Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-18
NO LONGER A MYSTERY.

silver trinkets.
This discovery has solved mystery that
for a long time has puzzled the inhabit-
ants 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 small
iron chest found buried by the side of the
skeleton were several Spanish coins and a
faded photograph which bore the woman's
name.
The grave was discovered at the foot of
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 q. M. and ]. R. cut deeply, and
as it seemed, with a sharp knife The
remains were taken to San Felipe and
buried in a plat in the cemetery. where
sleep her father, mother and two brothers.
There is a romance connected with the
life of Iarifa Martinique that the pioneer
settler of the San Joaquin valley never
fails to relate to the visitor. AS the story
goes, she was 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 horses mouth with stead
Ter hand than could Zarifa. and she rode
like a queen with or without saddle.
She could shoot with the accuracy of a
practiced marksman and possessed spirit
as fearless as lion. She was perfect
type of the wild Western girl, but the in
habitants of San Felipe, among whom she
had been born and reared, loved the
harum-scarum girl, for there was always
bright smile on her pretty face, and in her
bosom beat heart as tender and sympa-
thetic as that of child.
At the age of Is years Zarifa was loved
and courted by Octave Morez, young
Spanish rancher in the valley who had ac-
cumulated a considerable fortune and her
father was anxious that his only daughter
should become the wife of Octave, but
Zarifa, when the subject was broached to
her, angered her father and astonished
her sutton by declaring that her heart had
long ago 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 handsome fellow,
shiftless and daring, who divided his time
between the gaming table and prospecting
for gold among the hills. In the latter
pursuit he was generally successful, in the
former he was always unfortunate. so that
he managed with but little trouble to keep
his account balanced. No one accused
Jack of being bad at heart, but he was
looked upon as fellow absolutely worth
less to himself and everybody else Jack
and Zarifa had met, and between the
handsome spendthrift and the beautiful
girl had sprung up mutual affection
that was nursed until it grew to mad
infatuation.
When Zarifa's father learned the trend
of his daughters love, he instituted
series of prosecutions aga INST Jack, in the
hope of driving him from the country.
He was frequently thrown into Jail on
paying a heavy fine, for the Courts were
prejudiced against Jack, so that it was a
hard matter for him to establish his inno-
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 Zarifa for Jack, and her dislike for
Morez grew into open hatred, which ex-
asperated the young rancher beyond con-
troll, 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 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 bull
let through his rivals heart. Knowing
his unpopularity in that community, Jack
fed the town, taking refuge in the mount
aims and though diligent search was made
for him under the direction of the 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 a secret be-
tween them. Here the two continued to
meet after Jack was a fugitive from JUS
tice. Zarifa owned horse, a 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 jack
disappearance, and so long did she remain
absen. each day, the suspicious of her
father were aroused, and through carefully
following her he one day discovered the
tryst, ard week later, with posse of cit
liens, managed to capture Jack. who was
taken back in triumph to San Felipe and
lodged in prison.
Zarifa was inconsolable, 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 out any plan he might form. She
could see no escape for her lover. The
Jail in which he was imprisoned was care
fully guarded, and she could lend him no
assistance, but she did not despair. She
watched her father with the cunning of a
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.
His Spanish blood was up to white heat,
and he spent day and night in the saloons
of San Felipe haranguing against Jack
Raymond and urging the citizens to see
that in his case the ends of justice were
not cheated The words OF the Sheriff
were etiectual, for he was man of infu-
ence and his utterances were not to be
considered lightly. One night a mob,
with their brains afame with whisky and
the fiery speech of the Sheriff, set out with
rope for the Jail, bent on lynching Ray
mond. The Sheriff headed the mob, and
this gave them courage. The Jail was
reached, and the jailer, seeing the deter
mination of his visitors and recognizing
in their leader the Sheriff of the county,
offered but little opposition, and Jack was
soon in the hands of the bowling mob,
tho object of kicks, threats and curses.
The night was we'll calculated for such
work. The rainy season had set in, and a
sky heavy with clouds hung over the val
ley. A strong wind came down from the
mountains, driving before it a drenching
rain. The night was black, and half dozen
lanterns carried by the mob did but little
toward dispelling the gloom about them
In the eastern outskirts of the town
stood tall eucalyptus tree, and toward
L Il