Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-23
ON THE BORDER.
Another Row About Collector
Berry's Deputy.
McCarthy's Ranch at Siempre-
viva the Scene.
Til Yasquez Has His Skull Fractured
AS Consequence.
Mr.. McCarthy's statement-Gillis Makes
an Alleged Unprovoked Assault
"A Plot Suspected to
Kill Vasquez.

Collector of the port of San Diego ,
John R. Berry, is again involved in
trouble through one OF his deputies,
named William Gillis.
Mr.. Berry has had more or less trouble
with ranchers whose property is near
the Mexican line; notably has this been
the case with Mr.. J. II. Mccarthy, who
lives on his ranch at Siempreviva. Mr..
Mccarthy was in the city yesterday,
and made the following statement:
ga week ago yesterday Will am Gillis,
who, it has since been learned, is a
deputy collector under Berry, was seen
chasing a band of horses across one of
our grain fields. The horses belonged
to Jose Yorba, and my foreman, Til
vasquez, stopped Gillis and asked him
why he was riding across our grain.
"I want to seewhose horses they are, F."
answered Gillis, and used some disa-
greeable language. Vasquez then or
dered him off the ranch and Gillis got
angry and drew his revolver, ge tting
the drop on Vasquez.
Gust at the moment when Vasquez
expected bullet to go crashing through
his brain, Yorba, who had seen the two
meet, rode up, and levelling his pistol
at Gills ordered him to put his weapon
up, and enforced his order 60 success
fully that Gillis obeyed. Vasquez and
Yorba then set out for the store, but
were followed by Gillis, who continued
abusive. At the store another alterca-
ton ensued and Gillis drew his pistol
and threatened to shoot Harry Behrns,
the clerk. The latter was too much for
the warlike deputy, however, and or
dered him away, giving him five minutes
in which to leave the ranch, and Gillis
stood not on the order of his going, but
went.
81 would like to explain here, that
Vasquez is the principal witness in the
case against two witnesses who testified
on Berry's part against us in former
case, and who as consequence of their
testimony were indicted by the grand
jury for perjury. 1t can readily be
seen that if Vasquez were to be killed,
and the chief evidence against these
men was to be 30 removed, their case
would probably be dismissed.
''Well, Gillis came here last week and
swore to complaints charging Behrns,
Vasquez and Yorba with resisting an
officer, and brought Deputy Marshal
Jenkins back with him to make the ar
rest.
"When they got to the ranch in the
night, Jenkins left Gillis at the barn,
telling him to stay there while he came
to the house. While we were talking
with Jenkins, one of my men came run
ming up and told me that Vasquez was
all covered with blood at the barn, and
he thought he was killed, and that Gillis
was standing there with a bloody re-
volver in his hand. We ran to the barn,
and there we found Vasquez bathed in
his own blood; his skull was fractured
and he was terribly battered and
bruised. We.asked him what had hap
pened, and he said that he had been
asleep, and, hearing noise at the barn
door, he had got up, and dressed only
had gone to the door thinking that some
of the horses had come up, and wanted
to get in. On'opening the door Gillis,
he says, jumped in, and commenced
hammering him over the head with his
big revolver. He said that Gillis seized
him with one hand, striking him with
Iu6 freVOlV6T uolu III Iuo Otuci, say luS,
"You s-n of b-h, want you."
81 propose to have Gillis arrested on q
charge of assault to kill when return
to San Diego, and will prosecute the
case for all it is worth. l am convinced
that there is plot to get rid of Vasquez,
but we do not propose to let it succeed.
"Bail has been given for the appear
ance of Behrns, Vasquez and Yorba.
The latter, by the way, is citizen OF
Mexico, and was across the line when
Deputy Jenkins came after him, but
hearing that warrant was out for him,
and knowing himself to be entirely in
nocent, he voluntarily came over to the
American side and gave himself up"
''Both Yorba and Vasquez assert that
Gillis, when the row occurred, never
said that he was an officer, nor did he
show any symbol of his authority"
Mr.. Behrns, who was with Mr.. Nc
Carthy, corroborated his statements.
Ia Grfppei