The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-20

reward. He got neither, for Vailpando
was sharp and eluded his efforts until he
gave up the chase. The outlaw had a
great many friends, who were ever ready
to conceal him. but his pet weakness was
stealing stock. He would cross from one
county to another, stealing and driving
cattle either way and selling at both ends
of the route. 1t was this that was the
cause of his last and most heinous crime
and capture.
In the latter part of December, 1894, he
with FeIiciano Chavez and Emilio Ell
cinias, stole four horses at Rio la Baca in
San Miguel County, and crossed to San
Pedro, in Santa Fe County, distance of
about eighty miles, where they sold them
for practically nothing, trading one of
them for a shirt and rs cents in money.
In San Pedro they met Zenobio Trujillo.
who, being man of their own heart.
Joined them. The object of this ALLAN ce
was to return to the eastern part of the
Territory on a stealing expedition
They left San Pedro on January 10, 1895,
and travelled all that day on foot. That
night they stole four horses and saddles.
These furnished mounts and they travelled
about twelve miles when while crossing
the ranch of Tomas and Maximiliano
Martinez, one of the most respected fami-
lies in the Southwest and certainly one of
the most prominent IN New Mexico, they
killed a fine heifer, which they partially
skinned. 1t was quite near an old corral,
built of great logs, which they used to
make fire, and as it had been showing
for some time there were about three
inches on the ground. They had just
finished building the fire and were cooking
the meat and coffee when Tomas Martinez
rode up. He greeted them pleasantly and
Vailpando, as chief of the marauders, in
vited him to dismount and take supper
with them.
Martinez had barely complied when
Vailpando covered him with two large re-
volvers, commanding him to throw up his
hands, and Chavez, grasping him around
the waist from behind, disarmed him.
The two men then deliberately shot and
killed him.
Not disconnected in the least, they left
the body lying in the snow and went on
preparing and eating their supper. When
they had finished additional logs were
placed upon the fire and the body placed
upon top. This seems to have been Vail
pando's fayorite method of disposing of
his victims. A dog that had accompanied
Martinez still remained and was shot. He
was not killed, however. and herein lies
the most remarkable and romantic Incl
dent that has ever been recorded in the
criminal annals of this country.
Surprising that they had covered their
tracks thoroughly they took the horse and
continued on their way. The dog was
badly hurt, but after lying in the snow for
few hours it revived and made its way
for eight miles to the casa, where, by it's
bowling, it attracted the attention of the
brother Maximiliano. For a time no at
tention was paid to the dogs bowling, as
no danger was apprehended. Tomas was
in the habit of riding around the ranch,
and very often did not return until late
The dog finally attracted attention, and
when examined it was found that it had
been shot. Further examination revealed
the fact that the bullet had entered Just
above the right eye, where it had glanced
on the frontal bone and continued around
until it lodged Just under the hide and be-
hind the right shoulder blade.
When these facts were ascertained Maxi
miliano mounted his horse and followed
the dog for eight miles to the scene of the
murder. The dog walked up to the still
blazing fire and, looking in, whined.
Senior Martinez could see nothing, but the
brute being persistent, he finally got a
pole, and raking in the embers pulled out
the skull bone, part of the hip bones and
the lower portion of the lower limbs. The
remains could be easily carried in one
hand, and they were identified only by
the fact that over his boots Martinez had
worn a pair of overshoes of an unusual
pattern.
A runner was Immediately sent to Santa
Fe and Sheriff Cunningham left immedi.
ately in pursuit. Going to Ojo la Baca,
where the murder was committed, he
trailed the men through the snow fol-
about thirty miles, when the track was
lost. After fifteen days of the hardest
kind of work the men were captured,
These were desperate men, and during
the entire time of their incarceration il
was necessary to chain them to the floor
and only eight days ago search of theil
cell resulted in the finding of file.