The record-union., 1895-03-14
Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.


DENVER, March 13.-A special to the
Rocky Mountain NeaUS from Walsenburg,
Col, 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 Hixon in most brutal manner at
Rouse last Sunday night, beating him
over the head with club, and two more
Italians have unques tionably been rid
died with bullets by friends Of the popu-
lar saloon-keeper. A few hours will
almost certainly bring discovery of the
culprits, and every man. against whom
there was the slightest suspicion of COM
plicity In the killing has met with sum-
mary and frightful punishment. Three
of the four bodies are those of Hixon's
alleged assailants. The fourth is that of
Joe Welsby, who was driving four of the
Italians to the Jail in a wagon when he
met his death.
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, un-
married, an Italian citizen; Stanislaso
Vittart, 80 years Of age, married, wife
and three children in Italy, declared in
tention of becoming an American citizen;
Francisco Ronchetto, II years of age, I'M
married, citizenship intention declared;
Joe Welsby, % years of age, unmarried;
Pietro Giacabino, 81 years OF age, said to
have taken out first papers; Antonio
Zapetto, "a years of age, wife and three
children in Italy, first papers taken out.
The first four named are in the hands
OF the Coroner.
Though the mob commenced it's work
last evening when the sun had been set
but a little while, it was not until this
| morning that they completed their work
OF revenge, after having killed three of
the suspected homicides and brought
death to the young wagon driver who
had nothing to with the killing of Hixon.
When the three Italians captured from
the wagon at Bear Creek bridge, where
Welsby was killed, had been made away
with, the small but determined mob
| waited Tor the excitement to subside, and
then came to the County Jail here, and
few minutes before O'Clock this morn
ing completed the work of revenge on
which they had commenced six hours
before. Ronchetto. who had been
wounded in the breast at the Bear Creek
trouble, was found asleep in the Gala
boose with Lorenzo. The guards placed
at the Jail, William Smith and Henry
Farr, were playing high five, when a rap
came at the outer door OF the Jail. They
asked who was there, and were told that
it was Sheriff OMalley. Without a
moments hesitation they unbarred the
| entrance, and Instead OF seeing O'Malley
they look ed down the barrels of two re-
volvers in the hands of two masked men.
The experiences of others earlier in the
| night taught them to obey the command
to throw down their pistols and throw up
their hands.
While the first two men covered Farr
and Smith with their pistols, another
with their faces hidden by handk erchiefs'
and carrying big guns in their hands,
stalked in. One of the last arrivals
picked up from the table the keys to the
cell in the adobe jail, and going back into
the building, opened the door where lay
the now unmolesting Italians, who felt
sure their time had come. and in their
broken English begged piteously for
mercy. The avengers had some mercy,
but not for the doomed Italians. In the
cell with them was Frank ok, who is
charged with brutal assault. He was
grufiiy told to stand aside, and skunk into
one corner Of the cell.
The masked men then turned their
pistols loose on the Italians. who sbrieked
in agony as bullet after bullet was sent
tearing into their defenseless bodies. One
OF the first shots must have brought relief
to Lorenzo, whom the men seem to re-
gard with especial hatred as the officially
declared murderer, for their leaden bull
let's were sent into his brain. Ronchetto
was not so fortunate. One bullet passed
through his head and two tore great holes
in the thoracic cavity, but instant death
was not his good fortune, for he writhed
and groaned in intense agony for as much
as twenty minutes.
When the vigilantes felt that their
work was sure they turned away, leav-
hi 1.
and in one another's blood, while the
covering 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 avenge one death
with six, the men who had done the latest
piece o: killing walked out from the Jail
in the dark night. A moment or two
later the keepers of the two guards
backed out through the door and closed
it behind them.
Farr and Smith now picked up their
own weapons and fired five shots through
the heavy wooden door after the retreat
ing men. Summoning up courage they
peered out themselves in few seconds,
and seeing six or eight mon making off
on foot across the railroad tracks they
shot at them until their pistols were
/ empty, but without effect. They gave
the alarm, and before sufficient men for
a pursuit had gathered the men who had
done the latest deed were safely away,
and Farr and Smith could give no de-
scription in detail OF their recent visitors.
A physician was summoned and for
ten minutes the now good-sized crowd
were compelled to watch and hear the
evidences OF Ronchetto's death throes.
The work so vigorously begun early in
the evening was now complete, and every
one was sure that the three Italians cap
tured at the bridge had long since met
death.
The first step of the avengers was not
so horrible, but they knew what they
wara ahOut e O'Clock RonchattO