Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1881-05-06

malefactors rarely re.
ceived their deserts there. The
central government had always
this far.away appendage
of q country constantly rent with in
ternal dissensions, and rarely show
ed any interest in its well.being, or
even acknowledged it's existence,
save when a placeman was sent %
Governor and generally made him.
self obnoxious to Californians, or
when a party of convicts, or COM
pany of soldiers, almost equally un-
desirable, was thrust upon 1t. For
some years Californians had been
knocking at the doors of the cap
itol with q petition requesting the
ablishment in the Territory of
tribunal competent to render q
definite sentence In cases OF crime,
but the just request had passed un.
needed. These, and other similar
arguments, were banded about
and it was acknowledged by all that
SOM thing must be done to vindi-
cate the public right of retributiOn
and to protect society from further
outrage.
A number OF prominent citizens
asse mt led at the house OF an Amer
lean resident among them for some
years; q gentleman who was a
Frenchman by birth, but natural
lied Mexican citizen and an officer
of the army, was elected President;
q Spaniard, an ex.offlcer, was chosen
Military Commandant, and an ex-
secretary Of the ayuntomiento was
made Secretary. The meeting re.
solved itself into the "Junta de la
Seguridad Publica." A series of
resolutions was passed, setting forth
the necessity Of their action and
their determination to act In &C.
cordance with the principles of law
and order. 1t was further resolved
to send q copy Of the minutes of
the meeting to the qlcdlde. This
was done; and that official i'm me.
diately called the town council to-
gether in secret session. At the
close of the meeting he sent YER
bal message to the President of the
.junta in his private capacity, wish.
ing to know what was the reason OF
that assemblage Of armed men, and
whether it was their intention to
conform to law and the interests
of order. He further intimated a
wish to see the individual to whom
his message wGs sent. This person
returned answer that outside of the
junta he was powerless to act; that
the objects of the -assemhlage had
been clearly set forth in the COM
munication addressed to the chief
executive Of the peublo, and that
the intention of the body of men
over whom he presided was to
maintain law and order.
The .junta then resolved to re-
move TO- the house OF the parish
priest, then empty, which was sit.
uated on the plaza and near the
cdrcel, and the commandant was
ordered to take possession of the
latter building. This was done
without any attempt at resistance
on the part of the authorities. 1t
was then decided that the murder
ers must pay the penalty of their
crime and they were unanimously
condemned to be shot to death.
As there was no priest resident In
tho zueblo, a messenger was sent
to suminnn him of San Gabriel
Mission to shrive two persons
about to die. 1t may be meutiun-
ed here that the timorous father,
who wac a Spanisrd, and therefore
| --J eonsarV nttvc, did not 0Omej
and the nature of his subsequent
excuses show that he did not in
tend to come.
When the sentence OF the .juntd
became noised abroad and reached
the ears OF the olcalde, he, accom-
panied by the second alcalde,
appeared before the junta. After u
peFfunctory attempt to dissuade its
members from their purpose, and
finding them firm in their inten-
ton, he exhorted them to do moth
ing in disorderly manner and
withdrew.
But it was now Holy Week, and
it was considered that it would be
highly improper to coil with the
blood of assassins the remembrance
of the most solemn of human TRACE.
dies. The execution was therefore
postponed until Easter Monday.
The condemned persons were noti-
fed of their approaching end, but
were not put ain chapel" az it had
been impossible to obtain q priest.
At five O'Clock in the afternoon
of the following day Giraldo was
led forth into the plaza. When he
irons were knocked off his legs,
they were found to be 80 deeply filed
that a single blow Of the ham mer
suff Heed to free him. He maintain
ed the air of stolid Indifference
which he had manifested since
his capture; and, when urged to
ease his conscience by confession,
said never q word. He was placed
upon the banquiilo, the firing par
ty was drawn up at a distance of
ten PAGES, the fatal word was given,
and the ruffisn fell dead.
Ten minutes later the woman
was brought out for execution.
According to her sentence she was
to have been confronted with the
body of her paramour, but this was
omitted as savoripg of unnecessary
cruelty. She lost her self.control
completely and begged for mercy.
She was told to make her peace
with God, and seated herself, as II
mechanically, on the bench 80 late.
ly occupied by her accomplish. She
also died without struggle.
In accordance with custom, the
bloody corpses were left exposed to
the public gaze for s0me time, and
then delivered to friends for burial. |
The first vigilance committee of
California, having done Its duty to
the public, then adjourned sine die.
The facts above given are true,
and their actual occurrence will be
remembered by any native Of Los
Angeles who may have reached |
the ago Of fifty-two or fitty.three
years. Only the true names of the |
actors in the tragedy have been |
obvious reasons.
GEO. BUTLER GRIFFIN.