The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-12-13
HANGING AT LOCKHART.
REJINO VELA, WIFE MURDERER,
PAYS THE PENALTY.
The Trap Which Dropped Him Into
Eternity Was Sprung at 2:1O p.
IN Yesterday - History
of the Crime.

Lockhart, Tex, Dec. 4.-(Special.)-
ReiinO Vela, the wife murderer, today
eXpiated his cruel crime on the scaffold.
Yesterday evening the sheriff received
| from Governor HOgg a telegram retus-
| ing to interfere between the prisoner and
the law, and final preparations were
made for the execution. The prisoner
rested reasonably well during the night
and kept up fair show of courage to
the last moment At II o'clock he
ate a hearty dinner, after which he
talked in Spanish from the Jail window
to the crowd assembled on the outside,
among whom were quite a number of
his own race. Just few minutes be-
fore starting to the gallows he sang
Spanish air to an accompaniment on the
accordion played by a friend. Accom-
panied by priest who had been at
tending him for several days and the
officers he assembled the scaffold with a
firm step, taking his stand upon the
trap After the priest had prayed he
kissed the crucifix and said a few final
words to his friends Deputy Sheriff
Wright read the death warrant, Sheriff
Eustace adjusted the cap, and the
prisoner fell: His body did not culver
after the fall. After hanging % minutes
he was pronounced dead by the physi-
clans who were in attendance. After
being cut down and placed in a neat
coffin the body was turned over to his
friends
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
On Aug. 80, 1893, at the little village
of Dale, on the Missouri, Kansas and
and Texas railroad eight miles east of
Lockhart. was committed one of the
most cruel, revolving and ineXcusable
murders ever perpetrated in Texas.
RejinO Nela was a Mexican laborer
in section gang working on the rail
road, and boarding with his reputed
wife. Ju'iana Sesp7 los, a nd pthers, at
the section house in Dale. On the after
noon of Aug. 80 Vela left work. and
going to the section house inquired for
his wife.
Mrs. Barker, the matron, noticing
something peculiar and unusual in his
appearance and manner, asked him what
he wanted. He replied that he wanted
his wife to get his clothes for him, as he
wanted to go away.
Mrs. Barker reported this to the woman
and she Immediately went to Vela's ROOM
followed by her little son. who picked
up a large butcher knife off the table
in he dining room as they passed. Vea
attempting to close the door, asked his
wife if she had told her boy to kill him.
She, evidently alarmed and suspicious
of danger, cried out: "No! No! Mo-"
Vela then, without n word, snatched
the knife from the boy and commenced
striking the woman with it. She ran
screaming and bloody from the house
into the yard, with the now insane demon
after her, striking her with the dripping
knife at every step, until finally he
caught her, and pushing her over against
the fence, continued to stab the help
less woman, until he was knocked down
with a club and seriously stunned by
neighbOr, who had been attracted to the
spot by the screaming.
The poor woman received IL
wounds, four of which were necessarily
fatal, and, strange to relate, lived about
30 hours, retaining consciousness to the
last moment.
Vela claimed to have been drunk: that
he did not know what he was doing,
but the testimony of the trial did not
support this theory of the defense, but
showed rather that the killing was the
result of former quarrel and jealousy.
At the September term, 1898, of the
district court of Caldwell county, the
defendant was indicted by the grand
jury, and on Oct. 6 following he was
tried upon his plea of mot guilty" and
was ably defended by Mr.. w. X. Baylor,
who was appointed by the court On the
the following day the jury returned YER
dict of guilty of murder in the first
degree" and fixed the penalty at DEATH
The defendant appealed to the court
Of criminal appeals, which affirmed the
judgment of the court below, and, at the
September, 1894, of the district court,
Judge Teichmueller sentenced the de-
PENDANT to be hung today.