Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-11

The Authorities Trying 70 Discover the
Criminals.

Criminals.
Don Jose Miguel velssco Cotapos was the
lessee Of the San Jose and San Juan del Peral
estates. situated in the Cajon de Maipo, Chile.
His usual place of residence was on the former
estate, and toward the end Of last week he made
preparations to Wait Santiago with his family.
The necessary arrangements having been CON-
pleted, he set out on Friday. accompanied by
his wife. his sisters-in-lAw--the Misses sara and
Julia Velasco-snd his four children, for the
San Juan del Peral estate, where they stayed for
the NIGH. proposing to resume the journey on the
following dry. Rain. however, fell on that day,
and the journey was postponed. Miss Julia,
however. with some persons Of the household,
proceeded in one Of the carriages to Santiago.
At about 7:30 p. IN. on Saturday Mr.. Velasco,
in the company Of all the members of the fam
ily who remained. was in = room which opened
onto a corridor of the house, when a slight
murmuring ~ of persons talking was heard.
Mr.. Velasco. thinking it was probably the man.
ager some of the employees Of the estate.
opened the door, when he was shot in the left
cheek, the ball lodging in the brain, and he fell
mortally wounded. One OF the bandits threw
himself upon the unfortunate victim. and,
after binding his arms. took possession Of his
pocket book his watch ard his wedding ring
This done. others of the bandits dubbed the
dying man in the head with the buts ends OF
their carbines.
Mrs velasco. after miraculously escaping
several shots, seized two Of her children and
took refuge in an adjoining room, while Miss
Sara. with the other two, fed into the yard.
The bandits quickly tracked Mrs. Velasco to
her hiding place. and. after maltreatiug her,
they threw her to the ground and bound her
hands and feet with silk handkerchief. They
then tore out her earrings and stripped her
rings from her fingers and this done, they
threw her onto a bed and. covering her head
with a blanket. threatened to kill her il she
made the slightest noise.
Others Of the bandits pursued Miss Sara
Velasco firing at her as she fed across the yard
with two of the children. but fortunately none
Of the shots took effect. She sought refuge in
a room near to the kitchen, to which place a
female servant had already fed: but she. too.
was quickly tracked to her hiding place. and
like her sister, thrown to the ground and
bound hand and foot. A nurse hid herself
under bed and escaped the notice OF the
bandits.
The gang then. commenced to plumber the
house. one of the first things which fell into
their hands being Mrs. Velasco's jewel case.
At the sound Of the first shot the butler, who
was eating his dinner in the kitchen, ran out
into the yard, and eomprehending that it u
of attack by robbers armed himself with
an iron bar and started to assist his master. He
had only half crossed the yard however when
he was felled to the ground insensible. and in
this condition be was dragged to where his mas
ter lay dead and was thrown across his body.
Almost at the same time the manager of the
estates, Don Andres Paredes. who lives close by,
hearing shots. armed himself with Remington
ca-bine and. accompanied by his son. started
for his employers house. He had not gone far,
however, before some of the bandits who were
posted behind o mud wall. opened fire and his
son fell, shot III the left thigh. Finding that it
was impossible to proceed further, Mr.. Paroles
took up his son on his back and retreated to lis
house.
The bandits. who numbered some fifteen to
twenty. left about O'Clock at night in the di-
rection. it ia believed, OF Pirque. After their
departure the nurse came ont of her hiding
place and unbound her mistress ana Miss Sara
Neiasco.
A two-Enk gold stud possessed BY one of the
bandits has been found. and il is believed it will
lead to important discoveries. In the gang
were men far above the vulgar class as was OBJ
served by the inmates from their mode of ex-
pressing themselves and their pronunciation,
and from the fact that the hands Of those who
bound the ladies were white and soft. The
faces Of these men were covered with silk hand
kerchiefs.
suspicious circumstance connected with
this tragical occurrence Is that the dogs did not
bark at all. which is a proof that somebody in
the house was in conniyance with the bandits
or that somebody among the bandits known
TO the dogs. In fact. the question is, Was the
object of the band robbery or revenge?
OTHEg oUTnAaEs.
At about the same time three men arrived at
the house of one Don Jose Mel cedes Leal. at
kobieria, department OF Arauco, and asked to
be allowed to remain for the night. Not only
was this request granted. but meat and drink
were set before the apparently jaded travellers.
In the middle of the night. however, they arose
and forced an entrance into their generous hosts
bed room and tabled him and his wife to death.
Their child. boy of ten. escaped from the
clutches of the murderers, and he has identified
two men who have been arrested on suspicion
Of being concerned in the crime.
man named Acevedo rode up to the door Of
a despachc in the heart of Santiago and called
for two bottles of wine. The owner of the shop
an italian named Grossi seeing that Acevedo
was the worse for liquor, refused to sell him
wine. After a short parley, Acevedo said:
Well, as you won't sell me wine, sell me ten
cents worth of tobacco and five cents Of paper"
The despacho consented. and took the tobacco
and paper to Acevedo when the treacherous
fellow nearly split open the skull of the unsus-
pecting Italian with blow from a matchete.
Aeevedo was apprehended on the following dny,
and his punishment will depend upon the
recovery of the Italian, who lies in the hospital
In u critical condition.