Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-06-07
The lYNCHlNG.
THE DETAILS BY A " HERALD" COR.
RESPONDENT.
How the Villain was Captured,
Shot and Hung.

Mills tragedy in your paper of yester-
day very incorrectly given, thought
it my duty to the public to rectify
them by giving as brief an account Of
the whole affair as possible. Monday
evening the Mexican who committed
the assault on Mr.. Turner and wife came
to his store and bought a few bits
worth of goods, at the same time no
doubt examining the premises thor
oughly.
ON TUESDAY,
Late in the afternoon, he returned
and remained till dark, when he be-
gan making some purchases, having
with him sixty dollars in gold coin.
He bought between thirty and forty
dollars worth of goods, the greater
part of which he paid for. Mr.. Turner
remaining in the store so long after
dark aroused suspicion in his wife,
who had already gone to bed, causing
her to go from the house to the store,
some one hundred yards distant, to as
certain the cause of her husbands
stay, as he was not accustomed to do
business after dark. While she was
there, seated in the store, Mr.. Turner
came round from behind the counter
to show the Mexican, who went by the
name of Eel Gordo, some boots, when
he was caught around the neck by the
Mexican with his left arm, while with
his right hand he attempted to
CUT MIR. TURNER'S THROAT
With large knife resembling a prun-
ing knife. Mr.. Turner instantly
caught the knife with both hands and
received terrible cuts on all of his
fingers, while endeavoring to prevent
his throat being cut. He received a
severe cut in the neck, but not dan
gerous one. Mrs. Turner seeing the
dangerous situation her husband was
in, sprang Immediately to his relief,
and placed pistol, small-sized five
shooter, to the desperade's back and
attempted to fire, but could not do it,
as, she supposed afterwards, that she
still retained hold of the hammer with
her thumb. She then seized the coat
collar of the ruffian and dragged him
away from her husband, who ran out
of the store door towards the house
for his pistol, not knowing that his
wife had it with her. AS he ran to-
ward the house the Mexican followed,
shooting three times at him, none of
the shots however taking effect. Mrs.
Turner, as soon as the Mexican got out
of the door, managed to get the pistol
off and fired one shot at him, and fol-
lowed after him and her husband.
The Mexican returning met Mrs. Tur-
ner, and
FIRED ONCE AT HER,
1t taking effect-entering below the
right shoulder blade and lodging in
the flesh below the left. The Mexican
then returned to the store and robbed
the store of five packages iof silver;
four packages of them, each con-
tanning twenty dollars in half
dollar pieces, the fifth was a
package of four dollars in dimes,
making in all eighty-four dollars, but
left some seventy-eight dollars, which
was loose, still in the till. He also
took some goods, but what quantity is
not exactly known. 1t was not sup
posed, as published in your paper Of
June 4th, that the Mexican had any
confederates, and it is now confirmed by
the Mexican himself that he had none.
Mr.. Turner, as soon as he reached the
house, still bleeding fearfully from
his wounds, started to his nearest
neighbor, some five hundred yards
distant, to procure assistance. Med
ical aid was Immediately sent for and
the neighborhood alarmed. Nothing
was done that night to capture the
weuld-be-murderer, but the next
morning
OFFICER HARE,
OF Los Angeles, who came out with
Doctor Mckee, with Officer Bryant of
Ell Monte and others, instituted
search for him, and ascertained where
he had lived for year or two past,
and also the fact of his intended mar
riage. The following night the same
party, with the exception of Officer
Hare, continued the search, which
proved fruitless.
Your description Of the Mexican is
correct, with the exception of his age,
which was about twenty-five instead
of forty years. His nickname was Ell
Gordo, by which he was generally
known, but his proper name was Jesus
Romo, and he never went by the name
Of Tres PinOs.
The day he committed the deed he
was paid sixty dollars by Pedro YER
dugo, for work done previous to Sep
TENDER last, and not by SeiIor Lugo, as
stated by you.
The rest of your description of the
affair is correct, as far as known by
me.
EARLY THIS MORNING ~
Information was received that Ell
Gordo was lying concealed in thick
patch of willows and underbrush,
about three miles southwest of the
mill, and intending to leave the coun-
try at midnight. Officer Bryant and
sixteen men had the place surrounded
by half-past 10 o'clock A. NJ. Search
was instituted, and ere long the vii
lain was seen by one of the party,
lying secreted beneath some shrubs by
the bank of the San Gabriel river. FL
Gordo, thinking his only chance OF
escape was to kill his pursuers and
cross the river to denser thicket,
raised his pistol to fire, but was out
manuevred by tile party giving chase
and shot twice ere he cried for mercy.
On being taken, severely wounded, he
pointed out to the party where the
goods and money remaining from the
robbery were hid. Seventy-three dol
lars and fifty cents in half dollars and