The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-07-25
MEXICAN BANDIT.


A MEXICAN BANDIT.
The Death of a Beautiful Female Diavolo..
A Mexican letter says: La Caram-
boda, tho woman brigand, long a ter
ror to travellers in this region, is dead at
last, with a bullet in her heart. Her
operations extended over many years
and we're of the most daring description.
For o long time the authorities found it
very difficult to trace or even to explain
the crimes which she committed, for no
one suspected that q woman was the
guilty person. No two of her robberies
were committed in the same manner.
Sometimes she was a passenger and at
other times she was with the bandits,
and took part in the shooting, if there
vas any to be done. A ON of some
personal charms when appropriately
dressed, she was aiend when about her
business of murder and pillage whom
very few cared to encounter. Her male
assistants were many and devouted.
One of her schemes, it has been
learned, was to bide her time in some
town until she found some one or two
men of means who were going by the
diligence to some distant point and
then to take passage with them. 1t is
suspected that on more than one occa-
sion she took the driver into her conf
dence, but when this could not be done
she readily deceived or quieted him
with q bullet. A perfect mistress ofthe
art of assimilation, and possessing q
soft and insinuating manner she had 40
difficulty in working herself into the
good graces of travellers who did not
look for q Mexican bandit, under her
attractive guise. In this way she easily
detected who had money and valuables
and who had not. If she found a man
who appeared to be of some consequence
but who did not have much money, she
betrayed him into the hands of her on
federates, who held him tor a ransom.
Ii her victim proved to be we'll supplied
with cash he usually met a violent death
within twenty-four hours.
Leaving a town before daybreak in
company with two travellers whom she
had marked for robbery, she would coy
ly accept the customary innocent at
tention at their hands. and perhaps in
dulge in a little conversation with them.
An hour Inter, when we'll on their Jour
ney, watching her opportunity, she
would draw the revolvers, and, before
they could detect her movement, lodge
o bullet in the back of each of them.
The driver, busy with his team, and
perhaps paid not to be too attentive to
what was going on behind him, would
not disturb her. With her booty Sc
cured, she would take her own time
about leaving the stage, always waiting
until a 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
t%ention. and various experiments led to
the discovery that q woman, operating
first IN one road and then on another,
was at the bottom of them. The plaus-
ible stories told by the drivers served to
mystify the officers more than anything
else. They always asserted that high
waynlen had done the work, and if in
curry was made at n end of the route
for the woman who started, it was al
ways seid that she arrived at her destin-
alton unnolested. The absence of tele-
graphs, and Of any regular means Of
communication made it possible to keep
| nm thJc lapaY,{ior Gov n law 4->o
When the woman found that she was
suspected she abandoned this plan of
operations and, remained with the rob-
Der band to which she was attached,
devoted the greater part of her time to
the abduction of wealthy agriculturists.
Her plan in these cases was very much
the same as i'll stage robbery enterprises.
First winning the confidence of her in
tended victim and getting him involved
IN some intrigue. She would betray
him at the proper time into The hands
OF her associates, who would spirit him
away and presently open negotiations
for his return. While these were in
progress she would be busy setting her
net tor a fresh victim q hundred miles
away.
La Caramboda's latest exploit was
unsuccessful. She was lowering about
the San Juanico hacienda with the in
t%ention of securing the abduction of
Don Civelo Vasquez 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
her 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 a rescue. They pur-
sued the officers for 90 miles and, over
taking them Mt Connindad, opened fire
at once. The troops returned the shots
and q lively engagement ensued, in the
course of which three of the bandits
were killed and the rest put to fight.
When the troops approached their
prisoner after the fight they found her
dead, presumably from a bullet fired by
her own friends. The chains were re.
moved from her limbs and she was
buried, by the roadside. One of her
captors described her as a beautiful
woman, not more than 80 years old,
with clear complexion and long
abundant hair, but with a wicked eva
and cruel-looking mouth when in re-
pose.
The coroner's jury investigating the railroad
accident near shamokin, Pa, on the goth ult.
by which three men were killed and several in
lnred, have returned q verdict finding John
Elsenhart, conductor and John Bennett. engi-