National Republican., 1884-05-06
KNIFE rnRUsTs IN MEXICO.
Desperadoes who Rob ana XIII from
ViciOusncss.
Nen lork Sn,

Mexican desperadoes have none of the grim
humor of their brethren north Of the line.
They rob, torture, and kill without COM
junction, and never intersperso their out
RACES with tho fun for which the American
r ustler is noted. Their enmities arc lasting,
their rovenges terrible. Quick to take Of
fonsc, they are swift to act if circumstances
are favorable, and, if unfavorable, they have
tho capacity to treasure up n wrong and the
cruelty to exact satisfaction with great dolb-
Grafton when the object of their hatred is In
their power. Occasionally ono meets with
brave and chivalrOus fellow who is willing to
give and take, but, for the most part, these
bandits and frcebooters are contemplate
lot, who will fight no man squarely unless
cornered. In fact, thoy show more courage
when battling with each other than in any
other emergency, and some of thoir hand-tO
hand duels are exhibitions of savaRory almost
incredible. No country in the world has
more tiger-like fights to the death than
Mexico.
A few days ago at Sierra Majadako several
men, drunk on moscalo, were standing in
front of house quarreling. For an hour or
moro they wranglod, first on one topic and
then on another, frequently coming to blows,
but quicting down again without serious
casualties. Finally, in Il boastful mood, one
of the number, pointing to q young woman
Just passing, observed that he was going home
with her, and offered to bet that he would
Donate Niltegas, n brother of the girl, al
though the relationship was unknown to the
braggart. Louis Cora, accepted tho wager
with great promptness. Cora stepped out,
accostcd the girl, and, to tho surprise Of every
body, walked away with her. Tiburcio
Quezada, ono Of the loiterers, roviled Nilte.
gas for his foolish bot, and made u disparag-
ing remark concerning women in general.
High words followed, but no trouble occurred
Mt that time.
Lator in tho evening Viltcgas met Gerra
and Quozada in tho outskirts of the town.
aud when they taunted him with the loss of
his bot he drew q knife and sprang upon
them with the ferocity OF n wildcat. None
of the men had firearms, but all were sup
piled with murdorous knives, and these
weapons were quickly in use. At tho first
lunge Niltegas laid Gerra's check open and
inflicted an ugly wound on Quezada, but be-
fore he could strike again ho had himself
received a deep cut in the neck, from which
the blood poured freely. For n minute the
combatants stood facing each other, knives
in hand. Viltcgas wavercd at first, but
realizing that he must fight or die he made
another cat-like spring on his adversaries.
They closed on him with uplifted knives,
but the struggle lasted only an instant.
Gcrra's knife dropped from his hand, ho
reelod back step or two and fell heavily to
the ground. Quezada, freeing himself from
Niltegass grip, sprang to one side, tightened
his grasp on his knife, and advanced slowly.
Viltegas, although bleeding from several
wounds, mover quailed. The men eyed
each other like wild beasts, but not a word
was spoken.
When an arms length apart the antago-
nists closed, each striving to stay the others
arm rather than making m effort to strike.
In the struggle both fell to the ground and
rolled over and over, neither losing his hold
on his blOod-stainod knife. Both men were
growing weak from exertion and loss of
blood, and the fight could not continue much
longer. In making drive at Viltegass
neck with his murderous blade Quezada
overrcachcd himself and fell on his face, his
tightly grasped knife being driven into the
ground with his entire weight. In an
instant Viltegas was upon him. Quezada
tried to rise, ,lbut his wounds were mortal, and
long before Viltegas had ceased driving his
weapon into him he had breathed his last.
Turning his attention to the other inanimate
body, Viltegas continued to hack at that until
his strength was exhausted, when, leaving h is
victims were they fell, he stole away. Moth
ing will be done to him unless some of the
relatives'of the dead men conclude to resume
the controversy.
Meet me tonight on the cemetery road"
was tho purport Of message received one
day recently by Don Miguel Faster, at Nor
what the invitation meant He and Naladez
had quarreled many times over q love affair,
and once before had come to violence. Nala-
dez had been in town for several days, and
had frequently boasted that he intended to
make hash of Faster. Tho latter, the accepted
suitor, communicated with his lady love,
who urged him to accept the challenge, and
Offered to accompany him on bis errand.
This he at first refused to assent to, but
finding that she construed his attitude as
one of cowardice, he reluctantly agreed
to call for her. After dark tho man and
woman, both armed, set out on the highway.
Near tho cemetery gate they encountered
Naladez, whose rage at seeing his rival
in possession of the object of his affections
knew no bounds. There was u long parley as
to the method of lighting to be adopted which
the woman surmised was the result of fear.
She finally became impatient and taunted
the men with biting words, expressing her
opinion of Naladez particularly in torcible
language. AS her condemnation seemed to
rest with greater weight on him than on the
other, Paster also took up the strain, and +,
pretending that he had been called out by a
craven, took the womans arm, and urged
her to leave with him. She turned as if to
do SO, when NaladcZ darted forward in q
frenzy of rago, and buried his knife in her
back. She fell forward on her face without
SO much as q groan tho blade still in her body,
anu eAplTCu instantly.
The assassin stood watching her for q
moment until Faster appeared to be recover
ing from the stupeiaction into which he had
been thrown, then took to his heels, Faster
following. 1t was lively race through tho
cemetery and out again. Pastor shouted
defiance at his fleeing adversary, and time
and again dared him to face him. Once
Naladez disappeared, and Faster in his rage
called on him vehemently to como out, offer
ing him weapons or anything that he could
ask if hc would but give him an opportunity
to wroak his vengeance. Tho only answer
was laugh, which set Paster to raying furi-
ously up and down the cemetery, and
calling on all the angels and devils
to witness that ho was n man not afraid of
anything human. Stumbling along hoed-
lossly over graves and headstones, he finally
fell into q now-made grave. The next min
under cover of the darkness, had been
following Faster for somo time in the hopo
that he would be able TO steal upon him
unawares and finish him as lo had tho
woman. His opportunity came sooner than
he expected. With u terOCiOus yell which
woke tho echoes for miles around, NaladeA
sprang into tho excavation, and before the
surprised Paster could regain his
senses his adversary had him by
the throat, and was dealing him
murderOus blows with bludgeon which he
had picked up after losing his knife. Believ-
ing that he had finished Faster, Naladez left
him in the grave and fled to the mountains
Since then nothing has been heard from him.
The next day tho funeral party discovered
Faster lying in the grave unconscious, but
still breathing lilo was conveyed to town,
and after his wounds had been dressed he had
II mCil smell. in tho course of which he told