Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-10-19
JUAN ELORRIO.

In 1884. Juan Elorrio, native of the
village of Betcler, on the high road be-
tween Tolosa and Pampeluna, was re-
turning on his sturdy mountain pony,
from distant town, whittier he had
been to receive the price of some maize,
the produce of his little farm, when he
was assailed, robbed, and ferociously
murdered by party of highwaymen.
The chief of these was a noted evil
doer, known as the Chaplain, he having
been originally intended for the Church.
His dissolute course having frustrated
all hopes of his admission to holy
orders, his parents cast him off, and
after being long known as dicer and a
drunkard, he mounted at the beginning
of the war, the Carlist cockade, COL
lected few scoundrels around him and,
under pretence of aiding the royal cause,
filled the surrounding country with the
noise of his crimes. The murder above
related was aggravated by circum-
stances Of peculiar cruelty. The Chap
lain had an old grudge against his vic
tim, and, before dispatching him, he
put him to torture. A peasant woman,
at work in an adjacent field, and who
witnessed, concealed and trembling be-
hind a hedge, the blows aud mutilation
endured by the unhappy wretch, took
the account of his death, and the names
of the perpetrators, to his native vii
lage. The intelligence excited general
borror Co. EIor.;c ,roe n bor,,loce o,J
popular man. Above all, it made a
terrible impression on one of his sons,
then bold, active lad. of nineteen,
who, on learning his fathers fate, and
witnessing his mothers passionate grief,
swore deep and deadly revenge. Two
days afterwards he joined, as newly
formed, but since celebrated, corps of
Chapelgerris, or Red Caps, then in pro-
gress of formation by General Jauregui,
better known as El Hastor, or the
Shepherd.
The smart person and quick intelli-
gence of the young Elorrio procured
. him the notice of his chiefs, and the
lapse of couple of months made him
sergeant in this irregular but most eff
feient regiment of light infantry. He
never lost sight of his object in joining
it; no joy at promotion, nor hopes of
further advancement, could drive from
his memory his fathers cruel death,
and his own VOW of revenge. Fortune
favored his pious vindictiveness. He
had been but very short time SER
geant, when one day, while returning
from Hermann to Tolosa, he came up
with a small detachment of Spanish
troops of the line. defending themselves,
each moment more feebly, against the
Chaplain and his band. The regulars
were overmatched, they had had a
hard struggle, but we're about to lay
down their arms and resign the bales of
military clothing they had been sent to
escort. Eforrio, who was at the head
OF dozen men, instantly charged the
Carlists SO vigorously as to turn the
scale of victory. Those who had SO
nearly been victors began to retire,
when Elorrio singled out the leader of
the band, called to him by name, load
ing him with approbrious terms, and
bidding him halt and defend himself
against single assailant. The Chap
lain. not deficient in courage, and
despising his youthful antagonist, ac-
copied the challenge, and murderous
hand-to-hand conflict ensued, ending BY
Elorrio stabbing his enemy to the heart
with knife, when he had broken bis
frelock and was grappled by his older
and more powerful opponent. The
whole OF the banditti were exterminated.
They were, almost to a man, natives ol
Tolosa, town noted for its Carlist ad.