Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-08
TO WHOM DOES IT BELONG?
A Mans Head Found Tied to
a Tree Branch.
No Trace to Be Found of the
Body.
A Place in San Fernando Valley Where
Fragments of Bodies Turn Up
Occasionally-Was 1t
Murder?

A weird story of the finding of
human head was brought in from the
remote parts of the San Fernando valley
yesterday by Mexican, who told the
particulard to HERALD reporter in the
office of L. Labory, real estate dealer
of this city.
About 80 miles from Los Angeles the
Canon lie las Lajas is situated. 1t is
very Wild, wooded and broken region,
we'll up in the Santa Susana mountains,
running north and south, and separated
from the San Fernando range by only a
narrow valley.
In this wilderness, with the exception
of here and there acowboy or herder who
looks after stock, the country is not
settled. One of the cattle ranches in
the Canon de las Lajas is owned by ].
d. Longstreet of this city, and it is on
his place that the gruesome discovery is
reported to have been made.
A week ago the American herdsman
who looks after Longstreet's bunch of
steers, returned to his cabin after sew
eral days absence, and proceeded to in
spect his stock and the ranch generally.
While thus occupied, he found the
head, and it nearly scared him to death.
1t was dangling from the limb of live
oak, fastened from the black, coarse
hair by cotton rope. 1t did not ap-
pear to have been severed from the body
very long, as decomposition had scarcely
commenced, and the eyes were not yet
entirely devoid of luster.
1t was stout, olive. colored face, vita
bushy black beard and moustache, the
cheeks appearing clean shaven and the
indications were that the head had been
chopped from the body with an axe.
At first the herder believed that he
was the victim of hoax, and in order
that he should not be guyed for having
been gulled SO easily, he proceeded to
cafion few miles away, where Mexi-
can herder named Mondragon had his
cabin. In company with this man he
returned to the place where he had
found the head, and together they in
vestigated. 1t was freshly decapitated
human head, sure enough, and undoubt-
edly that of Mexican, but the face was
strange to both.
They then began search for the
body, but could not discover it, and up
to yesterday no trace of it had been
found. The story soon circulated around
among the few stockmen in that part of
the San Fernando valley, and slowly
found its way in the more settled parts,
where it has caused somewhat of SEN
sation. Nobody seems to have consid-
cred it necessary to advise the author
tiles, as DIR. Weldon yesterday disclaimed
any knowledge of the find. Yet in the
valley it is reported that the coroner
had been informed of the discovery of
the mysterious head. Among those who
are said to have seen it is Mrs. Glynn,
whose son formerly drove stage in that
section, and Chano Mendez, besides
several more people in the valley.
The Canon de las Lajas is FIVE or six
miles from Chatsworth postoffice, which
is itself composed of nothing but little
store, and thus it is easy to understand
that the news has travelled but slowly.
Although no one knew who the own
er of the head was nor the motive Of his
murder, some people up there were in
clined to think that it was once the val
ued property of cattle thief, who be-
ing caught in the act of running off
somebody else's steers, was killed and
afterwards decapitated.
Mr.. Longstreet left today his ranch
in the canon on business, and he will
investigate the matter. He had only
heard of the story indirectly, and was
not inclined to believe it. He told some
friends that about a year ago, a mans
hand was found near his place. and that
it was nailed up against barn. This,
he said, might have given rise to the
rumor, although he knew nothing for or
against the matter.
~ All Aboard
Make haste Your baggage is all right, but
have you got supply of Hostetter's Stomach
Bitters? No Then you have made sad
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