Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-01
A MURDEROyS SKULL.
The Little Story Attached to the I'm
canny Object.
Told by the Phrenologist Who Was 4 Friend
Of the Man.

He was phrenologist as he admitted,
though he had never paid much atten-
ton to the business in late years. For
time he had worked the lecturing
lucrative profession had left the one of
examining mems heads at so much a
head. He was passing through Maine
on short journey and when seen by a
Journal man, admitted he carried n
skull or two in his trunk, as II was a
hobby of his since he had left off the
lecturing business, to keep in touch
with the profession in which he made
his start in life.
had met him on the train, the man of
the quill was taken to the room in the
hotel where the doctor was stopping,
and shown the uncanny looking skulls
he had in his possession. They were
few but of a variety of shapes and
sizes. There was d little story at
tached to each, but to one, the one tina.
seemed to the man of news to be the
best shaped of all, was little story
that certainly deserves reselling.
though it concerns no one who was
ever in this city or State.
You don't often see such beautiful
skull as that one. See how symmetri-
cal. how we'll formed is the cranium,'
said the doctor as he fondled the skull.
THE mouth. too. is small. and the
teeth, which yet remain. are well pre-
served and even. No doubt a good
looking sinner in his day Ell?
'I'll tell you about this once some
body" continued Doc. as he threw him.
self back in one of the chairs. I'm his
day Jose Armijo was ii great Mexican.
Great because he had to his credit thu
killing Of no less than Is humans-all
of his own race, with the exception of
Two Pueblo Indians. Jose was queer
fellow in more senses than one. Des
perate he was and murderer always.
Yet there was an underlying something
which gave promise of reformation.
That something, however | am con-
strained to say, never materialized.
But Jose was good in the sense that he
never forgot friend, and never would
he allow that friend TO be injured. no
matter under what circumstances he
might be placed.
II say this because~I once befriended
Jose while touring about the western
end of Colorado.ard the eastern end Of
New Mexico.
1t was at Las Vegas in the fall of
80 that l met this murderous devil"
and the doctor again with loving eye
and expert touch caught up the whit
ened skull and felt Of the many little
lines running from the occipital bone
around to the frontal. Il had been at
that great hotel they have there in the
mountains and made it a sort of prac-
tice 10 shin out to lonely spots and
greasers. l liked to talk with them
and find out their views of life-such
as they had lived. 1t was while ] was
among them one day that | saw a
gaunt. hollow-eyed Mexican lying in a
mud hut dying by inches. He had been
stabbed IL times and his body was a
of tae nd.
Naturally l examined the fellow, and
as naturally began TO fix him up the
best | could under the circumstances.
After | returned to the hotel I pro-
cured the necessary articles to treat
my new patient and again visited him.
By good luck and fairly good care l
to me We're the most profuse ever
offered to mortal man, l think, and he
assured. as payment for my services,
that he would never modest me or al,
low me to be injured while in his neck
of woods That was gratifying, GER
tainly. because mysterious murders
were frequent Oul There those days.
When Jose got strong | took him
as a guide through the rough noun
famous passes leading farther west
had been told of his desperate bravery
and, of course, felt perfectly safe with
him in case we should meet other law
less robbers and cut-throats. We had
been out three days when, in passing a
large. jutting rock at the edge of
mountain. We were surprised by the
sudden onslaught of three DEVIL faced
greasers. They wanted my money. but
they had not counted on Jose. We re-
sisted, and the first slash of knife
caught me in the shoulder. / shot, but
only wounded my assailant in the arm
1t disabled him, however AS turned
to avoid another stroke | saw that Jose
had already laid out one of the bandits
and was closely pressing the second.
Again ! shot. this time with more