Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-17
HOW TOMAS WON DOLORES.
An Elopement That Revived an Old south
ern California Feud.

HOW TOMAS WON DOLORES.
An Elopement That Revived an Old south
ern California Feud.
SAN DIEGO, Sept. l2-There Is war
among the Nicochea and Garcia families
The trouble. as usual. is over a girl. and
I'm this case she happens 10 be Dolores
Nicochea. the belle OF Mexican society IN
San Diego for some years past. Dolores
IS in the flower OF her youth. Just Is. tall.
graceful, and OF charming manners. Her
oval face IS pensiye. except when her
glorious dark eyes flash with mrth or
passion. She has plenty OF spunk, and
has lately SNAPPED her fingers at four big
brothers and eloped with scion OF an
ancient enemy OF her house.
Dolores had lived on Tenth street with
her mother and brothers-Josc. Gabriel,
Salvador and Manuel. Her father Is dead,
but the boys have watched her with
jealous care Dolores has had plenty Of
chances 10 marry but she has been very
circumspect in receiving attentions from
young men. Her brothers have helped
her by chasing away every young fellow
who came around. and by spreading the
alarming intelligence that death awaited
the man who presumed 10 court their
sister
This method worked well with faint
hearts, but IL had no terrors for young
Tomas Garcia. Tomas Is six feet two 3
years old, good looking, and quick az the
mountain lions he has often hunted. He
first saw Dolores two years ago at a fiesta
at Tia Juaua. on the Mexican line. lie
was then working on his fathers rancho
at Cerro, Colorado. seven miles below the
line. He quilted work ana came TO san
Diego. and ever since has carried on a
courtship with Dolores. For year she
turned a deaf ear 70 him, and he rarely
ever saw her He saw Jose Nicochea
once however but mutual friends sena-
rated them almost before the knives were
drawn.
After that Dolores di1 not seem 50 cold.
and less than 4 year ago Tomas was
sure he could win her n only the chance
Of elopement offered When the four big
brothers learned that Dolores loved
Tomas there was mighty row. They
related TO her all the old cattle wars be-
tween the NicoCheas and Garcias. and
tried 20 arouse her family pride. She
told them with great spirit that she
didn't care how many feuds existed be-
tween the families. that she loved Tomas
and some day would marry him. Then
the boys sent word TO Tomas that II he
was ever seen with Dolores he would
surely die
So matters have stood for the past six
months Dolores and Tomas have COM
municated In some way. but nobody
knows how. The old sonora. her mother.
has watched her Ike n hawk. and the
boys have been nc her side whenever She
appeared in public at baile or fiesta. II
Is strange. therefore, that Tomas should
have run away with her so easily but il
IS true that he has.
Last Sunday evening the old senora
dozad. jose. Gabriel Manuel, and Saliva
dor We're AN down town. Dolores booked
mighty pretty leaning her cheek on her
hand at the open window, appearing hale
asleep. once i'm q while she glanced a.
her mother. and the glance was as quick
and fun OF fire as a lightning flash. she
kept CHANGING down the street, too. as IL
expecting something. and could hardly sit
SIN as r light buggy and two fine horses
swept around the corner.
The team came quietly enough. but
without losing any time. Tomas said
only ono WOrd-"Nen" That means
Come" but IL means more In Spanish.
Dolores stepped past the doLnS sonora
as lightly as il dancing the iaraoe. and in
a second more was I'm the bCs,y.
The time consumed in reaching the
corner and getting out Of the old ladys
range Of vision was probably one minute.
II you have ever eloptd, however you
can imagine how long il seemed To- DO
lore7 and Tomas. When the corner WAS
turned-sas .-the whip descended. and
the spirited horses ielped down National
avenue toward ;he Mexican line. People
along the road heard 1 buggy hustle
through the night, but they thought IL
was somebody going for a doctor. or
something.
Tho fleeing lovers went through Ma
tional cry like a hurricane. 1t sounded
exactly like runaway everybody at
Chula Vista said. At Tia Juana. sixteen
niles from here, the horses were blowing
Ike a bellows. and the Custom-ilouse
men say that the young lady IN the buggy
held a shotgun or rife while the young
man Piled the whip. The Comandante
was not around when the horses dashed
by. but two or three of the gendarmes
made a feeble attempt 10 stop the inya-
ders. They didn't Ike the looks Of the
woman with the gun. however, and so
Tomas ana Dolores got with their team
into Mexico without paying duty-the
only case on record in these parts. They
drove right to Cerro Colorado and are
married. ola Don Pedro, Tomas's
father, is ticklod to death AT securing the
pearl Of his enemy's tribe. and he Will
give Tomas good ranch.
When the big brothers got home and the
old sonora said she didn't know what had
become OF Dolores. there was-wel, You
can imagine what there was. Each OF
the four with unerring instinct. headed
Z. fgfrafnl1 "a hltr -flNafs lff "a
his horses mouth cinched the animal 50
tightly that it stood On tptoe, aud all
swung into the street.
They reached Tia Juana less than an
hour behind Tomas and Dolores. They
asked the first m.n they met. VINO hap
pencd 10 Doe a Mexican Custom-Ho
man. II he had seen "a young couple. No,
he had not. Others gathered around Yes.
they had seen a young couple in buggy,
driving like crazy people.
Jose. Salvador Gabriel. and Manuel
looked at each other and prepared to push
on. Hold on hold on" said the Custom
House man; you cant enter Mexico IN
that fashion"
The brothers knew then that all was
lost. However, they tried 70 explain and
argue No. no, they must wait I'LL ma
mana and pay the duties on their horses
or 30 back. But. said they. this is an eX-
traordinary case-an elOpement, an alb
ductiOn. "BUeno,' said the custom
House man. manana it could all be ar
ranged BY this time the boys were sur
rounded by a swarm OF gendarmes, all
wrapped i'm serapes and smoking clga-
rettes.
SO the four brothers came home. They
swear by all the demons that Tomas Car
cia Is already dead, but people say that
before Tomas dies there Is liable 70 be
funeral among his brothers-in-law They
say that Dolores has more spunk than
all the other Nicocheas put together. ana
that the old sonora and the four brothers
will have to sue for peace II they ever eX-
pect 70 see Dolores again. Meantime the
war IS on.
THIMBLE-RJGGING.