The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-09-02
Lerada afterward took to the road A.

Lerada afterward took to the road -
o brigand and was terror for miles
around. Many times troops were sent
after him that never returned. About
this time came the French, who, hear
ing of his many exploits and influence
with the Indians, made Overtures to him
to join them, promising $50, 900 per
month to pay his men. Lerada accept
ed and went, with eight thousand men,
to Mazatlan, received the first INSTALL
ment, came back to Topic, disbanded
them, and put the money in his pocket.
He afterward received the same sum
regularly, and as regularly he
pOcketed it. This was the
beginning of his political prominence,
and he rapidly made advancement in
his endeavOrs for a complete control of
the government of this Sec
ton of the Republic. He ap-
pears to have been terribly revengeful
man, and anyone that he imagined had
done him any injury lived but little
time after. On one occasion, at a ball
in Topic, he observed an official of the
Government in conversation with sem
orita with whom he was enamored. He
directed one of his own officers to 90 to
him and tell him to leave the house.
Lerada, seeing the official still convers-
ing with the young lady, again called his
officer and asked if he Obeyed him, and
at the same time pointed to the pistol
which the officer carried, asking if he was
aware to what use such an instrument
was put. "Now go to that
man," he said, "and take him
by the beard and lead him
from the house, The officer, well
knowing that if he disobeyed his own
life would be forfeited, did as he was
told. On another occasion he sent an
Indian with watch and sum of mon
ey from his place at San Luis to Topic.
The Indian stole both, pawning the
watch. He was apprehended and shot,
and so, too, the poor pawnbroker and
the innocent purchaser of the watch
from the latter..bOth were arrested and
shot by order of Lerada. But his am
bition for extended power ruined him.
His frequent successes had led him to
believe that he could capture Guadala-
jara, and with eight thousand Indians
he started for that city, when, after
well-fought battle, he was routed and
obliged to return to Topic, having lost
the prestige he had gained in eighteen
years, as well as the confidence of his
officers. The latter "went back on
him." and one "gave him away" re-
ceiving, it is said, considerable sum
for the information; and so at last Le-
rada was captured and soon after was
shot near the bridge crossing the river
passing this city. He begged earnestly
for his life, one person assuring me that
he offered to iquidate the American
debt if released. But it was of no use
his death was inevitable, and while pro-
testing that his actions had been for the
good of the Indians, whose chief he
was, the drums were rolled, a volley of
musketry was heard, and the career of
Lerada was at an end.
As to his wealth during his lifetime,
there are many stories. One is that
barrels of gold and silver were carried
at his order to the mountains and there
deposited by four men, who, after fin
ishing the work, were, of course, shot,
that it might not be .divulged. There is
at Santiago an old man who tells that
he, in company with another, Ateiro,
came to Topic in the nighttime, escort
ing Lerada and six mules heavily laden
with gold and silver bars, brought from
the mountains in the vicinity of Santa
60, and which were deposited in Lera-
da's house; that after their arrival he
was sent out to buy mescal, and as he
had weakness for the ''vine CELESTIAL"
he drank too much, got drunk, and did
not return to the house. In the morn
ing the mules were found astray. Lerada
was on his way to Guadalajara, and the
other man, his companion, never was
heard of again. His ideas of discipline
were as severe as his ideas of many |
other things. 1t was his custom to re-
view his "a 900 Indians on the first Sun
day of every month at 8 O'Clock a. M,
and it was expected that every man |
would be present or with sufficient ex-
cuse. As they had to come from many
leagues away it would not seem strange
if there were many delinquents. On one
occasion, at one of these reviews, when |
those present were in the line, one un-
fortunate arrived ten minutes late. He |
was called before the chief, and, after
being reprimanded before the whole
army, was led to tree and shot.
The family of Lerada, his wife and
two daughters, reside at San Luis. She
is in very comfortable circumstances,
and is represented as a very lady-like
and amiable person.-Alta California.