Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-20
TIE LATEST TRAGEDY.
GROUNDLEss RUMOR THAT GARCIA
ACTED IN sELF-DEFENsE.
His Mad Love Was Not Returned. So
He Determined to Do
Violence.

Virginia Vasquez, the woman who was
shot on Saturday morning by her jealou.
lover, Olivia Gareia-who afterwards blew
his brains QUITS recovering rapidly from
her injuries and will in all probability be
out again in week or so.
A rumor was spread about the city yes
terday to the effect that Garcia did not
murder the woman in cold blood. but in
stead had acted in self defense.
This report was based upon the fact that
the Vasquez woman once attempted to
take Garcia's life. 1t happened some time
ago, after the couple had quarrel over
some trivial matter. Garcia threatened
the woman, when she seized knife and
made vicious thrust at him, inflicting an
ugly cash across his breast. After he re-
covered Garcia's friends advised him to
have nothing further to do with the
woman, for fear of further injury at her
hands, but he, it is said, only laughed and
replied that he was not afraid of harm
from woman.
People who knew of this affair now be-
lieye that the woman made another at
tempt to take Garcia's life Saturday morn
ing and that he shot her in his own de-
Tense. They go further than this by ex-
planning why he took his own life after
shooting the woman. They say that when
he fired at her he believed he had killed
her, and so strong was his love for her
that he had no desire to live himself and
be tried for her murder.
This may all sound very reasonable, but
co,af ....l. Aorr Il -.
tragedy demonstrate that there is no foun-
dation whatever for the rumor.
True, it may be, that the woman at
tempted his life before, and it may be
equally true that she was vicious and
would attempt it again. But when it is
known that Garcia told several persons
about town on Friday that he intended to
kill the woman, the affair takes on differ
ent color.
It has been learned that Garcia made this
threat in the presence of various persons,
and, more than this, asked several &C.
quaintances 10 loan him a revolver with
which to carry out his threat. None ac-
coded to his request, however. Finally,
though, Garcia succeeded in getting hold
of shotgun. This he found too unweildy,
and taking ii to a pawnbroker's establish
ment traded it for the revolver with which
he subsequently did his bloody work.
There is nothing in that story of self
defense, at all" said a police officer to a
RECORD UNION reporter last evening when
questioned about the affair. 1.-THE woman
has been trying to get rid of this fellow for
some time, and it is my belief that
that former stabbing business was because
he would not desist in his Objectionable
love making. He has been desperately in
fatuated with her for some time, and grew
even worse every time she reviled him,
which was pretty frequent, from what |
know of him. Well, she finally made up
her mind that the only way to avoid him
effectually was TO leave town, and she was to
have gone to San Francisco on the after
noon of the day he killed her. Some of
her friends gave her a farewell party Fri
day night. Garcia was there. and was act
ing strangely all evening. When the party
was about to break up, early Saturday
morning, Garcia asked her to step out of
the room with him, as he desired to speak
with her alone. They had not been out of
the room but few moments, when pistol
shots were heard. Now, does all this look
like self-defense? 1t is as plain as day that
he had his mind made up to kill her, I'M
less she either gave up her proposed trip or
allowed him to accompany her. He called
her out of the room for this purpose. She
refused, of course, and-well, there you
are, now; it is not very likely that she &C.
companied her refusal with the drawing of
a dagger, is it? Why. it's bosh. Garcia
intended to kill her and then commit sui
eide"
Coroner Clark will hold an inquest into
the matter to-day"