Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1881-05-06
gns Sngeles Aerala.
The rirst Vigilance Committee Of
California.


(Frsm the Evening Express.l
The Villa do Nuestra Sefiora 10
Rslna de Los Angeles was the
scene Of operations of the first Wig
lance committee ever organized
In California.
In the year 1885 one Caledonia
Hincapie and his wife, Maria del
Carmen Ulloa, lived on ronchito
not very far distant from the
town-for it was then only . pue-
bio. Although poor he was an in.
dustrious, honorable campesino,
and enjoyed the esteem of all who
knew him. He was very much at
tached to his wife, person far su .
perior to him in intellect. She
did not, however, reciprocate hi 8
affection, perhaps because she ha d
come to despise his love, or be-
cause their union was childless -
for the little ones form q strO ng
bond between many discOrda MT
pair.
For some time past the WON an
had been more and more open In
demonstrations of her dislike. She
had long since yielded to the soli-
citations Of one Bruno Giraldo, =
worthless vagabond Of the neigh
borhood, and at length threw off
all disguise concerning the nature
OF her relations to him. On several
occasions che had left her hus.
band's house In order to be with
her lover. It was few days be-
fore Holy Week Of the year already
mentioned that Hincapi6 was told
BY q friend'of the presence of bis
wife and her paramour at the Mis-
sion of San Gabriel, where she was
openly Wanting his dishonor and
her shame. Armed with an au-
thorization from the dlcolde OF Los
Angeles and accompanied by .
brother, Hincapie went to San Ga.
briel and brought away his unwill.
ing wife, after an alteration with
Giraldo in which the latter was
Worsted.
Htncapi6 brought the woman to
his fathers house in Los Angeles.
Giraldo, who had been heard to
threaten that he would have the
wife - we'll as the life of Hincapie,
followed after, and dismounted at a
house the solar of which adjoined
that of the elder Hlncapie.
The Injured husband, aided by
the other members of his fathers
family. had passed the day in q
vain attempt to induce his wife to
live with him as she should, and
offered to condone all past offenses.
She had stubbornly refused to listen
to his overtures, and at length
rushed petufantly into the garden
at the back of the house. Here she
was discovered shortly afterward
In converse with some one in the
nsighboring garden. Even in view
Of what i'm mediately followed, and
possibly because of 1t, this circum.
stance did not awaken. suspicion,
for Carmen suddenly protested to
be very contrite, and expressed an
ardent desire to be reconciled to her
husband. He, everjoyed. went
with her at once to the alnnldll
where q formal reconciliation tooh
place, the magistrate urging her to
live virtuously with her husband
as holy church and the laws OF
man commanded her to do. She
promised to ohheeyysand the apparent
fathers house, wnere afamily feasl
Of rejoicing took place.
On the morrow the woman ex.
pressed an urgent wish to go i'm.
mediately to the ranchitO, alleging
that she was ashamed to be seen in
the pueblo. The request seemed
natural aud reasonable to the trust
ing husband; not so, however, to
his brother, who now recalled the
circumstance of his sister.in-law's
conversation in the garden on the
previous day. But the arguments
and entresties of his wife prevailed;
and, notwithstanding his brothers
loudly expressed fear of some cato
ennsochil0d0, at about tea O'Clock
in the morning he rode away for
the last time from his fathers
house, bearing his wife behind him
on his horse. Giraldo, who had
been waiting for this event, i'm
mediately mounted his horse, rode
ut speed along q by-way leading
out OF town, and planted b i'm self in
ambush at point by which Hin.
capi6 and his wife must necessarily
pass. On their reaching this place
Giraldo, drawing the sword which
he always wore, rushed out upon
his unsuspecting enemy and stab.
bed him to death, the woman aid.
ing him by selling her husbands
arms, crying out at the same time:
"Strike, Bruno; shall be thy
rewardw The two.fold accom-.
plicee in crime dragged the corpse
10 little hollow near by, hastily
covered 1t with grass and brush,
and fed on the horse of the mar.
derer.
Two hours later q boy, wander
ing along the bank of the river,
found riderless horse, all sad
died and bridled, and dog, which
he brought to the alcaldfa. The
animals were soon recognized as
being the property of Caledonia
Hincapie, and a juez del campo,
accompanied by several men, I'M
nediately went out to search for
him, for his brother now informed
the 0tcalde of his suspicious. The
search, however, was Intellectual,
for the horse had wandered to a
considerable distance from the
scene Of the assassination. But,
meanwhile, a party of friends,
with Hincapies brother at their
bead. and aided by the dog of the
murdered man, was more success
full, and, just before night.fall,
brought the body to the pueblo.
A party Of men, under the leader
ship of the second alcaLde, was
sent at once to the ranchito of
Giraldo. He was alone, and was
taken without resistance. He ex.
pressed neither surprise nor fear,
nor would he admit the truth OF
the accusations m ado against him.