Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-03-20
Va and His Gang.

\ The daring deeds OF IlburclO Vas
quez, the willy and active bandit, whose
scoundrelism eclipses that of the noted
Joaquin Murietta, have won forhim a
national notoriety within the space of
a few months. He has roamed through
the southern counties of the State,
and, apparently, held rodeos of the
desperadoes of his own ilk, gathering
all the outcasts together under his
command, and planning and plotting
and executing raids upon travellers,
ranches, and towns. He has defied
the authorities with the audacity of a
Vidocq, and baffied every attempt at
capture. The story of his repeated
triumphs over law and order has inn
pressed many of his adventurous coun-
trymen with the idea that he is a
chosen leader in rascality, one of the
Amounted, and ought to be assisted
with kindly encouragement in word
and deed. The fellow has actually re-
cruited his gang on several occasions
with young Californians, whom he
enticed to the broad trail leading to
distinction by the narration of his tri-
umphs and the practice of the seduc-
tive arts in which he seems to abound.
Several members OF his gang are boys,
who bore fair regulations for honesty
prior to uniting their fortunes with
the outlaws. Others are young men
who never were promoted to the grand
larceny grade until Vasquez admitted
them to his advanced class of rogues.
Three ex-members of the Vasquez
gang are at present drawing their ra-
tions at the State Prison. Captain
James Towle, the executive officer of
the Prison, acting as Warden in the
absence of Acknowledgement Pa
checo, called the attention of the writer
to this fact ON the occasion of u recent
visit to the institution, and kindly al
lowed the prisoners to be inter-
viewed in the presence of officers.
Teodoro Moreno, the oldest of the trio,
had nothing of interest to commune
cate, seemingly laboring under the
impression that he could not improve
his situation by relating his own eX-
perience or that of his leader. Moreno
was convicted of murder in the second
degree at Monterey, and sentenced to
Imprisonment for life. He is about
thirty years of age. The next convict
summoned was Ignacio Ronkel,
known in the laundry register as No.
5,SSS, and tall and compact young
man of about rs years. He gave his
age at % years, and the writer took
exception to the statement and men-
tally resolved to give his own idea of
the case. Ronkel held position in
the prison from 1866 to 1869, on ac-
count of his inability to prove legal
claim to certain horses found in his
possession. He participated in the
Vasquez raid on the California ranch,
in Fresno county, and during one of
the meles incidental to the suppress
sion of the people about the hamlet
had the palm of his hand sliced open
with a cheese-knife. The wound is
still fresh and in bandage and looks as
though it might be very painful.
Ronkel hazards the opinion that Vas
quez will never allow himself to be
captured alive and is prodigal in his
praise of the bandits accomplish
ments. Senior Ronkel entered the
prison on the 18th of February for
term of ten years. The youngest and
brightest of the trio is Porcella Ana
mantOria of Fresno, who is only seven
teen years Of age. Anamantoria is
handsome in form, and has face
feminine in its delicacy. His dark
eyes are large and lusterO IS and firing
ed with long lashes, and there is
manifest sadness in his presence. The
appearance of the youth naturally
aWakens sympathy among those who
are unacquainted with the fact that
he has fought under Vasquez, and
deserves the punishment melted out for
an infraction of the law. AnamantOria
has soft and pleasing voice, and tells
the story of his wrongs with naivete
that would be irresistible, were it not
that he brings his assumed innocence
into very prominent position in clos
ing his conversation. He entered the
State Prison from Fresno county on
the Sth instant, and is sure of a job at
shoe-making for six years. The youth
admits that he rode on the highway
with Vasquez, and says the bandit ELI
shared him with false promises and
rosy pictures of glory. 1t is not gen.
orally known that Vasquez is an old
convict, and has a notable prison rec
ord. He entered the State prison on
the 26th of August, 1857, from Los
Angeles county, having been convicted
of grand larceny and sentenced to i'm
prisonment for a term of five years.
The bandit was then only nineteen
years old. He escaped June %, 1859,
and the following August was appre-
hended in AmadOr county on charge
of grand larceny. He was convicted,
and returned to the prison to serve
term of one year. The fact of his pre-
vious escape does not appear to have
been taken into consideration by the
Amador court. The next term Of his
imprisonment began January Is, 1867,
when he was sent from Sonoma county
for grand larceny and held for period
of four years. Since serving this last
term, Vasquez has been constantly
engaged in robbing and numbering
people in the southern counties. He
is still at large.