On April 19, 1882, Marshal Sam Blonger took a business trip to Denver, leaving his brother Lou in charge of the town. A wise decision? You be the judge.
Albuquerque Morning Journal, April 8, 1882
Cashing Checks.
A man named Ben Meyer, a country merchant doing business in one of the neighboring camps, has been in the city for several days seeing the sights. A couple of nights ago he received the cash for a check from Lou Blonger and then lost about half of the money in a game of stud-horse poker with somebody else. He claimed that he had been swindled out of his money and perhaps he was, and for this reason he went to the bank and ordered payment stopped on the check, claiming that it had been stolen. Blonger now brings suit against Meyer for the amount and will certainly get judgment.
NOTE: This may be the earliest glimpse of Lou the Swindler.
Albuquerque Evening Review, April 18, 1882
Marshal Sam Blonger goes to Denver to-morrow with samples of ore and maps of the Star mine in Hell canon. The Star now shows an eighteen foot vein of pay ore between walls, and the samples from it which Blonger will carry with him doubtless attract great attention in Denver.
Albuquerque Morning Journal, April 19, 1882
Marshal Blonger left this morning for a business trip to Denver.
Albuquerque Evening Review, April 19, 1882
In the absence of Marshall Sam Blonger, his brother, Lou Blonger, holds the peace and quiet of the town in the hollow of his hand.
Albuquerque Evening Review, April 20, 1882
Leonie Winter is one of the ladies who, from the nature of their business, have to do a good deal of confiding, but her trust was rudely betrayed yesterday. Desiring a cook and an assistant she hired two young rats around town to occupy the positions, and placed them in charge of the house while she went out for a while. When she returned the two young scamps had vanished, as well as a lot of silver plate, and various little articles easy to carry away. Lou Blonger was notified, and a hunt began for the two young thieves, which terminated in their arrest at eleven o'clock last night, by Tommy Lynch, and their incarceration in the city bastile for the night. The stolen property, however, was not found, and as it was thought the boys had been used as cat's paws for some one else, they were this morning released on condition that they should pursue their way toward the setting sun.
Albuquerque Evening Review, April 21, 1882
Leonie is in distress again, which is this time shared by the inmates of "555." This morning, at about four o'clock, some drunken men out on a senseless lark amused themselves by breaking, with stones, the windows of the two houses spoken of, three being broken in "555," and one in Leonie's. Lou Blonger says he knows the authors of the mischief, and if they want to avoid trouble they had better "walk up to the cap'n's office and settle" to-day.
Albuquerque Morning Journal, April 22, 1882
In obedience to a telegram from Las Vegas [N.M.], Mr. Lou Blonger, acting city marshal, met the south-bound train Thursday night to arrest a man known as "Gambler Jim." Jim is wanted in Las Vegas to answer to a charge of robbery. He is described as being about five feet eight or nine inches in height, dark complexioned and wearing a black suit of clothes. Mr. Blonger arrested a man answering the above description, excepting his coat was of light color. He searched him, but could find nothing identifying him as being the party wanted, and he was told to skip and he
skooped.
Marshall [Lou] Blonger informs us that while making his rounds yesterday evening, he discovered that several of the windows in one of the gilded cottages had been demolished, and upon inquiry learned that some roughs had done the work about 4 o'clock yesterday morning.
Albuquerque Morning Journal, April 23, 1882
Marshall [Lou] Blonger arrested to men yesterday for stealing a lot of hides from Oberne, Hosick & Co.'s warehouse. They offered them for sale to Mr. Thomas F. Keller, but that gentleman recognized the hides as belonging to the above named firm, and told the men that he would take them but they must wait till the bank opened to get their money. When they returned for the pay, officer Blonger scooped them in and they are now languishing in the lockup. They will have a hearing before Judge Sullivan to-morrow.
Albuquerque Evening Review, April 24, 1882
Lou Blonger jailed a drunk Saturday night, and discovered Sunday morning when he went there, that the fellow had just recovered from the small-pox, the disgusting scabs being still fresh. Blonger turned him out with great alacrity, and told him that if he would leave town he should not be tried. The proposition was accepted and the man trudged west.
James Downing, the El Rito quarryman, was run in early Sunday by officer Blonger on a charge of "drunk and disorderly." Downing was visiting some of the pleasure resorts on Fourth street and happened in "77" where he ordered beer and paid for it; after which he started to enjoy himself by presenting a six shooter at the head of the girls. One of them ran out and informed Blonger, who, after a little search, struck his man making another pistol play on the street and placed him where his antics would do the least harm. Yesterday morning the matter was arranged by his friends and he managed to pull himself together and get out of town to-day.
Marshal Sam Blonger telegraphs from Denver that he will be here next Thursday.
Albuquerque Evening Review, April 25, 1882
Charles Wallace was arrested last night by Lou Blonger for passing a forged check for $15 on the Central bank to J. M. Moore. Wallace presented the check, which was signed by W. T. King, to Moore and endorsed it with the same name, receiving $10 on its account. The bank pronounced it a forgery and Blonger was informed of the matter. Wallace was found in a gambling room, where he had just blown in the money he had obtained by the forgery, and was jailed.
Albuquerque Evening Review, April 27, 1882
Them Awful Hold-Ups.
