The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-13
SHOT FROM AMBUSH.
Four Prisoners on Their Way
to Jail Killed.
A Mob Takes Cruel Revenge
Upon Supposed Murderers.
DRIVER ALSO KILLED.
The Men Had Murdered a Col
Orado SalOOnkeeper.

PUEBLO, Col, March IA dispatch
from Walsenburg, small town fifty
six miles south of Pueblo, says u mob
in ambush at 1870 last evening fred
on wagon containing nine Italians
who are charged with fatally beating
A. J. Hixon, a saloonkeeper at Rouse,
a coal mining camp six miles from
Walsen burg, Sunday last. Four of
the Italians and the wagon driver
were killed. The prisoners, who had
been lodged in the Walsenburg jail,
were taken to the coroner's inquest
at Rouse yesterday afternoon. At the
conclusion of the session of the day
the prisoners were loaded into the
wagon and started back to the Jail.
At Bear Creek, region where
there is much underbrush, half a
mile from Walsenburg, the crack of
a dozen rifles, presumably in the
hands of miners, rang out Four of
the prisoners, whose names cannot
be learned on account of the excite
ment, were instantly killed. Joe
was driving the wagon, was also
killed The officers returned the
fire, which lasted several minutes.
The most intense excitement reigns.
Walse n burg and Rouse are both off
the main line of the railroad, and
attempts to secure further details
have failed because the telegraph
offices are closed at night
The work of the mob was done to
avenge a peculiarly brutal crime At
2 o'clock Monday morning two men
en- route to work at Rouse discovered
A. J. Hixon, proprietor of a saloon, in
q anndif on a O aic rh 0A
a mile from his place of business.
Mr.. Hixon had been struck on the
back of the head with a blunt wea pom,
and was unconscious. He expired
within an hour.
Some ten days previous T. J. Brew
er, pit boss of the Rouse, imported
trained bloodhounds, which were
promptly summoned. The animals
rushed away on the trail and within
ten minutes seized a table leg in the
rear of saloon located half a mile
distant. On examina ton blood was
discovered on this leg. The dogs then
proceeded to the saloon door and two
men, Lorenzo Danino and Jobatto
Antonio, who were discovered there
in, were arrested. Two more men,
Pete Rose tia and Frank Anrlco
were arrested in a cabin near by.
Admissions of knowledge of the MUIR
DER were secured from TWO OF the m
i'm ediately on their arrest and later
they divulged the names of seven
others who were with them, and
charged Lorenzo Danino with the
murder. Two of the parties had
started south.
The officers were quickly in the
saddle and the entire nine were under
arrest at p. m. The names of the
additional five are: Pete Jaco bini,
Francico Ronketto, one Corporalla,
one Milo, and one Nicholi, whose
Christian names are unknown.
Threats of ly nching Danino were
generally INDUCED in during the day
and quite a number of men were
scattered along the route to Walsen-
burg, but it was thought there was
scarcely a possibility that violen ce
would be attempted. Hixon was
rather popular with the American
miners and general indignation pre-
walls. He was an Arkansan, late Of
Texas. was SO or 81 years of age. He
is supposed to have returned from
Walsen burg on horse back bout 10 p.
m and to have been attacked un-
awares. The incentive of the murder
is problem, as Hixon was not of an
aggressive or quarrelsome disposition.