Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-05-11
A Legend Of a Horse.

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just outside the city of San Jose,
white horse sprang on the track and
raced down toward the town in front
of the engine. For mile the train
did not gain OH him. Then the un-
equal footing of the cross-t ties and
the pace began to tell OH the white
steed, and the engine crept slowly
up to him. The engineer gave "a few
shrieks of the whistle to scare the
horse from the track, but he kept oil
in front, running with the speed of
a racer, with his long tail streaming
II a st raight line behind him.
The pilot struck him, ground the
life out of him in an instant and
then ploughed into the dirt on the
opposite side of the track. The en-
gineer swore few choice oaths and
jumped from the cab. The horse
was as dead as doornail, and the en-
gine left the rails.
1t was Vasquez's horse. The
whole country knew it the next day.
He was twenty 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 Mexicans moret than
a lion, He was called by them the
white devil" and it was their belief
that he was possessed of soul mort
gagged to the evil one-the soul of
Vasquez. It is u strange tale that
the old Mexican mothers tell of this
white horse
Vasquez was the most noted BAN
dit of California twenty years ago.
He babe defiance to the law, eluded
the detectives and searching parties
and killed and robbed half a hundred
men. lie roamed over the State of
California from tire north to the
south, leaving desolation and death
in his wake. lie surrounded HIM
self with band of desperate Mexi-
cans and terrorized entire communi-
ties.
On dreamy August afternoon i'll
southern California, the mayor of
Los Angeles and a fellow official
were driving along the old sand road
through the Arroyo Seco toward the
town. Over the brow of the hill
half mile in front of them group
of horsemen appeared at n gallop.
They swept down the hill and met
the buggy Of the mayor. The gal
loping horses were yanked back up
OH their launches, and a swarthy
Mexican upon a white horse showed
pistol in the mayors face, and said,
with a show of his teeth in smile,
"Y our money, sener."
The mayor thought it was a joke
and laughed.
"Quick, quick" said the horseman
as his weapon clicked. 81 am Vas
quez.
, The mayor laughed again.
"Ef you dor't belief me, senior
look
He pointed back to the hill and
there appeared another group OF
horsemen riding at full tilt from the
town.
Quick, " said Vasquez. II am nc
fool"
The mayor looked down the pistol
barrel at the pair of black, glittering
eyes that lined the sights and put
up both his hands. He was tighten
ed of his chamois bag of gold, as
was his friend, and the bold robbers
> wheeled and were off at run, the
posse from the town riding up five
minutes too late to catch them OF
to save the mayors coin. The band
escaped into the chaparral.
Vasquez made history in this way
for five years, and then was caught
like a rat in an abode house near the
scene of the robbery of the mayor,
and was shot down by a newspaper
correspondent detailed to accom-
pany the search party. He survived
his wounds, and 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, white horse galloped up
the street to the Jail, stood u mo-
ment at the door and gave neigh.
The Mexicans heard in it call to
the dead Vasquez. There came no
answer to the horses challenge and
he wheeled about and went as sud-
denly as he came.
Then he turned bandit and fol-