The herald., 1898-02-12
AT 1T AGAIN
Another Murderous Fight
at Calabasas
MExIcANs AND BASQuEs
M. DoMINGUEz AND v. YTUR-
RALDE WOUNDED
Svne Shot Through the Groin and Knee,
the other Clubbed In the Head
and Shot

There was another battle at Calabasas
on Thursday, and when the smoke of the
battle had cleared Manuel Dominguez
lay upon the stubble with bullet wound
in the head, as he claimed, and face
that was mashed to pulp with club,
while Vicente Yturralde, one of his ad-
versaries, had one revolver bullet in the
left leg and another in the right groin.
Calabasas is a place that is at peace
only when there is fight going on, and
why the fate of the cats Of Kilkenny does
not overtake the turbulents Of that un-
lawful burg is more than fellow can
find out.
Manuel Dominguez has been in many
4 strife since he went to live upon gov
ernment land In 1883, and he has received
wounds from which many better man
would have died in those encounters, to
say nothing of bruises and blows. Yet,
while his reputation for peace and quiet
is none too good, the claim is made that
he has always acted in the defense of
his person and Of his rights.
All the troubles which make Calabas-
are due to land jumping, trespass and
fence cutting. In the case of the Ytur-
raldes and Dominguez the same causes
brought about the latest conflict.
Several years ago Dominguez uncov-
cred a water hole on land which he be-
lieved to be his own by right of pre-
emption, and piped the water to tank
upon land undoubtedly his own. His
neighbor, GaZave, also squatter, found
out by a survey, later confirmed by the
government, that the water hole was
three feet on his side of the fence, and
destroyed so much of Dominguez' water
pipe as encroached on his land. Law
suits and fights resulted from all this,
but a truce was later patched up.
Later on there was a battle royal be-
tween Constable Branscombe and Man
uel Dominguez, in which the alleged
stealing of some shoats was the ostensi-
BILE excuse for the affray, while in reality
the water question was the incentive Of
the shooting and stabbing. When that
battle was over both men were nearly
dead of pistol and knife wounds. Do
minguez was again cleared of malice by
jury, his daughter swearing that she
had stabbed Branscombe in the back in
defense of her father.
A year ago Gazave, claiming to have
title to some of the land occupied by
Dominguez, rented 1t to man named
Comeres, and, later, to Vicente and
Juan Yturralde, two Spanish Basque
sheep men. The two latter not only pas
tured their sheep upon this lot, but it is
alleged, even cut Dominguez' fences in
order to drive their band upon some
other pasturage belonging to him, to
which they did not have even the shadow
Of a right.
This led to another wordy war, dur
ing which the Yturraldes drew guns.
They were brought to the township JUS
tice court, on a warrant charging them
with having exhibited their weapons in
rude and angry manner. The case
was tried, and they were discharged.
On Thursday morning Dominguez
with his two small sons and his two
daughters, having a need of saving his
stubble for his own animals, proceeded
to the land upon which the Yturraldes
were trespassing with their sheep. Dona
Concha, Dominguez' housekeeper, had
been taken along to help shoe the weth-
ers.
While the family was chasing the band
put of the field Juan Yturralde came
along and entered into a violent CONVEX
sation with DomingueZ, who stood near
the fence, and forthwith knocked him
iown with blow from a heavy club on
the head. Vicente Yturralde, Juans
father, then came up and shot at Do
minguez. Quite fifteen shots were fired
by the Yturraldes, but, although Do
minguez also had a revolver, he claims
that he did not use it, because his adver-
saries took it away from him when he
fell.
He and his son, Juan, 14-year- old boy,
maintain that Vicente was shot in the
groin and leg by his own son, accident
ally, while he was endeavoring to fill
Manuel's body full of holes. The Ytur-
raldes. on the other side, say that vi
eente was shot by Dominguez, and that
his son, Juan, also fired twice at them
with shotgun. but missed them.
Vicente Yturralde was brought to town
by Constable p. L. Lopez of San Fer
nando on Thursday night and taken to a
Main-street lodging house, where he is
under the care of DIR. Choate. His con-
aition is precarious. Juan Yturralde
vent before Justice J. H. Barclay and
had warrant issued for the arrest of
Manuel and Juan Dominguez on the
charge of assault with intent to murder.
Constable Lopez found the Dominguezes
1t the Lugos on Boyle Heights yester-
aay, Manuel being confined to bed with
badly demoralized face swathed in