The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-09
LOPEZ IS MARRIED
Wichita Murderer MarrieS For
mer MatrOn of Penitentiary
LOPEZ NOT HIS NAME.
Stody of His Crime, Sentence
and Pardon.

Presciliana L. Corpio, known in Wich-
ita as CamiIo Lopez, who was sentenced
to thirty years in the state penitentiary
by Judge Reed for murder on South
Fourth avenue, and whose late father,
Presciliana Corpio, was a millionaire and
ex-postmaster general of Mexico, has
been married in Kansas City by Judge
Ebert, to Matte Y. PEBBLES of Dispatch,
Kan, a widow and former matron of the
Kansas state penitentiary. The bride had
secured Corpios pardon after he had serv
ed six years in the Kansas state peniten-
tiary under an assumed name. for the
murder of a Wichita man
The story is most interesting. In the
early eighties a young Mexican who gave
his name as Camilo Lopez, went to Kan
sas City with a bunch of cattle from
Guanajauto, Mexico, his home. He was
q handsome, dashing fellow, who dressed
well and spent money freely. He came
to Wichita and made a living as a street
vendor. One night after an unusually
good days business he was lured into
resort by Mrs. Sam Dodson. DodsOn
soon arrived on the scene and began max
ing trouble for the Mexican. Mrs. bod
son claimed in court, later, that Dodson
was demanding an explanation of the
Mexican's conduct, and the Mexican said
that DOdson and his wife had tried to rob
him. At any rate Lopez stabbed Dodson
to death with a long bladed knife. Lopez
could not talk English and he did not
know how to go about making a defense.
The court assigned him an attorney, and
In the trial he was convicted Of murder
Judge Christopher Reed sentenced him to
thirty years in the penitentiary. The
general opinion was that the sentence was
too long and mayhap unmerited. but Lo-
PEI had neither influence nor money with
which to secure new trial.
At the penitentiary Lopez learned to
talk English huently. He worked at the
tailor trade but was sent into the library
frequently. and there met and became ac-
quainted with the matron. Mrs. Matte |
PEBBLES. The matron became interested |
in the good looking Mexican and. as they
often worked together, she drew from |
him his story.
Feeling positive that Lopez was limo
cent, Mrs. PEBBLES set about to prove so |
to the governor. She visited Wichita and |
gathered facts to show that the killing !
Of Dodson was done in self defense Then |
she obtained the signatures of prominent !
men to petition for his release. It was |
three years ago this month that Mrs. |
PEBBLES began to interest herself in Lo-
pez's behalf. and on January 10. of this |
year, he was pardoned by Governor |
Leedy.
In the meantime Matte PEBBLES had left !
the penitentiary and was living with a |
grown son and daughter near Dispatch. |
Kan. Both of her children have recent
Iy married and for a time she has been
living alone. When Lopez was freed he
wrote her a long letter. It resulted in
Mrs. PEBBLES going to Kansas City Sun
day morning. and yesterday it was given
out that they were married by Judge Eb-
ert in a room at the BrevoOrt house. a
second class hotel of Kansas City. Then
Followed the revelation of the mans iden-
tity.
The groom Is short and slender. He has
delicate features, long, straight black
hair and piercing black eyes. The marri-
hge license places his age at Il years and
that of his bride az a.. She is rather tall.
Her face is round and full. while her dark
brown hair is fecked with gray. The
couple have started for Mexico on their
honeymoon to visit Corpios' family.