The San Francisco call., 1896-02-16
CAPTURED At
JUAREz CAMP
Two of the MurdererS of
Miner Potesti Have
Confessed.
WAYLAID AND KILLED.
The Gold-Seeker's Life Taken in
a Lonely Spot in Pichacho
Canyon.
CRIME OF FOUR MExICANs
Contents of Treasure Belt Divided
Among Them-Two Are Still
at Large.

SAN DIEGO, CAL, Feb. 15.-The mys-
terry yelling the murder of an Italian
miner named Potesti, whose body was
found in the dry bed of Pichacho Creek on
January %, has been cleared by the con-
fession of two of the four Mexicans who
did away with him.
Potesti was Woodworking placer miner,
and he saved quite sum in gold dust
about 500. He worked last at the Picha-
Cho placers, southwest of Jacumba, on the
desert. Several months ago one Onofre
Lloya, miner, saw Potesti at the latter's
camp at Pichacho, and the Italian asked
Lloya to stay with him, as he was afraid of
trouble. He did not go into particulars,
and Lloya did not stay, being on his way
TO the Cocopah Mountains. month
later Lloya returned and found that Po-
testi had gone. The latter had said that
he would probably go TO Los Angeles to
buy an improved dry-washer to handle
lot OF pay dirt.
From the signs around the deserted
camp Lloya believed that Indians had
been there, and when Joe Garcia and A.
u. Ray brought the news of the finding of
Potestis body in the creek bed, Lloya was
convinced that Indians had done the
killing. Garcia said there were imprints
OF naked feet around the body and other
footprints leading down the canyon. The
flesh of the dead man S face had been eaten
off by birds and one eye was gone, so that
1t was impossible to tell whether he had
been shot through the head or not but
there was a terrible wound over the miss
cause OF death.
There was no sign of a struggle, and
Potesti must have been killed instantly.
He had worn a miners belt containing
the gold dust under his ordinary belt
The gold belt was gone and the other was
showed up under his arms. Nothing was
found in the pockets, but description of
the body showed clearly enough to Po-
testis friends that he was the victim.
Nothing was done by the authorities, as it
was below the boundary line and in very
isolated place.
The murder might have been completely
forgotten and entirely unavenged ii one of
the murderers had not become drunk at
Juarez mining camp. This man, Epifanio
Gallegos, appeared at Juarez last week
with lot Of tools, which were afterward
found TO be the property OF Potesti. He
sold them and began imbibing liquor, and
while intoxicated displayed lot of money
and gold dust. He became so boisterous
that Justice of the Peace ordered him
under arrest, and a rurale put him in the
corral that serves for a jail at Juarez.
After Gallegos became sober he was de-
spondent, and received the impression
that he had been arrested on the charge of
numbering the Italian, Potesti. He was
violent for a time, and finally broke down
and confessed that he was one of the
murderers of the miner. He said his
brother, two of Dukes Mexican cowboys
and Young Mexican named Ignacio Sor-
tello had done the deed. He said one of
the men was in Lower California, and that
the others had disappeared.
The authorities sent ont a force of
rurales and the other Mexican was cap
tured and charged with murder. When
he found that Gallegos had told the story
he also confessed and named other ac-
completes. These prisoners told now they
became possessed of the knowledge that
Potestl had $500 in gold dust, which he
continually carried in belt. They said
they got their information from Victor
Pinto, the outlaw, and the authorities of
Lower California are now searching for
that picturesque gentleman, who has a
record full of crime and daredevil deeds.
The four Mexicans agreed among them
selves to follow Potesti until he reached
some lonesome and isolated spot, where
they would kill him. The men kept a
close watch of the Italian, and he finally
left his camp on foot to come to San Diego
by way of Campo. He left in the night,
preferring TO escape the heat of the deser t..
The watcher for the gang notified his part
ners and the four followed Potesti as far
as Picacho Creek. When they saw him
safely in the trail leading up the creek
two of the men made wide .detour and
reached the head of the arroyo ahead of
their victim, so as to meet him. The
other two gradually came up with him.
At place hidden by low sandhills the
unsuspecting miner met the two Mexi-
cans. One of these stopped him, and the
other, springing forward, placed pistol
at his head and fired. Potesti fell in his
tracks without struggle, and the two
murderers were joined by the other two,
and they robbed the body of the belt of
gold. Gallegos said there was 500 in gold
dust in it.
The four were on the verge of fight in
the division OF the spoils, but finally
agreed, Gallegos taking a little less gold
and agreeing to take Potesti's tools and
camp outfit for the balance. Gallegos told
how he and the others discussed the best
method of diverting suspicion, and how
they decided to take off their shoes and
leave their naked footprints in the sand
around the body and for mile or so down
the creekbed in order to lead the discover
ers of the body to believe the Indians had
done the deed. They thought best not to
bury the body as the coyotes would dig
it up again, while if it were left just as
it lay it would soon be rendered unrecog-
nizable. The four men separated before
daylight and have remained apart. A
search of that country convinced the Off
GERS that two of the men have escaped into
this State.
The two in custody will be tried for muir
der at Ensenada, and as they have con-
fessed their participation in the crime and
division of the mopev IL is proha hle that