The hold up affair of Carpenter's results in a good joke on Lou Blonger, Nute Hinch and Billy Anderson. It appears that on the night in question a drunken fellow came around to the room where Nute and Billy were and made himself decidedly too noisy to be tolerated. Hinch got up and went to the door with a beer bottle in his hand, which the tough mistook for a gun and incontinently fled. He returned in a few minutes and posting himself out-side of the house, hurled a bottle through the window of the room, breaking the lamp and the wash-bowl inside. He then took to his heels again. Anderson and Hinch got up and dressed themselves, and started out in pursuit, striking Carpenter on the way who was meditatively making his way home. The amateur detectives thought he looked something like the man of whom they were in quest and told him to stop. Carpenter obeyed, at the same time bringing a revolver in his pocket to a "ready." He didn't know Anderson or Hinch and they didn't know him, so they carefully inspected his face and figure and finally decided he wasn't the right man. Carpenter pursued his way with the proud feeling that he had bluffed two dangerous thugs and Billy and Nute went on. They found their man later who fixed the thing all right by apologizing and settling the damages.
Yesterday Lou Blonger got wind of the affair and thought he had found a pretty good clue to work on for the sinching [sic] of some hard characters in town. He was confident that he knew the hold ups whom he described as being pretty desperate characters, and he laid a fine trap yesterday to take them in, expecting to find them in the dance hall. Hinch was sick last night and Anderson was studying up a new summer drink, so Blonger did not catch on to his perfect satisfaction and he probably will not know until this catches his eye the reason for his disappointment. He and Carpenter will have to call around at the Maden House or the Board of Trade and take a drink on these terrible hold-ups to get even.
Albuquerque Evening Review, April 28, 1882
Lou Blonger took two vagrants to the depot yesterday, and set their faces toward the setting sun. They form the van-guard of the Journal's squad of Navajo-fighting young men.
Albuquerque Evening Review, April 29, 1882
Lou Blonger garnisheed Johnny Campbell this morning in the case of James Basye vs. Thomas Parker for money due the plaintiff.
Albuquerque Morning Journal, April 29, 1882
Acting Marshall Blonger is in receipt of a letter from Mrs. Annie Moore, dated San Francisco, Calif. April 23. She writes that her husband, John Moore, left her in company with a woman of questionable character and was last heard of at Socorro. We [...] that the man wanted is in custody.
Lou Blonger has returned all the money raised by subscription for the man was sick with varioloid at [...] the other day. The Atlantic & P. road took charge of the p[...] and [...]ove him out of town.
Albuquerque Morning Journal, April 30, 1882
Lou Blonger jugged two Mexicans last night who were displaying their six-shooters in the dance hall.
Albuquerque Morning Journal, May 3, 1882
The following parties arrived at the Hotel Maden yesterday:
Louis Blonger, Las Vegas
Albuquerque Morning Journal, May 21, 1882
CHRISTMAN CAUGHT.
The Burglar Who Entered and Robbed the Robinson Residence.
John Christman, a suspicious character, was arrested night before last for the robbery of the Robinson residence, in which Toney Neis lost in the neighborhood of $200.
Lou Blonger made the arrest, and had him indicted before the grand jury, who found a true bill against him. He confessed to having committed the crime, and asked for clemency.
Lou and Sam Blonger deserve credit for their quick work in this case, and their capture of this man proves they are in earnest in suppressing crime. They are now members of the Rocky Mountain Detective association at this place.
Albuquerque Morning Journal, May 23, 1882
Last night Lou Blonger arrested a hash fiend who had endeavored to beat a widow woman, named Mrs. Lusk, out of a board bill. The deputy got on his track and tried to run him down, but saw he was getting left on the go-as-you-please, when he pulled his pistol and fired in the air, scaring the h-f [hash fiend] so that his capture was easy.
NOTE: After Sam and Lou were relieved of their duties, Lou kept on sleuthing, apparently as a private detective.
Albuquerque Morning Journal, July 27, 1882
THE NAIL CLINCHED.
A Portion of the Jewelry Which was Stolen From Howe's Jewelry Store Recovered.
Sufficient Evidence Against J. E. Goodman to Convict Him of the Crime.
Tuesday morning, July 18, M. E. Howe's jewelry store was burglarized and about $500 worth of jewelry besides $100 worth of clothing belonging to Frank Nichols was taken.
The burglar gained an entrance by removing a panel from the back door. The burglar left no clue behind him, and Mr. Howe had about made up his mind that his goods were lost and that the thief would be allowed to go unpunished to enjoy the fruits of his stealings, until the arrest of J. E. Goodman on suspicion was announced. Evidence has now been obtained and it is very likely that he will plead guilty.
A day or two before Goodman was arrested suspicion was directed toward him, and Lou Blonger sent a man to him asking about the stolen jewelry and offering to buy it. He fell into the trap and it was ascertained beyond a doubt that he was implicated in the burglary, but before any positive evidence could be obtained he became suspicious of Blonger and refused to compromise himself further. He was arrested Monday by Judge Sullivan and locked up.
Sullivan and Blonger put their heads together Tuesday and in the evening Goodman was taken from the jail and induced by Blonger to go with him and show the hiding place of the jewelry. A small portion of the stolen goods was brought to light from an old adobe house in the northern outskirts of the city. The remainder Goodman has disposed of but just how he refused to state.
The jewelry which was found was returned to M. E. Howe yesterday and its value found to be $89.75. There is but little hope of any more being recovered. Goodman will have his examination to-day. He did the work without the aid of accomplices and had he kept sober, would never have been detected.
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