The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-24
A TERRIBLE THRUST.

Sunday morning in Guanaraja. The rays
of the fierce Mexican sun are beating down
white hot upon the languidly moving
crowds that pass backward and forward
over the plaza, seeking the shade of the
trees that line the open space or dropping
into the refreshment saloons for some of
the cooling drinks that tend to make the
sultry atmosphere more bearable. The
glazing stones and the white powdery dust
resting on everything are relieved by the
gay red reboza~ and bright costumes of
both men and women.
Chatting and laughing they pass hitheF
and thither, singly and in groups, some
times exchanging a word or a jest with n
passer by, again calling general attention
to the peculiarly outlandish costumes of
some Americans who, in trying to con-
form partly to the customs of the country,
but unwilling to hide their nationality
wholly in a Mexican dress, have arrayed
themselves in a fashion that is distinctive
of neither one nor the other while possess
ing the marked characteristics of both,
and anon laughing among themselves in
sheer jOyousness of soul. Your Mexican
is a gay, careless creature, as a rule, espe-
cially on a bright Sunday morning.
Suddenly there is break in the rythmic
movement of the passing and repassing
promenaders, like the shiver that sweeps
across the placid river when smitten by
a gust of summer wind. The colors that
were floating restfully up and down, back
ward and forward, in accord with the lazy
saunterings Of their wearers, are shattered
into Kaleidoscope confusion, as if by an
earthquake. There is a rushing of men
and women to one spot among the trees.
Cries of pity, Indignation and horror arise
Oh the still summer air, and echo back
from the mountains on the north in con-
fused muttering.
whats the troubled" asks a matter of
fact young American, who, i'll light seer
sucker suit and d broad som brero shading
his handsome features, is full of wide
awake energy, in marked contrast with the
apathetic curiosity of the natives.
"Ah, senior, he is dead" replied young
girl, whose bright eyes sparkle from be-
meath her embroidered reboza as she looks
up into the face of the young American.
''WhO's dead?"
''He-the stranger, tie American! And
he-he was SO good, replies the girl, sigh
ing.
You know him, them said the young
man, as he forced his way through the
crowd surrounding something on the
ground, among the trees.
"Ah, yes, senior, but only for few days.
He was a stranger"
"Umn was the only response of the
young man.
The next minute he was looking down
at the figure of a mana mere youth
lying under the shelter of a huge maple,
with his eyes closed and nothing TO indi-
cate that he was dead save the indescriba-
BILE look of surprise, horror and pain that
had distorted his features in the very in
slant of death
stabbed in the heart with a sword. See
the spot of blood on his shirt" said some
one at the young Americans elbow.
The latter did not reply, but bending
low over the corpse, with practiced eye
took in all the details of the murder He
saw that the thrust had been mSde with
keen, two edged sword, and that the
weapon had been forced through to the
very hilt the latter having left its mark on
the white shirt bosom. The blow had
been delivered by some one accustomed to
the weapon, as we'll as of great strength in
the sword arm. There were no marks of
struggle around the body. and the suppo-
siton was that the victim had been taken
by surprise and stricken down ere he had
time to defend himself. The murder had
been done in broad daylight, with thou
sands of people within a few yards of the
place, and yet no one had seen the act, or
even known that the stranger had been
\
on the greensward.
In due time the authorities were notified.
the corpse was removed to police head
quarters and the police-after showing a
disposition TO arrest several obviously in
nocent people, after the manner of police
men all over the world-gave up the mys-
terry and came to the conclusion that both
the murderer and his motive for the crime
would never be known. Besides. there was
70 be bulldght in the Plaza de Toro, on
the outskirts of the city, that afternoon,
and such trifing occurrence as a mys-
terious murder could hardly be expected TO
interfere with the pleasurable anticipations
of an entertainment SO dear to the Mexican
heart
Il don't know" reflected the young
American as be took his seat in the am
phitheater, Il hardly like to see one of my
countrymen butchered in cold blood with
ont trying in some way TO avenge him,
even though he Is a stranger. That girl
said she knew him. BY Jove, there she Is,
as sure As my name is Weston Sharpleigh.
on the seat below me Wonder If she had
anything 20 do with Oh, no; of course
not. She did not act as If guilty: only
seemed TO be Mortified. Guess the poor
fellow had exchanged a few idle compli-
ments with her. which. girl-iSe. she re
membeUed, aud. also girl.hke, she forgot
as soon es the body was ont Of her sight.
Well, / Il keep my eyes open nevertheless,
for somehow | have a strange feeling as If
IL were to be my fortune TO discover the
SLAYER Of that man.
A clash "a music disturbed the reverie
into which Weston Sharplejgh had fallen.
and he cast his ewes around the immense
amphitheater. now packed with humanity
II WAS one vast sea Of faces Almost stimuli
taneously with the outbuTst from the
hand. the pIcsdors. banoerillos and chulos,
in their gay costumes, flied into the saw
busted iucloSure IN the center Of the am
phitheatev, and after passing around in
procession, bowling 70 the audience, pre-
pared 10 receive the first bull. Nor mad
they long 10 wait. Weston Sharple "a had
hardly time To note the Joy snimaJinc
every face around him. particularly that of
the Young Siri Just below al the aDDear-