, 1888-10-02
NO LONGER A MYSTERY.

Two miners prospecting in Sulphur
gulch, in the coast range mountains,
near San Felipe, discovered u grave CON
tanning the bones of a woman and many
gold and silver trinkets.
This discovery has solved n mystery
that for a long time has puzzled the in
habitants OF the San Joaquin valley. as
there is but little doubt that the remains
were those of Zarifa Martinique, the
daughter of Jose Martinique, who. fifteen
years ago, was sheriff of Fresno county.
In a small iron chest found buried by the
side of the skeleton were several Spanish
coins and a faded photograph which bore
the woman's lame.
TIL grave was discovered at the foot
of a tall redwood tree at the head of the
gulch, and was surrounded by powders
that had rolled down from the mountains
above. In the trunk of the redwood were
the initials z. NJ. and J. R., cut deeply,
and as it seemed. with a sharp knife.
The remains were taken to San Felipe
and buried in q plat in the cemetery,
where sleep her father, mother and two
brothers.
There is a romance connected with the
life of Zarifa Martinique that the pioneer
settler of the San Joaquin valley never
fails to relate to the visitor. AS the story
goes, she was a beautiful girl, with the
grace of an American mother and the heat
of Spanish ancestors in her disposition.
No man in the San joaquin valley could
hold the bit in q horses mouth with
steadier hand than could Zarifa, and she
rode like a queen with or without a sad
die. She could shoot with the accuracy
of a practiced m~arksman, and possessed q
spirit as fearless as a lion. She was q
perfect type of the wild western girl, but
the inhabitants of San Felipe, among
whom she had been born and reared, loved
the harum-scarum girl, for there was
always a bright smile on her pretty face,
and in her bosom beat a heart as tender
and sympathetic as that of a child.
At the age of IS years Zarifa was loved
and courted by Octave Morez, a young
Spanish rancher in the valley who had ac-
cumulated a considerable fortune, and her
father was anxious that his only dGugh-
ter should become the wife of Octave, but
Zarifa, when the subject was preached to
her, angered her father and astonished
her sutton by declaring that her heart had
long q been given to Jack Raymond,
and she should never marry if she could
not be his wife. Jack Raymond, upon
whom the sheriff's daughter had bestowed
her affection, was a handsome fellow,
shiftless and daring, who divided his time
between the gaming table and prospect
ing lOT ROlu dllOlS lnG ILLS. III JHe ldG-
ter pursuit he was generally successful,
in the former he was always unfortunate,
so that he managed with but little trouble
to keep his accounts balanced No one
accused Jack of being bad at heart, bur lie
was looked upon as a fellow absolutely
worthless to himself and everybody else.
Jack and Zarifa had met. and between the
handsome spendthrift and the beautiful
girl had sprung up a mutual affection
that was nursed until it grew to mad in
fatuation.
When Zarifa's father learned the trend
of his daughters love, he instituted a
series of prosecutions against Jack, in the
hope of driving him from the country.
He was frequently thrown into Jail on
petty charges. and as often set free after
paying n heavy fine, for the courts were
with the sheriff and the community was
p~rejudiced against Jack, so that it was q
hard matter for him to establish his limo
cence of any charge brought against him.
But he had friends in his own class who
stood faithfully by him.
These prosecutions on the part of her
father seemed only to strengthen the love
of Zarifn for Jack, and her dislike for
Morez grew into open hatred, which eXas-
perated the young rancher beyond control,
and he swore vengeance on Raymond,
openly vowing to shoot him on sight if he
ever again showed public recognition of
Zarifa. One day. while Jack was seated
by a table in a saloon conversing with
friends, Morez came in much the worse
for drink, and recognizing his rival ut
tered an oath, and. drawing his revolver,
opened fire on him. Jack drew his own
pistol and with unerring aim sent n bull
let through his rivals heart. Knowing
his popularity in that community, Jack
fled the fnyvu toGinn rafDua in tba tnnnn.
tains, and though diligent search was
made for him under the direction of ths
sheriff, the hiding place of the refugee
could not be found.
Zarifa never lost track of her lover. In
Sulphur Gulch, under the old redwood
where her remains were found, the two
had met for months, and this trysting place
had always been kept n secret between
them. Here the two continued to meet
after Jack was a fugitive from justice.
Zarifa owned a horse. u fiery black animal,
the gift of her father, and on this horse
she was in the habit of taking daily rides
through the valley. So persistently did
she continue this custom after Jacks dis
appearance, and so long did she remain
absent each day, the suspicious of her
father were aroused, and through care
fully following her he one day discovered
the tryst, and a week later, with q posse
or citizens, managed to capture Jack, who
was taken back in triumph to San Felipe
and lodged in prison.
Zarifa was inconsoiable, for she knew
that her father would never be satisfied
until Jack was dead, and she knew he had
sufficient influence in that community to
carry L any plan he might form. She
could see no escape for her lover. Tbs
Jail in which he was imprisoned was caro-
fully guarded and she could lend him no
assistance, but she did not despair. She
watched he- father with the cunning of o
cat.
The sheriff thirsted for Jacks blood, al
though he knew he had killed Morez in
self defense, for he had ruined his pros
poets for becoming father -in-law to the
richest rancher in the San joaquin valley.
bis Spanish blood was up to white heat,
and he spent day and night in the saloons
of San Felipe haranguing against Jack
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