The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-24
LYNoRING a BEATTY.
How q Young Mexican Woman Faced
Death v ithout Flinching.

- -@CAACcAA dEGQ
Death v ithOut Flinching.
From the Rocky Mountain Nssss.
AT Downeyville, California, on July s.
1851. was enacted the most awful tragedy
that has ever stained the annals of CaIifor-
MA. In one Of the adobe houses there dwelt
with her Spanish paramour young
woman named Juanita, of the mixed Span
lSh and Mexican race, and Of remarkable
beauty. As some American miners we're
walking past her house late on the night Of
j lly 4, 1851 fun Of patriotism and some
thing else good deal stronger, one of their
NUMBER, named Canaan, stumbled agaln-t
the light, rudely constructed DOR, and fell
half inside the dwelling. As he was helped
to his feet by ais friends with the words,
Hush! come out, there's a woman living
In that house. he picked up a handker-
chief or some such trifie 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 Juaaita's
mouse, that he might apol JgiZe for the
sllgnt disturbance he had created there.
The womau's paramour met them at the
door, appeared ang y, and seemed to
threaten Canaan; but, as their conversation
was wholly in Spanish, of which Caunan'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. Canaan, as it seemed
to his friend, tried to pacify the n, and
spoke in a conciliatory tone. but his words,
Whatever they were, only increased the
woman's anger, and before either of the
Americans had the slig test conception of
her purpose she drew a knife, rushed at
/ and limo fv,kr, E.iZ hnav~ Ia
lell, dead at her feet
The citizens at once assembled, elected
judge aud jury, and proceeded TO try the
woman and her male companion forthwith.
A man named Thayer protested against
this summary and illegal administration of
justice, but was quickly silenced by the
crowd, who menanced him with death If he
did not Keep quiet, and shouted themselves
hoarse with such cries as " Hang The eraser
devils' "Give them a trial!n ''No, no;
hang them nowl" give them trial first
and then hang themI" This last compro-
mise suggestion was accepted, and tie trial
began. The story of the previous nights
tritiing affair was quickly told Can. ans
friends stated that there was no iute ton
to insult or annoy the woman, and That the
occurrence was wholly due to drunken
mishap and an insecure door. 1t was evil
dent that the woman's companion had no
snare in the murder, aud the man was,
| therefore, permitted to go free. The
womau's sole defense was thai Cannan's
breaking into her house at night and using
insulting language to her on the following
morning had made her act perfectly justiti-
able, and even if it were not she had been
beside herself with rage at the time so as to
be wholly irresponsible.
The case was closed and the jury, without
wasting any time in elaboration, promptly
found the woman guilty of murder in the
first degree, and Sc te ced her TO death.
The sentence was carried out that same
afternoon. Juanita never los her compos-
ure or her cheerfulness; surrounded by her
friends, and chatting gaYly with item, she
walked with firm, elastic step to her death.
Without a tear or a tremor she mounted
ladder to an improvised scaffold. Her beau
tiful black hair was neatly braided, and she
was tastefully and richly dressed. She
made a short speech, saying that she did
not regret what. she had done, as she had
merely inflicted a well-deserved punishme MT
upon man who had grossly insulted her,
and that if her life were to be spared she
would again act in precisely the same way
under the same provocation. With her
own hands she passed the moose over her
head and arranged the rope. Then, with
graceful wave of her unbound hands and
cheerful "Adios, Senores," she sprang of
into eternity.