Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1884-07-06
a WOMAN BANDIT.
a Caramboda Killed. After an Ex-
traordinary Career of Crime.

traordinary Career OF Crime.
La Caramboda, the woman brigand,
loag q terror TO travellers in this region,
IL dead at last, with bullet in her heart.
Her operations extended over many
years and were OF the most daring de-
scription. For long time the authori.
ties found II very difficult 10 trace or
even explain the crimes which she com,
mitted, for no one suspected that a
woman was tho guilty person. No two
of her robberies were committed IN the
same manner. Sometimes she was
passenger and at other times sho was
with the bandits, and took part in the
shooting II any was TO be done. a
woman OF some personal charms when
appropriately dressed, she was q hend
when about her business OF murder ana
piIlaQe, whom very few cared TO oncoun,
ter. Her male assistants we're many an"
devoted.
One Of her schemes, II has been learned, |
was 10 bide her time In some town nn.'i
she found one or two men OF means wno
were going by the diligence 20 some ais-
tant point and then TO take passage Win
theu. Il il suspected that on more
char ana oeaasion she took the driver
i,,,o hsr coincidence, but when this could
.a, ha Jo.e she readily deceived him or
a,,;a,s5 him with q bullet. A perfect
d ,i,;..rss. of the art OF Discrimination and
,.nssessipg a soft and insinuating nan.
ner. 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
The easily Ss5vefed who had money
'nh1sG9oles and WHO had not. II she
found man who appeared to be Of some
consequence. but who did not have much
money, she betrayed him into the hands
Of her confederates. who held him for a
ransom. II her victim proved to be well
supplied with cash he usually met vic.
lent 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 atten-
tons at their banda. and perhaps indulge
In little conversation with them. An
hour later. when well on the journey,
watching her opportunity, she would
draw two revolvers, and, before they
could detect her movement, lodge a bull.
let in the back Of each Of them. The
driver, busy with his team, and perhaps
paid not to BIO 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 III,
stage, always waiting until o point con.
venient to the iastness Of some Of heI
confcderates was reached.
II was known that the highways were
infested by robbers and II was no
thought strange that an occasional muir
der was PERFORATED, but the similarit,
between several cases soon attracted at
tention and vari us experiments lod t,
the discovery that u woman, operating
first on one road and then on another
was ct the bottom OF them. The piaus
ible stories told by the drivers served I,
mystify the officers moro than anything
else. They always asserted that high
waymen had done tho work and II in
quiry was made at one end Of the rout,
for the woman who started IL was Away
said that she arrived at her destination
unmolested. The absence of telegraph
and Of any regular means of communica
ton made it possible to keep up the do
ception for long time.
When the woman found that the wa,
suspected she aband med this plan o.
operations and, remaining with the rob
Der band to which she was attached
devot II the greater part of her time t.
the abduction of wealthy agriculturists
Her plan In these cases WAS very much
the same as In her stage robbery enter
prises. first winning the confidence oil
her intended victim aud getting him In
volved in some intrigue, she would be
tray 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 set
ting her net for q fresh victim a hun.
drsd miles away.
La Caramboda's latest exploit was
unsuccessful. She was lowering about
tho San Juanico hacienda with the in.
tention of securing the abduction of Don
Cievlo Vasquez or one OF his SONS. when
fellow, who had long served in her
train, deserted and communicated her sc
oret to the authorities. THY made elab
crate preparations to capture the ontir,
party; but, failing in this, they mad,
sure OF her and soon had her in irons
Hearing of her fate, her followers deter
mined on rescue. They pursued th,
officers for twenty miles, and, overtaking
them at Coniuiad, opened fire at once
The troops returned tho shots and n
lively engagement ensued, in the cours,
of which three bandits were killed and
the others put TO flight. When tn,
troops approached the 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 was buried by the roadside. One
Of her captors describes her rs a beautiful
woman, not more than thirty years old
with clear complexion and long AM
abundant hair, but with wicked ey,
and cruel.looking mouth when in repose
--Aerico Letter in New York San.