The herald., 1898-11-04
|CA1TLfTnIfvfSCAUGnT
BREAKING UP OF THE OLD MIS-
SION GANG BEGINS
CONFESSION OF R. LOPEZ
Says He Was Hired by Flournoy, the
Butcher, to Steal From
WEARS Herd

d. M. Vejar has been losing cattle from
the Laguna ranch and has been seeking
solution OF the mystery. Out Of consider
able herd forty had come up missing, butlhe
was able to account for fifteen of them, as
their dead carcasses in the pasture afforded
ocular demonstration Of the fact that they
had not been stolen. About the other
twenty-five he was not so certain. Coming
the other day to the city he swore out
complaints charging various persons, des-
gnated in the documents as John Doe"
Richard Roe ETC., Of stealing his cattle,
and placed the matter in the charge of
Sheriff Burr for investigation.
IL. l.. Flournoy, butcher of Pasadena,
was first arrested on the charge of stealing
four. cows on October Sd, and he had his
arraignment yesterday before Justice
Young, who admitted him to $500 bail, with
Il. w. Hahn and Fred Hinkle as sureties.
Flournoy, being charged with grand lar
ceny, explained that he had bought seven
cattle answering the description OF those
alleged to have been stolen, from one Ro-
maldo Lopez of the San Gabriel mission.
This was one of the men who had been
chased by Deputy Sheriff Lugo several days
before on suspicion of being involved in the
cattle stealing on the Laguna ranch, and
being well persuaded that Flournoy had
been getting his beef in ways not warranted
ny law, IIt IcIcTtHCG 10 LOPEZ WIS d IEcSH
proof that Lugo had been on the right trail.
Lopez at that time had been with one Ra-
mon Alditre and had succeeded in escaping
arrest, though Lugo fired a shot at him as
he rode away, wounding him in the breast.
Yesterday afternoon the two Mexicans
returned to the house of Lopez at the old
mission, to have his wound dressed, and
there they were caught by Deputy Sheriffs
| Lugo, Woodward and Davis, who were Sc
creted on the premises. The men were
brought to this city and Lopez signed a
written statement, confessing that he had
| stolen six head of cattle from Vejar three
weeks ago and sold them to Flournoy, with
whom he had a previous agreement, for
$50. Flournoy, he said, had arranged with
him to steal the cattle, saying he would pay
him So head for the small ones and $40
for the larger stock The butcher had then
ARRANGED for delivery at night, knowing
| that they were stolen, Lopez said, and he
was to have taken more to him on the night
of October o. The ragged Mexican made a
clean breast of the whole transaction and
cleared up the matter very fully.
Lopez is suffering considerable inconven-
fence from his wound, but is not dangerous
| ly injured. He is man perhaps so years
of age, grizzled with hardship and of low
intelligence. Like many of his class, he
could not write his name, but appended his
mark to the confession. His companion,
Ramon Alditre, is younger, but of the same
class, and their experiences while hiding
in the hills after being fred upon by Officer
Lugo had left them both in sad condition.
1t is expected that the whole gang will
be broken up, and other arrests will follow,
but Flournoy is regarded as the leader of
the outfit and the others will scarcely con-
tinue their depredations if deprived Of a
N, ri, of