The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-02-12
ROMANCE OF A PRISON.
The Pardoned Victim Of an Unjust
Sentence
Weds the Friend of His Darker Days, Whose
Efforts eliminated in His Release
from Durance Vile-PrOves to be
the Son of q Millionaire.

KANSAS CITY. Mo-, Feb. s.-A scion
Of a noble Mexican family languishing,
unknown, in the Kansas state peniten.
tiary for six years for murder done in
self-defense: his pardon after three
years of untiring effort IN the part of
the matron of that institution. and
their final marriage by a justice of the
peace, eliminating in Il revelation of
his identity. are the chapters in a most
remarkable story of real life made pub
lie here yesterday.
The principals are Presciliana L.
Corpio. whose late father, Presciliana
Corpio, was a millionaire and cX-post-
master general of Mexico, and Mrs.
Matte l.. PEBBLES, of Dispatch. Has. a
widow.
The story is most interesting. In the
early eighties Il Young Mexican. who
gave his name as Camilo Lopez, came
to Kansas City with a bunch of cattle
from Guanajuato. Mexico. his home.
lie was Il handsome. dashing fellow,
who dressed well and spent money
freely. In Il short time the money was
gone. He went to Wichita, Kas-, and
made 4 living as a street vender.
One night. after an unusually
good days business. he was
lured into a resort by a Mrs.
SAN, DodsOn. Dodson soon ar
rived on the scene and began making
trouble for the Mexican. Mrs. DodsOn
,1oirrnJ in o,,,r+ l,+or +but nn1Snp
was demanding an explanation of the
MeXican,S conduct, and the Mexican
said that DodSon and his wife had tried
10 rob him. At any rate Lopez stabbed
DodSon to death with Il long-bladed
knife. Lopez could not talk En-
glish and he did not know how
to go about making Il dc
Tense. The court assigned him an
attorney. and in the trial he was con-
victed Of murder. Judge Christopher
Reed sentenced him to 30 years in the
pe%nitentiarv. The general opinion was
that the sentence was unjust. but
Lopez had neither influence nor money
with which to secure Il new trial.
At the pcnitcntiary Lopez learned to
talk English ttucntly. He worked at
the tailor trade, but was sent into the
library frequently and there met and
became acquainted with the matron,
Mrs. Matte L. PEBBLES. The matron
became interested in the goOd-looking
Mexican and. as they often worked to-
gethsr she drew from him his story.
Feeling positive that Lopez vas in
nocent. 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-dc-
Tense. Then she obtained the sigma
lures of prominent men to a petition
for his release.
1t was three years ago this month
that Mrs. PEBBLES began to interest
herself in Lopez's behalf. and on Janu-
airy 10 of this year he was pardoned by
Gov. Leedy.
In the meantime Matron PEBBLES had
left the penitentiary and ven to live
with a grown son and daughter near
Dispatch. Kas. Both of her children
have recently married and for a time
she has been living alone. When
Lopez was freed he wrote her a long
letter. 1t resulted in bringing Mrs.
PEBBLES to Kansas City Sunday morn
ing and to-day they were married by
Judge Ebert in a room in the Brevoort
house. a second class hotel.
Then followed the revelation of the
rams IDENTITY.
TIE groom is short and slender. lie
has delicate features. long. straight
black hair and piercing black eyes.
The marriage license places his age at
Al years and hat of his bride at IL.
She is rather tall. Her face is round
and full. while her dark brown hair is
tlecked with gray. The couple have
started for Mexico. on their honey
moon, to visit Carpio's family.