Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

led to his death. Antonia ran away with Pancho Daniel, one of the bandits. Murrieta pronounced death upon both, and detailed Vergera to go to Los Angeles and kill the betrayers. Vergera went, saw, and was conquered by the charms of the pretty Antonia of the "little mill." He refused to kill either her or her lover. In order to save herself from the vengeance which she knew would surely be visited upon her, she betrayed Murrieta to his death.

Murrieta dressed after the fashion of the day, and was a typical Mexican on horseback. His hat, or sombrero, was plumed with black feathers, his pantaloons and jacket were of fine black cloth, and the jacket was braided with gold. He rode a magnificent steed; the Spanish saddle being ornamented with silver.

By his recklessness and daring he seemed to court death, yet his escapes seemed to be almost miraculous. Once while he was paying court to a charming señorita, the house was surrounded by vigilantes. They entered and demanded Murrieta, whom they said they knew to be there. The lady of the house protested, which gave Joaquin time. He secreted himself in the bed into which the señorita had hastily jumped in order to feign illness, so that the bedding would not be disturbed. The vigilantes entered the room with their arms in readiness, but seeing a sick lady in bed, apologized and retired.

When they were few, Joaquin and his associates would camp amid the boughs of large trees, and on one occasion their pursuers passed underneath, loudly boasting what they would do with the "greaser" when caught. Two of them, in the rear, were lariated, and dragged to death, or rather hanged, to the great amazement of the vigilantes, who could not detect the trace of an enemy near.

He frequently visited the towns in dis

guise, with one or two attendants, to dance at the fandangos, flirt with the señoritas, play monte, and if unsuccessful raid the bank. While Murrieta was at a monte table in Marysville, a braggart said he would, "Just give one thousand dollars for chance at that greaser, Joa

quin."

In a spirit of recklessness, Murrieta sprang upon the table, bowie-knife in hand, and shouted: "You cowardly gringo, look, I am Murrieta!"

The man trembled and the crowd stood back in amazement. Murrieta then walked out of the room, his associates covering the crowd with their revolvers. Under various disguises he entered towns, sought out persons who had betrayed him, and while in the act of stabbing them to death, uttered, "Joaquin!"

Perhaps the most daring act was that at Stockton. The Governor had offered a reward of five thousand dollars, "dead or alive, for Joaquin Murrieta." Disguised, he rode into town, and seeing a crowd reading a placard, he rode up. Reading it, he dismounted and wrote underneath:

I will give $10,000 myself. Joaquin Mur

rieta.

In a moment he had remounted, and as his horse swiftly sped away, he turned in his saddle, and with a dagger in his hand, shouted, "Carajo, gringos!"

Some of the timid ones fired after him as soon as they had recovered.

So numerous had become the murders and robberies, and so ineffectual were the local officials and vigilante bands, that State assistance was invoked. In the spring of 1853 the Legislature commissioned Captain Harry Love to enlist a company of twenty men to suppress the bandits.

[graphic][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small]

Molinera, the faithless mistress of Joaquin. She had now been deserted by Pancho Daniel, with whom she had eloped, and fearing the wrath of Joaquin, she sought protection from the Americans. For her own safety she had kept herself informed of the movements of the bandits, and reported that they were at Tejon pass.

The rangers rapidly rode to the place designated, and at dawn next morning surrounded a party of Mexicans, whom they believed to be the bandits. The party consisted of seven, and the rangers were eight in number. The Mexicans had camped on a slight eminence or knoll, in a plain, and though having an unobstructed view for perhaps fifty yards, were surprised. Six of the Mexicans were seated around the fire preparing breakfast, smoking and talking. Their horses were perhaps twenty yards distant. Murrieta was standing by his horse, feeding and petting him.

The rangers seemed not to know Murrieta, even from the descriptions they had received. Love first accosted him as to his destination. Joaquin replied, "Los Angeles." Love was asking other questions, when William Burns, a former gambler, who knew Joaquin, turned and recognized him.

Manuel Garcia, he of the three fingers, was the only one who had not laid aside his arms, and stood waiting for develop ments. As soon as Joaquin saw his former companion, Burns, he shouted to his men to vamos, threw himself upon his bare-back horse, and sped away like the wind.

Love and two others followed. Joaquin fell as his horse leaped a precipice, amid the whistling bullets. He remounted, and threw his body over on the side of the horse to protect himself. In a moment, the horse was shot, and fell; but Joaquin was instantly on his feet.

As he arose he was shot in the arm. He stopped, faced his pursuers, held up his arm, saying: "Mira! Mira!"-"Look! Look !"'

No attention was given to the surrender, but the three pursuers again fired at close range, each shot taking effect. Murrieta raised his arms, scowled at his assailants, and shouting, "It is enough," sank to the earth, dead.

In the meantime, "Three-Fingered Jack" and the other men were having trouble with the other four rangers. Jack fought desperately, and fell riddled with bullets, uttering a Carajo, gringos," as he breathed his last. The remaining three bandits were either killed, or captured and killed.

[ocr errors]

With the death of their leader, the band disbanded. The head of Joaquin Murrieta was severed from his body, in order that it might be identified, and the reward secured. The strong right hand of Jack, which contained only three fingers, was also cut off. They were placed in alcohol and brought to San Francisco by two of the company, Wiliam Black and J. Nuttal.

A "dodger" issued on August 18, 1853, had these "scare lines," in big black type: "Joaquin's head is on exhibition at King's, corner of Halleck and Sansome streets; also, the hand of Three-Fingered Jack! Admisison, one dollar."

The press agent evidently did not work the newspapers to any extent, for the attraction failed to draw, and after a short season of one week, the show closed. The managers took the grewsome exhibit to the smaller towns, but there it also met with a frost, and finally the exhibit was seized by creditors and sold by the sheriff to satisfy a claim of fifty dollars. It was bought by a San Francisco museum proprietor, and exhibited for many years. For a short time,

[graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« AnteriorContinuar »