The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-12
sroRY OF a GREAT CRIME.
The Wealthy Marchioness Valera OF
spain Avenged.

- -, nature of criminals execution
nas for many years taken place In Europe.
Tha circumstances attending the expiration
- ha- crime were of a particularly grue-
-. a,rra From the date of her sentence
- -. 49, fixed by law 70 De her last,
- 80 Injected 60 an incredible amount
- - ,,,-sr yextravagant adulation and was
| ne cause Of much ImpaSsloned controversy
smon- the public-this servant girl VINO
brutally killed her m stress 10 the early part
of July, 1883 w.. ,,.;L,,., - ono
81 tba xraalthiest landowners in Cuba, was
Ialova6 and respected by every person who
-, Ts- and the tragic circumstances OF
- 5sstn created a deep and lasting sensa-
tion throughout Spain. AT the time OF the
crine the old lady lived in magnificent
mansion OF the Gala del Fuencarral her
eo~vants slept at the top of the house, with
ne aXcsntion of her maid, who occupied a
s-,.I room adjoining that of her mistress.
IN the night of July l, 1888, the people
80, in tbe vicinity of the Valera palace
we're alarmed by fearful shrieks proceeding
from Nine. de Vaera's bedroom; The con-
cierge of the palace, accompanied by several
other persons, ran upstairs anu euueaVoFeu
~ enter the private apartments, but their
1roctioo was Intellectual. Within ali was
LII bnt sickening odor of burning flesh
a,,sed the concierge to send for the police.
ITbon thev arrived the door was forced
omen. and upon penetrating INTO the mar
chiones,' bedroom the officers recoiied
horror-strieken.
and breast mass of gaping wounds, while
the murderer had saturated the lower
limbs with petroleum, as if for the purpose
If DESTROYING all evidence that a crime had
heen committed. Only the part of the
body thus saturated was consumed, the
immediate response to the lady's cries hav-
inc probably Disconnected the fiendish
m1rderer Strangely enough, robbery did
not appear to be the motive for the act, as
the Jewels of the marchioness were lying
untouched on the toilet table.
The maid was discovered apparently in q
dead faint on the floor of the adjoining
room a fierce little bull-terrier which had
been a great pet of Nine. de Valera, crouch
inc beside the PROSTATE servant, evidently
"a under the influence of powerful narcotic.
When she was restored to consciousness, the
maid Higinia Balaguer. became so con-
fused and contradictory in her answers TO
the magistrate, who had at once been called
that she was Immediately placed under
arrest From that moment she was source
of continual irritation and worry TO the
Justice, so bewildering in their contra
# dictions were her accounts of the manner in
# which the crime had been committed.
Upon the strength of her many selections
[ of people as being the murderers of her
s mistress twenty arrests were made, but
after. having been submitted to the most
rigid examination a release of every person
arrested on Higlnia's declaration had to be
made for lack OF any proof connecting them
with the murder. Sometimes the girl would
aver that she herself had killed her mistress
then she would insist that it was the deed of
''vile-looking dark man." who had fright
ened her (bigluia) into a state bordering on
insanity. AT last she confessed, apparently
with the great est reluctance, that the young
Marquis de Valera, the only son Of the
victim, had been the assassin. At the time
Of the murder, however, the marquis was in
prison, serving a sentence of three months
for accidentally stabbing one of his friends
This fact seemed to cOncluSively establish
an alhbi, had not several witnesses sworn
that they had met the young nobleman
walking in the streets of Madrid on the very
day OF his mothers terrible fate.
These declarations seemed to Indicate an
absolute connivance between the officers Of
justice and the director of the prison where
the marquis was confined, aud the Madrid
enes became almost wild with excitement
at the sudden and dramatic turn of events
1t was well known IN Madrid that mother
and son we're on very bad terms, and that
frequent quarrels had taken place between
them In regard to money matters. The
marquis had often been heard to say that
"a he wished his mother might die so that he
might enter into possession OF her enormous
W fortune.
81 The affair became so intricate that for
"a many months the tribunal were at their
WIS enc 10 discover definite clue to the
q murderer. Finally Riginia Balaguer was
mise en- secret" as the French saw. or was
paced In acell where no one was permitted
70 Visit her, and where even her guardians
We're forbidden to exchange a single word
With her. This treatment elected the
acknowledgement that she, with the assist
ence OF one Dolores Avila, woman of bad
repute, had together arrange and committees
the crime Thereupon the MARQUIS de VoIera
was liberated and Dolores Aviia was lo1oed
IN prison. Both were submitted to a new
tria the result being that Higinia Balaruer
was condemned to death by the garrote
ana DOLORES Avlla was sentenced to seyen-
teen years penal servitude
DOM women, however, absolutely refused
10 disclose the motive which had indncai
them TO commit SO horrible a crime. a cir
cumstance which led many people to be-
ii 1 mat the judges were misled. that
IA4Slhla latest avowals had been wrenched
run her by foul means, ard that she really
was luhhocent. A reaction in the girl
@VoI TOOK place, and during the eighteen
lonuhs intervening between her trial and
ue execution, every effort possible wac
made by personages of prominence and
;u-iteL VINO were convinced Of the girls
innocence to free her.
Dslofe the departure of the Queen Regent
ao4 SAINT Sebastian deputation obtained
~ ~ audience once from the sovereign and pleaded
sne cause or the murderess. entreating her
n4Je Sty to grant her a free pardon She
srtalniy would have yielded. as she is both
ssuoer-hearted and merciful. but MI Cano-
80 uel Castlllo declared thot the Snanish
sGseT ~ absolutely refused to interfere
| + %loa tne sentence of the court. The an ZEN
'uereIore, refused to exercise her right ~
rant free pardon. D' w
" nen TINS fact was communicated To tho
ia ''eIlllleo woman she fell into a state Of
"a rnool nl9SC absolute despair; she cried and
Loaned no9ll day and night, repeatedly accnsinc
81 ~. af eS AVlla OF having been the gultier
that H. Oi-e Two and complaining bitterly
ol do ote real criminal was not Condemned
rro 4eaGn instead of herself. On the evening
n I tbo q tAe day of execution. ACCORDING
cbsrol SptInlsn custom, she was placed In a
h. 49, tiIng the twenty-four hours before
0eatu- There she was received nv a
q sni yyS III monks who wore the black cowl
s s-;S %nite cross of the Hermandad de Przv
las t si1a brotherhood. This religious order
Frin';neT the middle ages taken charge of
49, s,- mas condemned to death during the
Dan5s = VI Their life, and it was from their
FecsiT,S O94 u Senior Verdugo, the executioner
T NV Hlginia Balaguer.