Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-04-07
T BURCIO VASOUEZ.

u
The San Francisco papers Of the Goth
bring further details of the execution of
the bandit Vasduez, at San Jose.
The following is from the San Fran
cisco Chronicles report OF the hanging:
While the crowd and town were yield
ing to excitement and raising great
clamor, the object of it all was cool as
ice. Although he had slept very little
the previous night, his self command
never deserted him for moment; and
while everybody around him was ner-
vous and excited the little bandit
smoked his cigar and slipped his claret
with an air of perfect composure. This
self-possession had nothing of bravado
in it. Doubtless the notorious vanity of
the man helped to buoy him up, but
there is no doubt that he fully realized
his situation. He went to bed the
night before at o'clock, and dozed
uneasily for an hour. Suddenly
he sprang from his mattress and
cried petulantly to the officer
who sat with him, eli! I can't
sleep Let's talk" He sat smoking
moodily from that time until 2 in the
morning, when he once more lay down
and slumbered till 4. The son of Sher-
if Adams was with him. He called the
lad and said, "Willie, please bring me
q cigar Here, you have been kind to
me; take this; it is all that I have left
The present was a silver match SAFE
Vasquez pacedthe cell uneasily, putting
furiously at his cigar. ''Willie," he
exclaimed, 81 aUould like to make a
speech on the scaffold, but that ID
priest won't let me. It's hard to die
without saying a word No one who
was with the man in his last hours could
for moment believe that his hardihood
resulted from brutal insensibility. On
marked by gravity and thorough cour-
age.
He ate light breakfast, and seemed
to prefer to be left alone with his cigar
and glass of wine. Only when his Sis
ter and few friends took their leave Of
him did he weaken in the least AS his
sister kissed him and wept convulsively
a dry SOP or two shook his 1.-the little
body. He recovered himself almost i'm
mediately, however, and received the
embrace of the others almost cheerfully
Shortly before II o'clock Sheriff Ad-
ANS took Vasquez pair Of black trows-
ers. After putting them on he came
out of his cell smiling and said:
"Too tight, captain, but as [ shan't
wear them long it don't make much diff
ference" "+ - .#'
When the hands Of the clock showed
that less than an hour of life was left
for the little Mexican, the Sheriff invit-
ed the officers and reporters present to
bid him farewell. To each one Vasquez
gave his hand with polite goodbye"
The man appeared quite exhausted with
all his hand shaking, and sank into his
chair with sigh of relief as it ended.
At twenty-fv minutes past one the
Sheriffs who were to occupy places
upon the scaffold and the reporters
were admitted to the cell to hear the
reading of the death warrant. While
Deputy Sheriff Winchell read the
cruelty long document, Vasquez knelt
by chair, with a crucihx clasped in
his hands and Father Sarda by his side
arrayed in priestly robes of white.
There seemed to be no end to the ghast-
ly paper, and before it was half finished
the doomed man rose from his K nee
and seated himself. He heard it all
calmly and with downcast eyes. AS the
voice of the officer ceased, Vasquez
handed him slip of paper, saying in a
steady voice, "Ihere is my answer" It
read: 81 am resigned to die, and hope
that God will have mercy on my soul. %
AS Sheriff Adams told jailor Curtis to
lead the way to the gallows, Vasquaz
reached composedly for glass of wine
upon the rough table, drank a mouth
full, and holding the crucifx before him,
responded to the priests reading of the
litany.
No bandit ever had a less dramatic
ending. With a jailer before him, a
priest at his side, the lawyers who had
defended him and a troop of rambling
sheriffs and reporters at his heels, Vas
quez walked quietly to the .scaffold,
and rapidly assembled the steps. There
was no time lost. Everybody dreaded
a scene, and did their work with ner-
vous energy. The man who was to die
within the minute looked and acted far
more calmly than those who were pre-
pairing to hang him. His responses to
the chant of the priest were given
mechanically, and he seemed to take
far more interest in the strapplng OF
his ankles. Quite calmly but hastily
he took off his necktie and collar. His
self possession never deserted him for
an instant, and his swarthy face
hardly grew a shade paler. It was
necessary that his coat should be re-
moved. He took it off himself, with
grave nod of apology to the man
who would have done it for him. He
never ceased in his responses. While
he was with absolute eagerness helping
the hands that were binding straps
about his thighs and fastening his
wrists, the priest turned to the breath
less crowd, and begged all good people
to say the Lords prayer silently, and
pray God that Tiburcio Vasquez might
die happy death. In the midst of this
supplication white shroud was thrown
over the doomed man, who never trem-
bled. The moose was descending; it
touched the forehead of Vasquez. In