The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-06-27
A Woman Bandit.
La CARAMBoDA KILLED, AFTER AN En-
TRAORDINARY CAREER or CRIME.

La CARAMBoDA KILLED, AFTER AN EX-
TRAoRpINARY CAREER or CRIME.
La Caramboda, the woman brigand,
long a terror TO travellers in this region,
is dead at last, with bullet in her
heart. Her operations extended over
many years and were Of the most dar-
ing description. For long time the
authorities found it very difficult to
trace or even to explain the crime
which she committed, for no one susv
pected that woman was the guilty
person No two of her robberies were
committed in the same manner. Some
times she was passenger and at other
times she was with the bandits, and
took part in the shooting if there was
any to be done. A woman of some
personal charms when appropriately
dressed, she was tiend when about
her business of murder and pnlage,
whom very few cared to encounter.
Her male assistants we're many and de-
voted.
One of her schemes, it has been
learned, was to bde her time in some
town until she found one or two men
of means who vert going by the dill
gence to some distant point and then
take passage with them. 1t is suspect
ed that on more than one occasion she
took the driver into her confidence, but
when this could not be done she readi
ly deceived him or quieted him with
LII tcfr n hn a ri
of dissimulation and possessing soft
and insinuatiug manner, she had no
difficulty in working herself into the
good graces of travellers who did not
look for a Mexican bandit under her
attractive guise. In this way she cas-
| lily discovered who had money and val
uables aud who had not IT 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 confederates, who
held him for 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
the journey, watching her opportunity,
she would draw two revolvers, and, be.
fore they could detect her movement,
lodge bullet in the back Of each of
them. The driver, busy with his team,
and perhaps paid not to be too atten-
| tive 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 wait
ing 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
murder was perpetrated, but the simi
larity between several cases soon at
tracted attention and various expert
ments led to the discovery that a wo-
man, 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 the highway
men 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 arrived at her destination
uumolested. The absence of telegraphs
and of any regular means of communi-
cation made it possible to keep up this
deception for long time.
i When the woman found that she
was suspected she abandoned this plan
of operation and, remaining with the
robber baud 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 in her stage robbery en-.
terprises, First winning the conf
dence Of her intended victim and get
} ting 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 tor his return
Il While these were in progress she would
be busy setting her net for fresh vic
, tim q hundred miles away. b.. ....
La Carambodas latest exploit wa.
unsuccessful She was lowering abou
the San Juanco hacienda with the in
ttntion Of securing the abduction o
Don Civeo Nasquez or one of his sons
. when fellow who had long served il
her train, deserted and communicated
her secret to the authorities, The,
made elaborate preparations TO captur,
l her entire party, but, failing in this
r they made sure of her and soon haC
=. her in irons. Hearing of her fate, he
+ followers determined on arescue. They
: pursued the officers for twenty miles
and overtaking them at Couuindad
:" opened fire at ouce. The troops re
: thrned the shots and lively engage
8 lnent ensued, in the course Of which
. three of the bandits were killed anC
the others put to flight. When tn
troops approached their prisoner afte
!, the fight they found her dead, presum
I ably from bullet fired by her owl
b friends. The chains were remove'
: from her limbs and she was buried b,
!, the roadside, One of her captors de
= scribes her as beautiful woman, no
y more than thirty years old, with clea
e complexion aud long and abundan
/ hair, bu; with a wicked eye and
cruellooking mouth when in repose,--
!, Qaeretaro (Merico) Letter IN Ne'
d York Sun.
> How TO TAKE A PHI~-People VIII
h find difficulty in getting down a pill