not what to do. The entire population of Encinal, however, followed Johnson. He readied the cliffs. Tapping lightly upon the wall of rock, lie said. “Here is the place.
I	can not endure to look upon the concealed treasures of Louis Dulatin. whom I murdered many years ago. These children arc the only living members of his family. The treasure is theirs.” Mounting his horse, he. rode away, never to be seen by the inhabitants of Encinal again.
The money and plate were secured, and divided equally between Lueile mid Pierre. In a few days. Pierre, as we shall still call him, left never to return. Rumor had it that he killed in a battle in Mexico when that country threw off the Spanish yoke. However, this may or may n .t be
II	UC‘ Notice Published.
By the advice of Father Lorena Jthe
Five large oil and gas operating in the Amarillo « the Panhandle district, with tics valued at $10,000,000 haled into a merger agreement^ ing to word received fro The consolidation oi Amarillo Oil company. Moody, president: the Pi Refiners corporation. Ja roll vice president and i the Mission Oil Amarillo Gns company, handle Pipe Line Carroll controlled lli transferred to the n holding consisted of i 000 acres of iraproj territory.
face to face with Lueile. He was at once overwhelmed with her beauty, and later found that her mind was well stored with all the useful and beautiful images of history and fiction. It was mutual love from their first meeting. and soon the two young people were pledged to each other “until death.”
Polly Bocomos Worried.
Polly Croe had been a silent and vigilant observer of the courtship: she had looked upon it with an unknown
horror and dread. Somehow an inner sixth sense had warned her of coming danger.
Time passed on the Mings of expectancy, and it was soon announced at Encinal the marriage of Pierre and Lueile would occur on the following Sunday. Everyone was hannv
nvnnf hnl-	\
over the coming event but Pollv; rnt nearer the time approached the more dejected and horror stricken she became. She felt that, sonic groat black hand was just behind her rushing her
into the fathomless abyss 0f
The day of flic nuptials had iorne
the bans had been published " everything was ready for^ the closing
ceremony when the sound '7 ,\‘os>n feet was audible in the Churii, ^ at that moment the figure /’ist Bill Johnson, now old and Long seen to dismount and	Was
church. “In the name of p „ tile cried, “what are you doio.o	he
in the
following notice was inserted iu a New Orleans paper:
The daughter of Louis Dulatin, who was murdered many years ago, is still living in.the Mexican province of Texas. If there be relative of him now living, she would be pleased to correspond with them.”
About a month after this notice appeared in the New Orleans paper a well dressed lady in a carriage surrounded by a band of well armed men arrived at Encinal. Having found Lueile. the lady informed her that she was the sister of Louis Dulatin mid Lucile’s aunt, and that she had conic her to New Orler"*'
to carry tier to i\ew uruj.ui*. the following morning the lady left, accompanied by Lueile, never to return to the scenes of her youth.
About five years after the departure of Lueile. Simon the Jew died and was buried by the side of Junn Croe. near the little log church. Ho gave all his possessions to Polly Croc. Father Lorena’s health soon began to fail and in a few years he was laid to rest by the side of Simon the Jew. There was only one of the old settlers left, and that was Polly Croe!
Polly Left Alone.
For many long >^nrs sic	.
(ho old house ";l!lchtJ7nua" Pc0vcrell
built for her. Its top was co^ ^ "•■Hi croon moss. ^Aime during
ih^TOs’ ihT’wns pawled by M«-|
Rnn^ot-od inj-—|
*» .VjVjdh for her toMoslem*
She S in
i« me .......... -
.wars old. but I do not think . . . nttnined that great age. Polly Croe I still continued to tell fortunes till .the time of her death, and her reputation I ffrow with advancing age. Even to the oiul of her life she was a fnscinntiiif: conversationalist. A few years ago ,T‘