San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-11-10
A TALE OF BLOOD.
How Hewlett Griner Died and the His
tory of the Griner Vendetta.

How Hewlett Griner Died and the His
tory of the Griner Vendetta.
Few stOckmen are better known or
more widely respected in this city than
Hewlett c. Griner, and IL can well be
imagined that the city was shocked to
hear that he had been shot and killed.
From the facts that are supplied by
telegraph, ii appears that many Anne l.
cans, including II. G. Griner, John
Weaver. B. p. Mcmahon and jim
Thompson crossed the Rio Grande at
Del Rio on Sunday to Las Vacas to see
the bull fights there. About midnight
Griner, MoMshon and Weaver were go
ing to their lodgings in the house OF a
friendly Mexican. There was some ap-
prehensiOn OF danger, and a supposed
friendly guard OF Mexicans went with
them. On the way the guard attacked
them, and Galindo, one of the guard
shot Griner who fell dead. He was
however, shot hy one OF the party and
killed by John Weaver, who was also
KILLED in the encounter. The others es-
capped 10 the river. Six Mexioans have
been arrested and are now in Jail.
Among them is Alvino Perez, who is
married to the widow OF Griner's
brother and who murdered Hewlett's
brother, Henry. He is also supposed to
have been the leader of the conspiracy
to kill another Griner.
Mrs. II. &. Griner, who is now in
mourning for her little son, who was ac-
cidentally killed a short time ago, lives
in Uvslde and is Frustrated by her new
grief. There are several children, and
it Is feared that although Hewlett was
once very wealthy, the family will be
left In Strengthened circumstances. He
had an insurance policy for $4,000 on
his life, but allowed 1t to run out unpaid
a few weeks ago.
An attempt was made to have Grin
er's body removed to his home In Uval-
de, but permission was refused by the
authorities, and il had to be buried in
Las VEGAS on Monday. This refusal is
considered unlawful and arbitrary,
Strange to say, his murderer, Yalindo,
was buried at his feet.
Mr.. II. Dignowity, who has had con-
siderable experience in Mexican law,
says that there 10 a law forbidding the
removal Of bodies in Mexico for the
space OF two years after death, and
then the body can only be obtained at
the end OF that time by extradition
treaty in the same form as if Griner was
alive. This may seem absurd, but It is
nevertheless the law on the subject.
There exist regular vendetta be-
which is base upon a pretended injus-
tice to Jones Griner's widow and her
children.
1t appears that some years ago one of
the brothers, Jones Griner, married a
beautiful Mexican senorita, named
Rivero. He lived happily with her sew
eral years. She bore him six children,
and then he died from virulant attack
OF smallpox. Hewitt GrIner was sp-
pointed executor Of the dead brothers
estate and the widows relatives accuse
him OF unfairness, which Is denied, but
then commenced an awful vendetta.
In January, 1874, Sam Griner was
stabbed to death on his way to Del Rio.
AS he fell to the ground, he shot one of
his murderers. The crime was traced to
two Of the relatives of Mrs. Jones
Griner. They were convicted and sent
died.
In 1884 Henry Griner was shot and
killed as he sat at gambling table In
Del Rio, but his death was not avenged.
In 1885 man named Perez and his
son Alvino Perez, who married Jones
Griner's widow, had terrible conflict
with Tom Leakey, a friend OF tbs
Griners' in which the Elder Perez was
killed, and Alvino was shot several
times but escaped death.
Soon after Leakey got involved in a
scrape and was killed at Eagle Pass.
Now there are only two Griners' left
and a troupe Of Mexican relatives OF
Jones Griner's widow, and all are ask
ing, "What next? Aye, what next ?"