The herald., 1895-03-13
BULLETS FLEW VERY FAST
n
A Mob Ambushes and Shoots
a Load of Prisoners
FOUR OF THE MEN KILLED
Swift Retribution Follows a henious
Crime in Colorado
Posse Captured Nine Men-A
1urder Acknowledged

| Peublo, COL, March ia special to
the Chieftain from Walsenburg. small
town fifty-six miles south of Pueblo, says:
"A mob in ambush at Z 80 this evening
fired on wagon containing nine Italians
who are charged with fatally beating A
j. Hixon, saloon keeper at Rouse, coal
mining camp six miles from Walsenburg,
| 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 this afternoon
| At the conclusion of the session for the
day the prisoners were loaded into
wagon and started back to the Jail. At
Bear Creek, a region where there is much
underbrush, half mile from Walsenburg,
the crack of a score of rifles, presumably
in the hands of miners, rang out. Four
of the prisoners, whose names cannot be
learned on account of the excitement,
were instantly killed. Joe Welby,
young American boy, who was driving
the wagon, was also killed. The officers
returned the fire which lasted several
| minutes. The most intense excitement
prevails.
WalsenbuIg and Rouse are both off the
| main line OF the railroad, and attempts to
secure further details have failed because
the telegraph offices are not open at night.
The work OF the mob was done to
| avenge peculiarly brutal crime.
At O'Clock Monday morning two men
en- route to work at Rouse discovered
A. j. HiXon, proprietor of saloon, in a
dying condition about an eighth of a mile
from his place of business. Mr.. Hixon
had been struck on the back OF the head
with blunt weapon and was uncon-
scious He expired within an hour.
Some days since T. j. Brewer, the pit
| boss of the Rouse mine, imported a
| trained bloodhound which was promptly
summoned. The animal rushed away on
the trail, and within ten minutes seized
| table leg in the rear of saloon located
half a mile distant. Upon examination
blood was discovered on this table leg.
| The dog then proceeded to the saloon
| door, and two men, Lorenzo Danino and
Jobatto Antonio, were discovered in
the saloon and exhibited con-
were arrested. Two mole men, Pete Ro-
sofia and Frank Anrico, were arrested in
| a cabin near by.
Admissions OF knowledge of the murder
were secured from two Of them immedia-
| tely upon their arrest and later they di-
vulged the names OF seven others who
were with them, and charged Lorenzo
| Danino with the murder. Two of the
| parties had started south.
Officers quickly set out after them and
| the entire nine were under arrest before 4
| p. m. The names of the additional FIVE
are Pete Jacobini, Francisco Ronketto,
one Corporala, one Milo and one Mich
| olaf, whose Christian names are not
known.
| Threats of lynching were generally in
| dulged in during the day and quite num-
| Der of men were scattered along the route
to Walsenburg, but it was thought there
was scarcely a possibility that violence
would be attempted.
| Hixon was rather popular with the
| Amer lean miners and general indignation
| prevails. He was SO years old. He was
| supposed to have returned from Walsen-
burg on horseback about 10 p. m. and to
| have been attacked unawares. The in
centive of the murder is a problem, as
Hixon was peaceable man.
| Pueblo, Colo, March ia later special
to the Chieftian from Trinidad in regard
to the mob at ROUSE gives more details
of the occurrence obtained by messenger.
| wagon with four of the nine prisoners
was met at Bear Creek by party Of
armed men mounted on horseback.
| They commanded Deputy Sheriff Earl
Danford, who had charge OF the prisoners,
| to throw up his hands. This he did, but
the driver, Welby, either became excited
| or his horse became unmanageable and a
volley from the party killed him. Sheriff
! O'Malley, who was on his way to meet the
breast. He was wounded by a horseman
who shot him while he lay on the ground.
No trace of the other prisoners can be
found, and it is supposed from the treat
ment accorded the other man that they
were speedily killed.