Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-13
A HUMAN VAMPIRE.
A MAN WHO HAS DRANK A
BUCKET OF HUMRN BLOOD.
Several Victims Have Disappeared and
Never Been Accounted for-Drinks Dogs
Blood When he Can't Get Mans.
Special to the Gazette.


MOUNTAIN VIEW, CAL, Aug. 5.-There is
lying in jail here a man who, if his own
statement deserves credence, has drunk a
bucket of human blood. 1t is believed that
not less than twenty men have met death
at his hands in order to satisfy his desire
to drink the ife-giving fluid fresh from
their veins. This man, Illario Ortego, d
Malay, is now serving six months SEN
tence in the county Jail for threatening the
life of Alexander Morphy. ranchman on
Stevens creek. This human vampire is
Manila Malay, and his whole appearance is
most revolving. The fierce brute passion
shines from his eyes, which flash and
sparkle under deep, overhanging brows,
the hair of which grows together in the
center and hangs in d tuft down over the
bridge of his nose. His fat nostrils are ex-
panded and CULVER convulsively as he talks
of his frightful acts OF the past. His thin
lips are drawn tight and partly disclose
set of wolfish teeth. His hair stands erect
and his small, pointed ears lie fat and close
to his skull. His body is mis-shapen, sup
ported by distorted legs. while his long,
slender hands clutch convulsively at the
ends of knotted and gnarled arms. A more
repulsive appearing human being could
scarcely be conceived.
He first appeared in this country in 1860
Whenever he formed an enmity towards a
man he would follow him until his VEN
geance was satisfied, but if this was long
delayed he would kill a dog and drink its
blood while it flowed, yet warm from the
veins. Soon after his arrival he killed q
bed-mate, named Manila Juan, and for this
he was convicted and sent to the peniten-
tiary for fifteen years. He was released in
1875 and celebrated his release by trying to
murder an old companion named Clement,
who had assisted him in burying Juan. He
failed in the attempt, but a few days later
Clement disappeared, but he was of such a
character that no one took the trouble to in
vestigate his taking off. IlIario's next es-
capade was chasing Thomas Besanti over
the country and shooting at him with a
rifle. He was tried for attempted murder
and was acquitted. He then cursed the
judge from the dock for not sending him to
San Quentin prison. as he said it was much
easier living there than on Stevens creek
Shortly after this, nlario said that he was
getting old and needed a drink of blood to
make him young again. He was prevented
from killing man known as French Ben,
but Ben soon after disappeared and no trace
of him was found.
Last March two young men named Nor
ply moved into the neighborhood. The
younger Of the boys looked to the Malay
like tit victim, and on meeting him on the
road he began telling the boy how easy it
would be to put a knife into him and how
good his blood would taste. He danced
around the boy, swinging his hat in his face,
and saying that that was the way he stabbed
people. The boy told him to put on his hat
and he would show him how a white man
did it. The Malay put his hat on and the
boy drew his revolver and fired all his shots
through it except one. He then told Illario
to go home, which he did, cursing the boy.
To make his VOW Of vengeance more bind
ing, he killed a dog and drank its blood
Before an opportunity arose to kill Morphy
the boy left the country, and the Malay de-
termined TO kill his brother. He openly
said he would kill him and drink his blood
He took wooden bucket, and said that he
had already drank enough to fill it and
wanted more. 1t was while lying in wait
for Morphy that he was arrested The
keepers at the Jail say that he delights in
catching rats, and will bite their heads OF
while they are yet alive and suck their
hAeod.