The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-09-12
A LEGEND OF A HORSE.
TERRIBLE DEEDS or THE WHITE
DEVIL, or CALIFORNIA


DEVIL, or CALIFORNIA.
Story of the Notorious vasques and Hi
Avenging steed-The Spirit of the Dead
Bandit Seemed to Inhabft the Zero
eious Animal-His Death.
One day, as the freight train running
from San Francisco TO San Jose rumbled
around a sharp curve just outside Of the
city of San Jose, q white horse sprang on
the track and raced down toward the town
In front of the engine. For a mile the
train did not gain on him. Then the IN
equal footing of the crossties and the pace
began to tell on the white steed, and the
engine crept slowly up to him The en-
gineer gave few shrieks of the whistle tC
scare the horse from the track, but he kept
right on in front, running with the speed
Of racer, with his long tail streaming in
straight line behind him
The pilot struck him, ground the life out
Of him in an instant and then plowed into
the dirt on the opposite side of the track.
The engineer swore few choice oaths and
jumped out OF the cab. The horse was As
dead as doornail and the engine had left
the rails.
1t was Vasquez's horse The whole
country knew it the next day. He was %
years old and totally blind when he met
his death in front of the freight train, and
for ten years had roamed over the unoccu-
pied land about the lower part Of Santa
Clara county, free as bird and feared by
the Mexicens more than a lion He was
called by them the white devil" and il
was their belief that he was possessed of a
soul mortgaged to the evil one-the soul
Of Vasquez. 1t is strange tale that the
old Mexican mothers tell OF this white
horse
Vasquez was the most noted bandit of
California twenty years ago. He bid de-
fance to the law, eluded the detectives and
searching parties for years and killed and
robbed half hundred men. He roamed
over the state of California from the north
to the south, leaving desolation and death
in his wake. He surrounded himself with
a band of desperate Mexieans and terrorized
entire communities
RECEPTION BY vAsoUEZ.
On a dreamy August afternoon in south
ern California the mayor of Los Angeles
and fellow official were driving along the
old sand road through the Arroyo Seco to-
ward the town. Over the brow OF bill
half a mile in front of them group OF
hersemen appeared at a gsllop. They
swept down the hill and met the buggy of
the mayor. The galloping horses were
yanked back upon their launches, and a
swarthy Mexican upon a white horse
showed a pistol in the mayors face, and
said, with a show of his teeth in a smile,
"Your money, senor."
The mayor thought it was joke and
laughed.
"Quick, quickI' said the horseman, as his
weapon clicked. 81 am Vasquez."
The mayor laughed again.
"Eef you don't belief me, senior, look"
He pointed back to the hill and there APP
peared another group Of horsemen riding
at full tilt from the town.
"Quick," said Vasquez. II am no fool"
The mayor looked down the pistol barrel
at the pair of black, glittering eyes that
lined the sights and put up his hands. He
was hghtened Of his chamois bag of gold,
as was his friend, and the bold robbers
and were off at a run, the posse
from the town riding up five minutes too
late TO catch them or to save the mayors
coin. The band escaped into the chapar-
raj
Vasquez made history in this way for
five years, and then was caught like rat
in trap in an adobe house near the scene
Of the robbery of the mayor, and was shot
down by newspaper correspondent de-
tailed to accompany the search party. He
survived his wounds, was taken TO San
Jose, where one of his earliest and most
atrocious murders had been committed,
and there met his death on the scaffold.
The night after Vasquez was hanged a
white horse galloped up the street to the
Jail, stood moment at the door and gave
a neigh. The Mexicans heard in IL call
10 the dead Vasquez. There came no an
swer to the horses challenge and be
wheeled about and went as suddenly as he
ZANE.
THE BANDIT HORSE.
Then he turned bandit and followed Vas
,uezs old trails. Once in awhile man
would be found on the road with his body
mutilsted and his flesh bearing
he marks Of hoofs. Sometimes in the
hight white horse would appear at the
loor of Mexican cabin in some lonely
pot and neigh If no answer came be
would be off like the wind. bnt If any man
Jared show himself the horse would attack
Tim with hoof and teeth and II it was sell
loIn that a victim escaped.
Time and again he was shot at, and one
Mexican buck was foolhardy enough to
~ TO rope him and met a horrible death.
The horse bore a charmed life. He became
.lmost as great terror 20 the Mexicans a.
had been TO the rich Americans.
{ by chance Mexican pony got out OF the
Oral and wandered of In search OF Rrazs
be white horse would find him and enlist
i'm. First he had one follower. then two.
hen half dozen. No man could kin
hem, and no man dared TO attempt to /
apture them. With no loads upon their /
acks they were feet as the wind and could !
utstrip the best horse with a rider. The /
fexicans named the leader the white /
Devil" and said that Vasquez lived again /
a his horse.
As the years went by and Vasquez be-
ame a memory, and his exploits the theme /
Or children's stories, the " bite Devil loss 4
is companions. His visits 20 the vicinity 4
Z the little towns became less and less fro
uent and then ceased altogstheE. Al long /
intervals a Mexican would ride in with . 4
sport that be had seen the White Devil In 4
ome canyon among the hills. Even these
sports ceased, and few Americans Of the /
ltter days in California had heard Of him
ntil the freight train mad killed the white
orse. The Mszicans came for miles %
,ok at him All of them knew him, a.
.ast they said 20. and they respected
i'm sufficiently TO look az his dead body
ON Sistznce.-San Francisco Exam
ser.