Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-12
COUNT RAUSET.
RAsCALLY D0INGs OF THE FRENcHMAN
AT GUAYMAS.
The Deserted Campo Santo-The Life Led
by Consul willard in the Old
Mexican Town.

Mexican Town.
| Especial Correspondence of the REcoRD-UNIoN.l
GUAYMAs, Sonora, 1889.
To me, one of the most fascinating spots
in this section-though by no means the
most beautiful-is deserted Campo Santo,
or cemetery, which lies almost in the CEN
ter of the city of Guaymas. The mule
cars clatter past it every few minutes, to
and fro, for just beyond is the handsome
new depot of the Sonora railroad, and
almost within stones throw is the bay,
covered with busy shipping. Apparently
no attempts at decoration have been made
at any time upon this strange Goods
acre." Though close upon the highway,
it has never been inclosed by wall or rail
ing, and not a trace of tree or shrub or
growing thing is visible-nothing but an
arid waste of sand and stones, like all the
uncultivated land hereabouts, within
which blade of grass never grew, nor
weed found root, only few poisonous this
ties and thorny cactus spires.
Rambling about this desolate place
meanwhile keeping a sharp lookout for
snakes and other dangerous reptiles-one
marvels that the Mexicans who are so full
of sentiment and poetry in other respects,
should so utterly neglect their dead To
be sure there is a newer and better Gene
terry back among the hills but this one is
not of ancient date, and many of Guaymas'
present prosperous citizens have relations
lying here.
Making our way with difficulty through
sand and loose stones, among thorny
bushes that scratched our hands and rent
our garments-as if they, more pitiful
than the living, were striving TO protect
the degraded dead from the eyes of the
strangers-we saw many broken vaults,
within which human bones and fragments
of collins were plainly visible. Some of
the moldering caskets still showed wreaths
of faded flowers on top, proving that the
clay within, now forgotten and deserted
was blessed with human love and tender
ness not so very long ago. The vaults
were all built up of adobe, either square,
like dry-goods boxes, or with rounded
roofs, which gave them the look of Dutch
bake-ovens.
Many of the Filibusters from various
parts of the world, but mostly from Eng
land and the United States), who from
time to time have visited this region with
murderous intent, and been
PUNISHED WITH DEATH,
, As they deserved are buried in this grue-
some place. Among them is that noted
Frenchman, Count Rauset. His is a queer
monument, near the middle of the yard,
L., l. &
cemented together in the form of blunt
pyramid, or that Of rather fat and low
Cleopatra's needle. On one side of it is a
carved bronze plate hearing his name and
age and coat-of-arms, sent over by his
French navy.
think it was in the year 1854, or there
abouts, that Count Rauset was captured
and shot by the citizens of Guaymas.
: Forty or more of his men who fell in the
last desperate encounter were buried in a
deep trench, a little further down the
, beach; but a few years ago the bones were
transferred to the smart new cemetery
back of the drroS.
The full particulars of the Counts ex-
plots among the hitherto peaceful Sonor-
ans will not bear printing, and will proba-
bly, never be known to the world but
many of them still furnish tales to be
whispered around fresides, and bug-a- boos
to brighten refractory children. One of
them-his last exploit-will serve as a
: point to his previous career. On the 18th
of July lin 1854, believe), he gave a
grand banquet In Guaymas, to which were
hidden all the attractive young women of
the vicinage. As he then occupied the
city by force of arms, his invitation was
equivalent to command, and none dared
to decline it. But it leaked out, through
the premature disclosure of drunken
captain, that the wine had been heavily
drugged, and that after the feast, the
Count and his chosen officers intended to
dishonor the ladies, one and all.
While the fateful banquet was at its
hight news came to him that the outraged
, citizens, whose wives, daughters sisters
and sweethearts were at his mercy, had
. arisen to arms; but so sure was the gallant
Count OF ultimate success that at first he
paid no attention to it, beyond issuing or
T ders to his soldiers to "shoot down every
id rebel" Before nightfall, however,
the Frenehman was a prisoner, whose life
soon after paid the forfeit of his crimes.
Nowadays, on the 18th of every July, a
grand celebration is held in Guaymas,
ended by ball, concentrating the
Frenchman's downfall. History, so far as
/ can find, is not clear on the point of the
Counts original purpose in Sonora, beyond
the fact that he was Filibuster" of the
first water, who came ostensibly to colo
nize the country, but intended ultimately
to possess it. Some tell us that after the
final bsttlc-which continued three days,
and terminated in favor of the Mexicans
solely through the desperate valor of the
citizens of Guaymas in defense of the
, honor of their women-the Count and all
his surviving followers were offered a
small sum of money apiece and their lib
erty, on condition that they would quietly
leave the country, and bind themselves
never to return. A few accepted the al
tentative, but
THEIR LEADER PREFERRED DEATH
Rather than the ignominy of returning to
France empty-handed after all his boast
ing. Accordingly, early one morning, he
was led up the side of one of these barren
hills, and placed with his face toward the
rising sun-and toward a squad of Mexi-
can soldiers, each with shining musket
barrel pointed to his heart. A fash-a
brief cloud of smoke-a volley reverber-
rated among the lonely drros, and another
misguided soul had gone to its account.
Away beyond these hills, nine miles dis
tant from the present city, lies the old
Guaymas, or all that remains of it, with
the ruin of its ancient mission church and
school, About 400 families still reside
there, in the midst of well-watered gar
dens. One wonders why the new Quay
mas should ever have been preferred by
anybody as place of abode, being so hot
and barren. For many years the latter