The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-07-04
QUEEN OF THE BANDITS.
SHOT DEAD AFTER AN ExrRAoRDI
NARY CAREER OF CRIME.
How She Murdered Fellow stage Pas
sengers and Held Wealthy Men
Prisoners for HansOun.


the New York Sun, says: La Caram-
boda, the woman brigand, long a terror
to travellers in this region, is dead at
last, with bullet in her heart. Her
operations extended over number of
years, and were of the most daring de-
scription. For long time the authori-
ties found it very difficult to trace or
even to explain the crimes which she
committed, for no one suspected that a
woman was the guilty person, No two
of her robberies were committed in the
same manner. Sometimes she was pas
senger and at other times she was with
the bandits, and took part in the shoot
ing If any was to be done. A woman of
some personal charms when appropriate
ly dressed, she was fend when about
her business of murder and pillage, whom
very few cared to encounter. Her male
assistants were many and devoted.
One of her schemes, it has been learned,
was to bide her time in some town until
she found one or two men of means who
were going by the diligence to some dis
tant point, and then to take passage with
them. 1t is suspected that on more than
one occasion she took the driver into her
confidence, but when this could not be
done, she readily deceived him or Quoted
him with bullet. A perfect mistress of
the art of assimilation and possess
ing soft and insinuating manner,
she had no difficulty in working
herself into the good graces
of travellers who did not look for
Mexican bandit under her attractive
guise. In this way she easily discovered
who had money and valuables and who
had not. If she found a man who APP
peared to be of some consequence, but
who did not have much money, she be-
trayed him into the hands of her confed-
crates, who held him for q ransom. If
her victim proved to be well supplied
with cash, he usually met violent death
within twenty four hours
Leaving town before daybreak in
company with two travellers whom she
had marked for robbery, she would coyly
accept the customary innocent attentions
at their hands, and perhaps indulge in
little conversation with them. An
hour later, when well on their journey,
watching her opportunity, she would
draw two revolvers, and, before they
could detect her movement, lodge
bullet in the back of each of them.
/ The driver, busy with his team, and per-
haps paid not to be too attentive to what
was going on behind him, would not
! disturb her. With her booty secure, she
would take her own time about leaving
the stage, always waiting until point
convenient to the fastness of some of her
confederates was reached.
1t was known that the highways were
infested by robbers, and it was not
/ thought strange that an occasional muir
der was perpetrated, but the similarity
between several cases soon attracted at
tention, and various experiments led to
the discovery that woman, operating
first on one road and then on
another, was at the bottom of
them. The plausible stories told
by the drivers served to mystify the Off
GERS more than anything else. They always
asserted that highwaymen had done the
work, and if inquiry was made at one
end of the route for the woman who
started, it was always said that she ar
rived at her destination unmolested. The
absence of telegraphs and of any regular
means of communication made it possible
to keep up this deception for a long
time.
When the woman found that she was
suspected she abandoned this plan of
operations, and, remaining with the rob-
Der band to which she was attached
devoted the greater part of her time to
the abduction of wealthy agricultursts.
Her plan in these cases was very much
the same as in her stage robbery enter
prises. First winning the confidence of
her intended victim, she would betrav
| of No ;pta h. A.,
her associates, who would spirit him
away ard presently open negotiations
for his return. While these were in pro-
gress she would be busy setting her net
for fresh victim hundred miles away.
La Caramboda's latest exploit was un-
successful. She was lowering about the
San Juanico hacienda with the intention
of securing the abduction of Don Civelo
Nasquez, or one of his sons when a
fellow, who had long served in her
train, deserted and communicated her
secret to the authorities. They made
elaborate preparations to capture the
entire party but, failing in this, they
made sure of her, and soon had her in
irons. Hearing of her fate, her follow
ers determined on rescue. They pur-
sued the officers for twenty miles, and,
overtaking them at Connindad, opened
fire at once. The troops returned the
shots and lively engagement ensued,
in the course of which three of the ban
dts were killed and the Others put to
flight. When the troops approached
their prisoner after the fight they found
her dead presumably from bullet fired
by her own friends The chains were
removed from her limbs. and she wa,
buried by the roadside. One of her cap
tors describes her as a beautiful woman
not more than thirty years old, with clear
complexion and long and abundant hair
} but with a wicked eye and cruel-look
inc mouth when in renoSp