The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-03-21
California Highwayman Who
Risaled Fra DiavOlO.
BOTH CAVALIER AND CUTTHR0Af
Terror of the sierras In the Days of AHA
C.Iffornia-Rore a Charmed Life Amid
Knives and Bullets-yengefuis rs a Fiend,
He Fulfilled His Awful Yows-His Band
of Brigands Artists In Crime-Iaie oil
Adventure Narrated by a Rival In Love.
From the Chicago Inter Ocean
Yes, senior, / knew Murietta, and knew

sentiment against Americans. refused 10
speak their language. and preferred power
IL 10 any utilization with the griugo. He
sat in the rear of a little one-stOr.ed,
br0ksn-dOwn adobe house IN the old quar-
ter Of Los Angeles. The house had two
wings. which formed a patio: but instead
of a fountain a washtuo was N the CEN
ter. and there was an air OF squalor ana
decay that was pitiable. Yet nature was
doing her best to conceal this. as the
walls were covered with climbing roses
and vines. while over all large fig tree
threw a grateful shade.
.'MuTietta, eh?' muttered the old man,
as though thinking. taking Of his bis
Spanish sombrero and pulling OUT some
brown cigarette paper from the lining.
joaquin Murietta? Why. senior, he has
sat where you sit many a time. The old
house isn't much TO look at nov. but ii
was fine one in 1919. and was owned by
Don Jose Guarez. who had The handsom-
est daughter in Los Angeles and Joaquin
and 1 were in love with her. Basta, how
these memories get piled up under the
dust of years, Ell. senior? Thanks, my
matches are poor. Yes. We both loved the
same lady. and that is the way discover
ed what kind of fellow Joaquin vas lie
was handsome boy; in fact, they said
there were two handsome men at that
time in Los Angeles" and the Old man
raised his brow, but / concede that he
was the handsomer. We used to meet
here, and one day he said to me, Don An
tonic, l am going 10 marry Donna Celeste,
and | give you warning TO keep away
You may imagine this astonished me, "
continued the old man after pause, but
l laughed. He said nothing, bat two
nights later, as l was sitting bere some
one fired a shot through that window,
and ii just missed my head. / knew il
vas Muriet.a and warned him that
should shoot him on sight, but | never
had the chance. He vas in trouble and
the authorities chased him into the noun
tains and after that we never met but
once. / expected that he would Kill ne,
so | joined in running him down and
found out that he WAS the greatest thief
and scOundrel in the country. BuJ he was
brave. lie came from sonora Wnen he
was about sixteen. came because he was
obliged 10, and ran away with lite daugh-
ter of Don Ricardo Felix lie was a
man of great personal fascination, and it
was HE boast that no woman could re-
sst him. 1t was true that he broke up
many families. The father OF the girl
followed him TO Los Angeles, where he
lived until 1880. He soon became the lead
er of gang of horse stealers. Thsir pan
was to pass as traders. steal herds in
California and drive them 10 Mexico,
steal others and bring them back: and
for this ne was outlswed in Los Angeles.
lie was finally driven north. where he
turned his attention 10 mining, the SiTl
going with hun. He tod a friend that .
was going TO reform. but one night i
sF-rr- of ! III
rich claim. came in and ordered him OH.
One Of them offered some insult to the
girl, which Joaquin resented. They
knocked him down. and. thinking they
had killed him, carried oil the girl.
Made Hmm "a DENIM.
This continued the OId man, made
a demon of Murietta. and from that time
his name was q terror TO Americans That
he was ilI-treated and lied about ] have
little doubt | know OF one case where a
gang of horse thieves laid a stolen horse
10 him. Ii was d put-up job. as you say,
and it was the finishing touch that made
Joaquin devil. He made d note i'm his
mind of every one who had injured him,
and IL was his life work 10 revenge him.
self His adventures would fill paper
He gathered about him a crew OF despera-
does, and, with HEADQUARTERS in the noun
tains. they made warfare against The
Americans especially. He was 50 daring
that he would ride through the streets o.
Los Angeles alone, firing his pistols and
challenging any one TO shoot MIN.
al that time there was here hearse.
an elaborate affair. that had been shipped
around the Horn, and was intended Tor
san Francisco. but The vessel was wreck
ed and the hea- sc was brought here. one
3 a.. ma of cd
He sent word that he was coming TO the
funeral, but every one took it as a Joke.
" hen The procession was half way 10 the
cemetery il Was met by Murietta and his
Men. He made the driver of the hearse
get of the seat, then took the place and
The reinS himself, and ordered his men 10
get behind the carriages and see that ey-
cry one kept up. Then he put the whip 10
the no. ses and started at a run, the men
, on horseback forcing the others by firing
| lheiF pistols, 10 follow, and soon the en-
sire FUNERAL Was running away. II is man
HtStly not thing 10 laugh about" sand
/ me MEXICAN, d grin wTlnkling his parch-
ment-llke face, but my brother-in-Iayy
/ VINO was one of the pall-t1 .rers. sand n
was the funniest sight he'd ever seen. Ri
I many hur1ettd yelled Tor his no. Sc, aRd
MheA II was brought up he leaped on his
DacAr urging on the nearse which me
I.oIsts made complete wreck OF The
dedd man Was one Of those Who had in
suited the girl and The body lay IN tha
! road several days, as MurIeIta mad SD
he would shoot any one thai toLcned il
There were twenty k!nds of muriererS
III Murletta's gang, senior; and fine-look-
ING fellows. nat was the tine when the
salary OF a SncrlH Was about $1,000 a
year. and no one would take the Office
The particular friend OF Murietta Va
Manuel Garcia, or IhTCe-Fmgersd lack
as We knew him, the desperate who in
vented the pastime in Los Angeles OF
sticking Cinnamon. IL consisted OF run
Eng MS horse INTO q crOhd OF Cinnamon,
/ jerking their heads back by their oueues
and cutting their threats with a dix. II
was Carcass boast that ne could XII
seven out OF crowd Of ten. Another OF
/ the sang was Claudio. a celebrated rider
He fought q duel on horseback win an
I American. with knives. and cut the man )
head nearly OF with one blow.
MurietIa's Doubles
"MUrietta had sworn TO kin NOR. than
thirty people who had wrouged MIN. an
TINS was one reason why he was always
on the move. He had IN his gang w,
men VINO resembled him very much. Tn
F three men dressed exactly alike. and IL
this way created confusion among rheIi
enemies. murder by Murietta would
Be reported in Shasta and the nexr daI
or so after ranch would b looted II
E Tu are b. Murietta and the stock run our
/ and witnesses al botn places would swea,
| that they had seen him, when he pertains
/ had been in San Diego or elsewhere. on
: time JOAQUIN as az a tal in San Jas.
I IN disguise. AS usual when drunk. he b..
came restless. snd was arrested for strilz
1 ing some one and fined SIC He asked ms
a.calde 10 send him home 10 get n.
money An olhcer was dispatched with
I him, but when they reached the Dlac.
Murietta turned quickly and stabbed III,
man, whose name Was on his terrible LIST
"0ne night in Los Angeles" said IN.
MrJlCaA. after ne had smoked a few mo
: ments in silence, he was sitting H. on.
I OF the biggest gambling houses playlns
/ monte, 20 disguised that no one knes
! him The conversation turned on Mu.
rirtte. and finally an American shout.
I that II he could out meet him ne Woull
XIII hia on sight. Auristta leaped on IL.
7 table and. waving mis- s0mbTero In on,
/ hand and his pistol IN the other, cried
/ 'I'l take the wager; I am Murietta No
IA word was said. ana, raking no IN,
money beneath his feel he jumped 10 Ihi