THE SAGA
OF
NEWTON "CUTER" WORRELL
(Continuation)

Source: True West Magazine

Mr. Mennet elaborated a bit on Cuter's initiation into the Arizona cowboy clan. Cuter had heard of a cow outfit whose wagon was camped near Camp Wood. In the late afternoon he rode up to the wagon and easily secured work. He unsaddled near some big yellow pine trees. When Cuter crawled out of his sack next morning he found his Texas saddle securely anchored to one of those trees - as if it were too wild a rig to be allowed the chance to gallop off.

With absolutely no hint of displeasure, and with no comment whatever, Cuter spent a good twenty minutes freeing his saddle. He knew cowboy tricks and he could appreciate good one.

When he came in that night he rode up to that pine, unsaddled, and anchored his saddle just about as securely as he had found it that morning. Reflecting on the incident in his 1971 letter, Mr. Mennet commented; no one ever out maneuvered the Cuter.

But Cuter was outmaneuvered once - and to the extent of my knowledge, only once. He had gone out to Arizona about 1907, and after a couple of years he decided it would be safe to make brief visit to his McCulloch County home. The type of disguise, if any, that he affected is unknown. Whatever it may have been, it was not good enough to fool sharp-eyed Shorty Neil. Shorty penetrated it and Cuter lost his freedom at or near Midland, Texas.

He was picked up and returned to Brady, county seat of McCulloch, the county in which he was born and reared, and whose sheriff was still T. L. Sansom.

Cuter had many friends at Voca and making bond was no problem. He didn't come out totally unscathed, and he had to make a few unpleasant concessions, but soon he was free again to return to his adopted land - Arizona.

George Mennet indicated he knew many interesting things about Cuter Worrell, but on the off-chance of being misunderstood they were difficult to convey to a relative. I knew, of course, that most of Cuter's pranks had a faint tinge of larceny in them. Had they not had, I would not have had a lifetime interest in him. Mr. Mennet, an old cowhand himself, suggested that if I were a cowboy, or thought like one, I would understand. Being a cowboy I believe that on both counts, I qualify.

"I always considered Newt as one of the finest men I ever knew," he wrote. "He was smooth, and he didn't attempt to explain all facets in detail. If you couldn't jerk your own slack he went on to more interesting company".

"Newt used to hang out on Burro Creek. Sometimes he just stayed there and sometimes he worked for Johnnie Loveless."

"You are right in saying Newt didn't have to be poor. There wasn't an outfit in Northern Arizona he couldn't have had the job of ramrodding. Johnnie Loveless offered to stake me to a place adjoining him on Burro Creek - nothing down. I am sure he made the same offer to Newt."

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