Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-06-06
SELECTED STORIES.
VASQUEZ DIED GAME.

A party Of ranchmen sat about the ofiice
Ing waiting for the Southern Pacific train
to Los Angeles Louis Phillips, who owns
almost as much property In Los Angeles
county as Lucky" Baldwin. and who Is
famous throughout southern California for
his wealth and plain, common mode Of
life, told the most interesting "Reminiscences
Of the evening;
least moved man that ever saw or heard
Of in the presence Of death was Tiburcio
Vasquez.
"Vasquez was Mexican Of good family,
but be was as bloody and bold a brigand as
was ever pursued in Arizona. His field OF
operations for 10 or Is years was all the
way from Tucson to Stockton, Cal. The
Vasquez band was known all over the coast
in 1868 and 1870. Part Of his gang was
lynehed at Phoenix in 1871, and two of the
bandits then confessed that they had taken
the lives of over 80 men and boys on the
cosSt and along the Rio Grande In the
course of five or six years. They did not
know how many other men had been
slaughtered by Vasquez and his fellows be-
fore they knew the chief bandit.
"At last Vasquez was caught and held so
securely that he could not escape trial and
sentence of death. II was in 1875 that he
was confined in the jsil at San Jose, and as
knew Sheriff Adams we'll l went to see
Vasquez. OF whom many time had been
In terror. As j, In the company of several
ranchmen, went into the jail corridor, Vas
quez was let out of his cell to meet US. He
was dapper little fellow, with bright,
laughing eyes, and we could not believe for
"A time that he was really the famous BAN
dit. He had Just been writing his last let
ter and came forth nodding pleasantly to
his visitors. Each Of us handed him q
cigar. Il thank you, gentlemen he said,
but am afraid that won't have time to
smoke all these
HE was 80 polite that he would not be
seated until all of us had chairs. He gos-
siped about the latest news from San Fran
cisco, about the political troubles in Mexico
and Central America and was the most
cheerful man on the premises. He told me
that he had heard OF me many times and
said he believedhe once had got hold of q
horse with my brand upon him and that 1t
was fine animal.
"As he stood there, one hand on the arm
OF his chair, the newspaper in the other,
and showing courteous interest in the ef-
forts Of the bustling deputy to find seats for
his guests, he was far from formidable in
appearance. He was now but a short,
broad shouldered, dark skinned, pleasant
faced Mexican, with nothing whatever
about him forbidding Indeed his manner
was engaging. The fellow was a gentle
man. He showed it not only in his polite
ness. but In the cool courage with which he
faced his dreadful end.
~ would rather talk about something
else, II 1t is agreeable to you gentlemen" I"
he said to reporter who had Joined US,
and began business at once by asking Vas
quez about his mental condition. I am to
be hanged tomorrow. Very well. don't
like it, but have no choice. SeeS And he
shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
"'Do you feel that you deserve your fatep
solemnly asked the reporter.
"'Well, that does not much matter he
answered, lighting cigar. While / never
killed anybody myself, permitted my men
to do so, and in the eye of the law that Is
the same thing, so suppose deserve what
is going to happen. Since / cannot help
myself, / am content Will you pardon
me, gentlemen, If ask you to talk about
something else than myself am glad to
pleasant ehp'
"He leaned back in his rude chair with
an animated countenance, ready to chat,
like one who wished to while away drag
ging hours. He had about IA of them left.
The mans face was strong and firm. He
was in the prime of life and in perfect
health. His courage had been proved in
many bloody fight. and IL by numbering
all his visitors it would have given him
one chance In thousand to escape that
chance would have been taken and God
thanked for it. AS it was he smiled cor
daily and accepted the inevitable with
manly composnre. His politeness was In
exhaustible.
"The editor of one of the local newspapers
came in, greeting him with boisterous
hilarity, meant at once to cheer the con-
demned and display to the metropolitan
Journalist his superior intimacy with a
celebrated character. The editor actually
took copy Of his paper from his pocket,
and with the remark, j suppose you want
to hear what said about you tonight sat
down and read to Vasquez three solid col
umns about his crimes, the preparations
for the hanging and "a minute description
of the gallows, with mention of the other
criminals who had stepped upon it. Vas
quez bore 1t In silence, without vince or
a frown.
'On the next morning Vasquez walked
out into the sunlit jailyard, climbed the
steps of the scaffold, gazed indifferently at
the gaping mob Of men below, threw visit
full glance beyond the walls at the blue
hills over which he had ridden on many q
fray with his cutthroats and then gave all
his attention to the CHASTITY business Of the
moment. They sought TO unbutton his coat
and collar He waved them aside politely
and did so himself. He assisted the hang
man in adjusting the straps and rope,
glanced down to see that his feet were pre-
cisely on the crack, kissed the cruciRx held
out to him by the priest and bore himself
with patience and dignity while they drew
over him white shroud and placed on his
bead and shoulders a great black hood.
~ am ready he said serenely, closing
his eyes. and that was the last Of Vasquez."
New York Sun.
-