El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-08-11
Killed Last Week, Happy Now.

eeteruay morning the HERALD re-
porter, in company with Captain
Beudy OF the police force, went to the
home of Timoteo Mendez, south of
town, aud found him smoking a
cigarette. 1t will be remembered that
during the storm of Thursday night
Timoteo Mendez, in q drunken state,
fell on the street car track and went
fast asleep.
The driver of the street car was max
ing haste through the storm and says
he failed to notice the body on the
track. AS a consequence the car caught
the body of Mendez under the
wheels. His right leg, between the hip
and knee joints, was almost ground to
pulp and little hope was entertained
for his recovery. He was taken to the
city Jail and the city physician sum-
moned, but the man was in such q weak
condition that the doctor was unable to
do anything with the injured member.
The day following he was removed
to his home about % yards south of the
Santa Fe railroad track, and about the
same distance east of Ell Paso street.
1t was here where the reporter met
the injured man yesterday. He was
occupying about one quarter OF an
adobe room, the inside measurement of
which Is by 10 feet, and his wife and
two children were there also. for this
small Enclosure constituted their
home. The prattling children. too
young to realize the seriousness of the
hour, ran about the little room, and
their noises did not in the least affect
the injured father. He talked pleas
antly to the officer and assured him
that be would be on the streets again
in comparatively short time. He
said his appetite was good and that the
food he received agreed with him.
In one corner of the bare room was q
box which contained the cooking uten-
sils, while in the opposite corner was
the fireplace. A few small, grimy, and
highly colored pictures of religious
subjects decorated the rough, unplas-
tered walls. This was the home of four
human beings. During the converse
ton with the injured man, which last
ed possibly thirty minutes, the wife oc-
nupied box near the fireplace and
never once took her eyes from her hus-
band. 1t was not q discourage
ed LOOK which her counte-
nance wore. but rather that of content
ment and happiness. She seemed in
every way fully reconciled to the con-
litions and she frequently laughed
during the course of the conversation.
The little place is entirely hidden on
the north, west, and south sides by
corn, which although it has not as yet
attained its full growth, is foot taller
han the house. From an east view an
ordinary traveller would consider it a
place unfit for human habitation.
This family reside there, nevertheless,
Ind are apparently as happy as a mil
ionaire amid the Injuries of a mag
iiticent home,
While the. reporter was there one of
he neighbours children Joined the |
dendez children in play and the three |
If them were enjoying themselves |
IS only children can, when the visit
ng child made a misstep and fell into |
we'll eight feet deep, which contain !
ID about four feet of water.
Irs. Mendez heard the little one
cream and soon rescued it. During
III this disturbance the injured man
ever blinked, and the screams of the !
hid did not even move him to ask
THAT had happened. Such is the hap
y anyway life of the average Mex
can family.
The injured man is % years old.
When the city physician wanted to am
utate the leg the man told him that if
e would only let him alone and send
i'm little salve to put on the
tangled parts he would get well.