Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-05-31
californian, 2Sth.I


The execution of Cruz Dominica
for the murder of Francisco Cupeo
GU the Is h dny of last February
took place yesterday at the time,
place and In the mann;r prescribed
by law and the official warrant dl.
recting the execution. Dominica
was born in the Island CT Corsica,
aud ut the nge of fifteen moved
with his fathers family to France,
where he lived till he came to Cali
fornia, about seven years ago. He
labored Tor year in San Francis.
co, aud then worked in the Alma.
den mine, ia Santa c ara county,
I'LL he came to Kern county, about
three years sgJ. Since he has
been hero he has worked at his
business as u barber iu Bakersfield ,
and at the time If the killing was
engaged In the business In u shop
OF his own at Sumner. His victim
was an old aud helpless man.
There was rs little OCCASION to III ,ot
him as there would be to XIII u
child.
AT ten minutes before p. NJ :,
yesterday, the spectators were ad.
united to the 4il-yard. Shortly
afterward u large hDuquet was
placed on the scafjld When the
gate closed there appeared to BIZ
about seYenty-tive persons present.
All We're siieut and deeply impress.
ell with the solemnity of the occa
sion. The District Attorney, Sheriff
Wells, OF TuIare uounty,and Que or
two Others took their places Oh the
ecalfJld. Five minutes afterward
the prisoner appeared in charge
Of the Sheriff and three Deputies,
and accompanied by Father Peter,
who was deeply nffec' ed Dom
iuic0 was neatly dresI ina plain
SUIT OF black. The awful situation
in which he was placed affected
him as little spparently us the
most uucOucerneu on lockers. Be-
Ing laced OH the trnp the death
warrant was resd to him by the
Sheriff. He listened atteDtively,
with apparent unccncern. nodding
his head occasionally as passages
occurred that seemed to draw his
attention. When this ceremony
was concluded. he was accorded
permission to speak. He com.
menced by explaining how pet feet.
iy he was recOuciled to his fate,
and referring to the happy, resigned
condition Of his mind lie said, In
effect, that there was probably no
individual among all he saw
a ron N Il hi ~, xu hO ,uo ~, n ra nj Daooa
with the world and oil things than
himself, and certainly there WAS
nothing in his appearance to indi.
cate the contrary. He then
proceeded to state the particu.
lars OF the occurrence that
placed him In his present
unfortunate predicament He spoke
eighteen minutes, aud when he
concluded 1t WAS twenty-three min.
utes past /. The Sher'ff's deputies
then proceeded to pinion him with
an ingenious arrangement of 81 raps
devised for the Purpose, while Faith.
er Peter, with streaming eyes and
q ohOked voice, commenced the
offices Of the Church. Before the
black cap was drawn over his face
he d-voully kissed the crucihx. A
moment after, the cap WAS ad-
justed. the drop fell, and he was in
eternity. The fall was five and u
half feet. There was a slight con.
traction of his limits aud all was
over. HIS pulse CEASED to beat IN
three minutes, aud IN fifteen min-
uies after the deputies commenced
the adjustment Of the straps the
body was lowered Into the coff1n.
The execution III the artistic sense,
was perfect success. His neck
was broken and death was instHn.
taneous and painless.