The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-14

Denver. Colo, March IA special
to the Rocky Mountain News from
Walsenburg, Colo, says;
-Four dead bodies are now in the
hands of the coroner of Huerfano
county as the result Of the vengeance
wreaked last night on the Italian
miners who were charged with the
killing of Abner Nixon in a most brutal
manner at Rouse last Sunday night by
beating him over the head with a club
and two more Italians have uneues-
tionably been riddled with bullets by
friends of the popular saloon keeper.
A few hours will almost certainly
bring discovery Of the eorpses and
every man against whom there was
the slightest suspicion of completely in
the killing has met with summary and
frightfui punishment. Three of the
four bodies are those of Hixon's al
legged assailants, the fourth is that Of
Joe Welsby, who was driving four Of
the Italians to Jail in a wagon when
he met his death
The Dead.
Antonio Lorenzo, declared BY the
coroner's jury to have struck the blow
which crushed Hixon's skull and
caused his death: "a years of age, IN
married; an Italian citizen,
Stanislaus Vtttari 80 years of age.
married, wife and three children in
/ ally, declared intention of becon1ihe.
an American citizen.
Francisco Ranehetto, 81 years Of age,
unmarried citizenship intention de-
clared.
Joe welsoy. % years of age. unmar.
Pietro .Glacabino. 81 years old, said
to have taken out Arst papers,
Antonio ZapettO "a years OF age,
wife and three children in Italy; fTst
papers taken out
The first four named above are in the
hands of the coroner
Inoush The moo commenced Ia
work last evening when the sun had
been set but a little while. it was not
Until this morning that they had COM
pleted their work of revenge, after
having killed three Of the suspected
homlcldes and brought death IS he
young wagon driver. VINO had nothing
70 Go with the killing Of Hixon. When
the three Italians captured from he
wagon at Bear Greek bridge, where
WelShy was kflle1 had heen made
away with, the small but determined
mob waited for the excitement to sub
side and then came to the county Jail
here and few minutes before O'clock
this morning cOmplet d the work of
revenge on which they had commenced
SIX hours before. Ronchetto. VI had
beeh wounded in the breast at the
Bear Creek trouble, Was found asleep
in the calaboose with Lorenzo.
Riddled with Bullets.
The guards PLACED at th9 Cell, VII
liam Smith and Henry Farr, vera
playing high five when a rap came at
the outer door Of the Jail Thay asked
who was there, and were told that it
was Sheriff O'Malley. Without a mo-
ments hesitation, they unbarred The
entrance. and instead of seeing O'AaI-
ley they looked down the barrels of
two reviewers 10 the hands Of ITO
masked men. The experiences of others
earlier in the night taught them to
obey the command to throw down their
pistols and hroW uD tn ir hands. WGlle
the first two men covered z rr md
Smith with their pistols. another. pair.
with their faces hidden by handker-
chiefs and carving Big guns in their
hands, stalked in. One Of the last ar
rivals pi hed up from the tale the
Keys to the cell in the adobe iail. and
going back into the building opened
the door where lay the now trembling
Italians who felt sure their time had
come, and in their broken English
begged piteously for mercy. The aYeng-
er5 had some mercy but not for h
doomed Italians. In the cell with them
was Frank ok, who is charged with a
! brutal rape. He was grUffiy told to
stand aside and skunk into one cc~ner
OF the CELL The masked men then
/ turned their pistols loose on the Itai-
ian5. who shTiehed in agony IS bullet
! after bullet was sent tearing into
their dafenSeleSS bodies One Of tha
I first shots must have brought relief
to Lorenzo. whom the men SCENE to
regard with especial hatred. as the
( onclauy declared murderer, for their
leaden balls were sent into his brain
HIS Agony Intense
Rochetto was not so fortunate. One
! bullet passed through his head and
| two tore great holes in the thoracic
cavity, but instant death was not to
| be his good fortune, xor he writhed
and grodned in intense agony for as
much as twenty minutes. When the
| vigilantes felt that their work was
sure. they turned away. leaving their
| victims writhinS in their own and in
I one another's blood, while the COVER
| ing brute who had seen it all was too
! terrified to utter a sound When the
/ last bullet had been fired that was
| thought necessary to aYense one death
/ with six the men who had done the
/ latest piece of killing walked out from
| the Jail into the dark night. a mo-
ment or two later. the keepers of the
/ two guards backed our through the
door and closed IL behind them. Farr
and Smith now picked up their own
weapons and fired shots through the
heavy wooden door after the retreat
| ing men Summoning courage they
peered out themselves in few seconds,
and seeing six or eight men making
off on foot across the railroad tracks.
! they shot at them until their pistols
were empty. but without effect. They
| gave the alarm, but before sufficient
men for pursuit had gathered, the men
who had done the latest deed were
safely away and Farr and Smith could
/ give no description in detail of their
recent visitors. A physician was sum
! moned, and for ten minutes, the now
/ good-sIzed crowd were compelled "a