San Andreas independent., 1859-01-15
er and Assassin freed, and Shot by
Calaveras Officers in Mariposa.

er and Assassin freed, and Shot by
Calaveras Officers in Mariposa.
Sometime since, deputy Sheriff, B. K Thorn,
of this county, obtained secret information
that Santiago Molino, most desperate Chi
lanian murderer and assassin, who was charged
with no less than FIVE different murders in this
State, was slowed away in a cabin near the
little mining camp of Colorado I miles from
Marposa. On the 7th inst, deputy sheriffs
Thorn and Wesson, arrived at Colorado, with
warrant sworn out in this county for Moleno's
arrest for murder committed in Greenwood,
81 Dorado county, in 1856. Upon their arri-
val at Colorado, the officers ascertained the
direction of the den,' which was little log
cabin amongst an almost impervious thicket
of grcase-wood some six hundred yards from
camp. Molino had three companions, (his
countrymen:) who, it was well understood,
would make a desperate fight for him. The
officers made up their minds to attempt the ar
rest that night; for the reasons that they had
information of an intended expedition of the
horse-thievng adventure, and also, for fear
that some of the Chilenos in camp should re-
cognize them as officers and advertise Molino
of their presence. So, between and 8 o'clock
lit being pitch dark at the time = the two
officers, took their dangerous way up the lonely
hill, cautiously accommodating for the " den,"
which. after much difficulty, they at length
found. Thorn approached the door and
Knocked. A voice from within demanded
''who's there?' Mr. Thorn, replying in good
Spanish-"a friend" The voice again said,
"what friend ?" "Oh, never mind that" care
lessly rejoined the officer, speaking in the best
Spanish he could master, {" it's a friend open
the door," The desperadoes were completely
deceived by the counterfeited tone and manner,
and opened the door. The officers entered
For the sake of gaining time to inspect the
inmates, Mr.. Thorn asked for a drink of wa
ter. They expected to encounter four; but
there were only two present. One of these
was solid built man, near six feet high dark
skin and Roman features. The other was
much larger. The former, Mr. Thorn at once
recognized, from description, as his man
Santiago Moino-so he commenced plying him
with questions, addressed in such manner as
to make him betray one of his assumed names.
"Isn't your name Manuel Inecto ?" asked
the officer. "No," said Moleno; and promptly
gave a alias. Where are you from imme-
diately before coming to this place ?" 81 am
from Los Menitos," replied the assassin, at the
same time starting towards a corner of the
room, to secure his pistol, which laid under
the blankets of his bed. The officers both
called to him to stop but paying no attention
to their call, he kept on, and was in the act
of raising his pistol, large-sized six-shooter,
when Wesson seized it by the barrel and Thorn
taking Moleno by the throat, rubbed his own
weapon against his face. lie then surrendered
his pistol. Thorn here informed him that they
were officers, and that he must go with them
to camp. Every WE'LL" he replied "if you
are officers | will go /; but don't hold me- I'll
go without holding" All this time, Domin-
guez, the other Chileno, stood motionless at
the fireplace, as he had been ordered, under
penalty of instant death if he moved. His
weapons were out of his reach, and in the i'm
mediate place where the scuffle was going on.
AS they stopped 10 pass out under the low
door, Thorn still holding on to the prisoner,
ing the shirt completely off his back, and
starting for the chapparel. Thorn pursued as
well as he could, through the darkness and
brush, called to Moleno in Spanish, to stop or
he would shoot him. Moleno continued run
ning however, and as if apprehensive of shot,
kept his head bent down and his body forward
The chase was kept up for about seventy-fve
yards, when Mr.. Thorn fred. Moleno had on
a pair of white canvas breeches, which aided
his aim. The first shot did not check his
progress; nor the second After running some
thing over 200 yards, a third shot, fred at the
distance of so or 40 feet from the fugitive,
brought him down. Thorn rushed upon him,
and as he was in the act of laying hold of him,
Moleno raised upon his feet, glaring him full
in the face. The officer took him by the arm,
when, Wesson coming up with the other Chi
leno in charge, the wounded desperate called
out Dominguez, come to me, I'm DYING
| The two officers then took him by the arms to
lead him to camp-still thinking that he only
feigned serious injury. His hour had come,
however. The last shot was mortal one
passing in above his hip, ranging upward,
through the stomach, lungs, and severing the
main artery, close to the heart. After speak
ing he Immediately sank to the ground, and
expired in great agony
Assistance was procured at the camp by
Wesson. whilst Thorn watched by the body.
He was carried to Colorado, where an inquest
was held. Witnesses identified the body as
that of Santiago Moleno, and one, a Chileno,
testified that he knew him in Chill, as n des-
perado, and that he fed his country for mur-
der. lie was generally known amongst the
Chilenos of the camp as murderer. His
age was 38 years; high cheek bones ; heavy
eyebrows; Roman nose; wide nostris;
little pock-marked on the cheeks and end of
the nose hair, black whiskers, of a lighter
caste; and had wound one inch in length,