The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-06-10
LYHCHING a BEAUTY
How Young Mexican woman Fared Deaxi
Without FIinchfns.

Without Fiinchtng-
! At Downeyville, Cal on July 5. 1851,
was enacted the most awful tragedy
that has ever stained the annals of Cali
fornia. In one of the adobe houses
there dwelt with her Spanish par amSnra
young woman named Juanita, of the
mixed Spanish and Mexican race, and
Of remarkable beauty. As some Ameri-
can miners were walking past her house
late on the night of July 4. 1851, full of
patriotism and something else a good
ieal stronger, one of their number,
named Canaan, stun bled against the
light. rudely constructed door, and fell
half inside the dwelling. AS he was
helped TO his feet by his friends with
the words, Hush, come ont. there's q
woman living in that house." he picked
nm q handkerchief or Some SUI. .-sdo
from the floor. His comrades got it
away from him with some difficulty and
threw it back into the house.
The next morning Canaan. sober now,
persuaded one of his companions of the
night before to accompany him to juan
ita's house that he might apologize for
the disturbance he had created there.
The woman's paramour met them ut the
ioor. appeared angry, and seemed to
threaten Canaan. but Is their conversa-
ton was wholly in Spanish, Of which
Cannan's friend was ignorant. he could
not tell what passed. Then the
woman herself came TO the door
and seemed even more angry than
her male companion. Cannan, as it
4: II
them, spoke in a conciliatory tone, but
his words. whatever they were, only in
creased the woman's anger, and before
either OF the Americans had the slight
est conception of her purpose, she drew
a knife. rushed at Canaan and plunged
it into his heart. He fell dead at her feet
The citizens at once assembled, elect
ed a Judge and jury and proceeded to
try the woman and her male companion
forthwith. A man named Thayer pro-
tested against this summary and illegal
administration of Justice, but he was
quickly silenced by the crowd, who
menaced him with death If ne did not
keep quiet, and shouted themselves
hoarSe with such cries as Hang the
Greaser devils!' Give them a trial."
,"No. no: hang them now!' Give them a
trial first and then hang them" This
last compromise suggestion was accept
ID and the trial began. The story of
the previous nights trifling affair was
quickly told. Cannan's friends stated
that there was no intention TO insult or
annoy the woman. and that the occur
renee was wholly due To a drunken mis-
nap and an insecure door. It was evil
ient that the woman's companion had
no share in the murder. and the man
was, therefore, permitted to go free.
The woman's sole defense was that
Cannan's breaking into her house at
night and using insulting language TO
her on the following morning had made
her act perfectly justifiable. and even il
it were not she had been beside herself
with rage At the time SO Is 10 be wholly
irresponsible.
The case was closed, and the jury,
without wasting any time in delibera-
ton. promptly found the woman guilty
of murder in the first degree, and sem
fenced her to death. The sentence was
carried out that afternoon. Juanita
never lost her compOsure or her cheer
fitness: surrounded by her friends. and
chatting gayly with them, she walked
with firm. elastic step TO her death.
Without 4 tear or a tremor she mounted
ladder 10 an imprOvised scaffold- Her
beautiful black hair was neatly braided,
and she was tastefully and richly
dressed. She made a short speech, say
ing that she did not regret what she
had done. as she had merely inflicted a
well-deservec punishment upon a man
who had grossly insulted her, and that
if her life were TO be spared she would
again act il precisely the same way
under the same provccatiOn- With her
own hands she passed the moose over
her head and arranged the rope. Then,
with a graceful wave of her unbound
hand and cheerful Adde'S, Senores,"
she sprang off into eternity.-Rocky
Noun tain News.