Arizona citizen., 1873-08-09

About midnight of Wednesday of this week, while asleep in their house on Con- vent street, Vicente Hernandez and his wife Librada Chaves, were horribly mur- dered by the use of a club and knife by three men named Leocardo Cordova, Cle- mente Lopez and Jesus Saguaripa. So far as the cause for the murders IS known, to us, it was simply for the plunder of the house for money, jewelry and other valua- bles. (Hernandez has always been known in Tucson by the name of Piedras Negras and kept a pawnbrOker's office. Ills sign bore this name and we are told his papers were so sgned). An inquest was held on Thursday forenoon by Coroner Warner, The jurors were J. Goldtree, J. G. Hucke, w. H. Reed, w. c. Dunn and c. $. Leon. Their verdict was that the parties came to their death by knife and club in the hands of parties unknown to the jurors. It seems both had their skulls broken with club, and, to make sure of death, the jugular veins were severed with knife. The floor was covered with blood and barefoot tracks were made in it. The bodies were kept till yesterday morning at eight o'clock, when the funeral came off under the auspices of the Catholic cchurch-Father Jouvenceau officiating. The funeral was the largest we ever witnessed in Tucson, and showed in what high esteem the par ties were held. The family was always spoken of with great respect, and the hor- TOT which prevailed over the murder was intensified because Mrs. Hernandez was some months advanced in pregnancy.
 All day long, the people were almost ohcorhad in talEipO ftha daed and outlining action in consequence. Dur- ing the day. six men were arrested on sus- picion and put in jail. Towards evening. the subject of rewards was canvassed and about S900 was subscribed by citizens, and but for the later discoveries, $500 on the part of the county and like sum by the Territory, would havo been offered yester day morning, for the apprehension and conviction of the offenders. During the early part of Thursday evening, Cordova, the principal murderer, was arrested by Con- stable Frank Esperanza, and about nine o'clock another of the guilty ones was taken into custody-one of them having been captured in the day. It beng quite we'll settled that the actual criminals were in jail, Q number of our principal citizens determined to extort confession from one or more of them and succeeded-the prin- cipal one, Cordova, making full and, we have no doubt, truthful statement of the shocking crime al of his associates in it. Subsequently one of the others confessed. No doubts were then left of who were the guilty three. Preceding the confession, blood was found upon the foot of one, and other circumstances disclosed enough to identify the savages-for such they surely were. They stole money, firearms, jeweIry and other valuables, and were compelled to point out where they had secreted the em. Hernandez's silver watch was ticking away when found.
 By ten o'clock on Thursday evening, it was we'll understood throughout town that the murderers were known and in custody; and the first thing we heard next morn ing, was an expressed purpose to hang the three (and also John Willis) imm edia tely after the funeral of the murdered man and wife. Stores, saloons and nearly every place of business, big and little, were closed. The funeral was conducted with great so~ lemnity and did not tend to soften the de- termination to prepare for four more. I'm mediately afterward, the people to the number of several hundred assembled in front of the jail. Early next morning
  the ground near the jail door, and upon them was placed stiff pole about twelve feet in length. To this pole four ropes were fastened with nooses to each, and two wagons were drawn beneath. A Catholic priest desiring to give such consolation as he could to the doomed men, he was given all the time he desired. When through with his ministrations, it was after eleven o'clock. Very soon thereafter, the four men above named, were brought out of jail, with small black bandages over their eyes, put in the wagons, ropes adjusted to their necks, and the wagons drawn out and all four hung side by side. It is thought by some that ohm Willis was dead or unconscious when placed in the wagon, as he could not stand alone l and made DO struggle while hanging.
 Here we may say that Willis killed | Robert Swope at Sanford. November 29, 1872; was indicted therefor in March, 1873; had his trial postponed till last May, when he was tried and found guilty of murder in the first degree by the jury on May 24; on the following Tuesday, he was, by the Judge, ordered to be hung without naming day therefor, whereupon the case was appealed to the Supreme Court; now it is dismissed in manner wholly unexpected to all concerned, not wthstanding there has been much earnest talk by the foremost citizens, within the past year, that justice would have to be ad mlnistered with some less regard 70 law. At the March session of hecourt, the we'll. known murderer, Dorman, Wa. set at lib- erty John Burt, who killed man named NJ Marianda, in Tucson on Christmas eve. was also given freedom and no pun