The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-14
the Hixon inquest, and were started for


Sheriff Earl Danford and Charles Harri-
man, assistant town marshal at this place
Hartman was mounted on horse and
rode a few PAGES behind the wagon as a
rear guard. Danford sat on the driver
seat beside young Joe Wellsby, who han
died the horses. Five miles of driving
brought the wagon to the bridge over Bear
Creek, which lies at the bottom of sloping
hills. Hartman heard horsemen canter-
ing up behind him, and as they drew near
turned his head to see who was coming.
By this time masked man was at his
either side, and though it was almost
pitchy black, he could see that when they
told him to dismount they had something
very persuasive poked in his face. He
jumped from his horse and was told to get
out. He did not develop sufficient speed
as a Splinter, but some shots fired into the
earth at his heels made him set out at a
good rate for town and he did not stop.
Meanwhile, some others of the masked
men, OF whom there were six or eight
manded it to stop, were obeyed, and then
they told the four prisoners to jump out,
and began firing their pistols. The shoot
ing frightened the horses and they started
off. Wellsby, meanwhile, had jumped to
the ground and was Juggling at the reins.
Danford also jumped and went to the side
of the road. More shots were fired in a
moment and Wellsby fell to the ground
dead with two bulletholes through his
body, one in the neck and one through the
chest. Rochetto received slight flesh
wound in the breast.
His death was not to be so soon nor so
easy. Danford and Hartman soon ar
rived here, and Sheriff 'Mslley and other
officers started to the scene. They came
upon Wellsby's dead body, and also found
Rochetto crouching by the roadside He
was again taken into custody, and when
he had recovered himself said the horse
man had taken his comrades to a neigh
boring field. Diligent search failed to find
them, however, and though many search
ers have been out all day no trace of the
bodies of Capetti and Gicabino has been
found.
Vittanis corpse was found at 2 O'Clock
this afternoon on the bank of Bear Greek,
one-fourth of a mile east of where the
wagon was attacked. 1t was riddled with
bullets. A Coroner's jury this morning
investigated the killing of Wellsby. and
rendered a verdict that he met his death
at the hands of persons unknown.
An inquest over Lorenzo and Ron
Ghetto is now in progress and the testi-
mony thus far adduced warrants the be-
belief in a similar finding in their case.
The trouble is about over and the excite
ment is fast subsiding except among the
al = L
100 in the district. who are congregating
terror stricken at Brunnelli's saloon.
No satisfactory motive for the wholesale
killing can be learned except it be that the
Italians, always hated in Western mining
districts, added to the i'll feeling they in
Cured during the general strike a year
ago, by killing very popular man with
out apparent cause or reason. Never be-
fore in the history of Walsenburg has
there been such intense excitement as
commenced last night and is gradually
dying out. Tonight every one is conf
dent that the trouble is over and that this
peaceful town will resume the even tenor
of its way and be allowed to drop from
the unenviabIe notoriety which this last
occurrence has gained for it. Last night
that would bring sure death and even the
most hardy men declined to venture out.
To-day the quaint wooden bridge where
several lives were lost was curiously ex-
amined. The locality is peculiarly fav-
orable one for such an attack as was made
there last night. The creek itself amounts
to but little, but the road slopes down TO it
for a third of mile on either side, SO that
when picking the point for attack the men
knew that the sound of their guns would
not reach this place, though it is but a
short distance away. The little adobe red
succeed jail one block east of the end OF
Fourth street and only half block from
the depot presents gruesome sight. 1t is
but one story in height, and has lost its
epldermls in many places. The door faces
the business portion of the city, and
through the heavy panels five bullet holes
made by Smith and Farr's arms, suggest a
struggle within. A peep through one OF
the small windows on the side OF the jail
tells the tale. Sticking out from beneath
two coarse blankets two pairs of coarsely
shod feet were to be seen, and here and
there tiny riyulet of blood, which had
run from the bodies. The killing occurred
in an inner room where the cage is located
Entering the door glimpse at the faces
was sufficient. AFFECT terror was shown
in every lineament.
All day long the main courtroom at the
county building held the Coroner's jury,
who first looked into the death of Wellsby,
reaching the verdict stated, and then inves-
tigated the killing of the two men at the
jail this morning and found that they were
killed by persons unknown.
1t is believed to be very unlikely that the
men who did the killing will ever be def.
nitely known except among themselves
The opinion prevails that the mob of six
or eight men were Rouse miners and per-
sonal friends of Hixon. Hixon's funeral
took place this morning, and just about
the time his coffin was lowered into the
grave the body of the fourth man who met
his death at the hands of last evenings
mob was found.
INTERNATIONAL COMPLICATIONS
Italy to Demand ReParati0n for tn,
Lynchifg of Subjects.
WASHINGTON, March 13.-The lynchine