The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-01-06
Two Condemned Mcxicans Murder
ously Assaulted a Texas Sheriff
and His Deputies.
OVERP0WERED AND HANGED.
Ranger BRYANT Was Stabbed in the
Siomach-.tnt0nio Flores and
Geronimo Para Expiatcd
Their Crimes.


! III faso, Tex. Jan. 5-Antonio Flores and
Geronimo Para were hanged here his after
noon in the COUNT jail
The galIpws usci was a patented trar
which is part of the steel ,lrc. The ,x.-
cuiion was private and only witnessed 10y
/ newspaper men and fifty citizens
II was discovered this morning. 10y III.
death watch. that The prisoners were pre-
pairing 10 spring sensation at the last
moment. Two dirlls. mad, of steel. were
concealed in water PIP" in their .n!L
! These were removed while the PRISONERS
were at religious s"ryiccs. and it Wa he
iieved thar al further chance Of vicleE-.
was eliminated
Eut. when the colt doors were opened IN
lead Antonio Flores TO the drop. Geronimo
Para made dash for liberty. ami both
men stabbed v!cIOu-ly at the rangers AND
Deputy Shyriua who surrounded them,
with pieces OF heavy steel wire iiIei 10 :.
sharp point The officers srrauS upon The
rrisoncrs Para was forced back into his
cell. and the door ho.jcl. and Flores was
choked into submission ny five men. not,
however. until he had stabbed Ranger Bry-
ant in the stomach and made Intellectual
| thruSts at others. He was thrown upo,
the floor and bound ham: and foot. while
protesting that h" haG intended TO take
others to h"il with him. In that condition
he was assisted to the callows
After asking pardon for what he had
done, and receiving absnlutiou from n Mex
lean Catholic priest. the trap was sprung
and death was instantaneous.
Sheriff Boon then addressed the crowd as
follows: Geronimo Para" he said has a
weapon concealed about him and / am de
ternined 10 shoot him before he shall in
Jure any citizen Of this county or any Of
my men. I shall enter the cell alone. and
If this man moves | call upon my officers
"a shoot hin. down
Five rangers and deputies drew siX-~hoot-
crS and covered Para.
Hands up said The Sheriff The prIs-
oner Obcycd and he was taken out and
hound. \ weapon made Of large wire
was found I'm the cell Para kissed a cruel
fix before the trap was sprung and ad-
dressed the audience. protesting his inuo-
Cence. He was cool to the last. and when
the lever WIS pulled by the Sheriff his neck
was all but severed by the rope.
FIares's Crime.
Antonio Flores murdered woman In y
most ccvarily manner. His crime was
committed on March l9. 1899. on III" South
crn Pacific Railway track west Of the city
II" had urged the woman T. liN. with him
and she had rejected his advances.
He met her one Sunday morning and 70
newed his proposals ta h.r. She ATTEMPTED
To escape from him. He then stabbed! h.r
repeatedly. inhictiuc wounds from which
she died two days later.
TWO smallpox guards. who were watching
an infected house less than -n0 yards away
saw the deed. Flores turned TO run, but
they covered him with eiX-shnotcrs lie
drew his knife. but it was struck from his
hand.
On their evidence he was convicted.
After being sentenced he offered tho plea
Of insanity TO escape the penalty Of his
crime. hut committe" Z physicians de
cided that he was not insane.
A marked contrast existed between the
conduct Of Para and Flores to the hast
Para was cool and defiant ami seemed ready
to meet death like man. whit. Flores ap-
pcaTod to be Possessed OF great fear and
sought any subterfuge TO escape death.
Twenty days before the date OF his exocl-
tion Para had tn" members Of his family
assemble AT the jail. and seating himself
in :heir midst. had his Photograph taken
for the benefit Of his kindred.
Flores was ~ years "Ii and Para about
20. Both were Ncxicans
ParB's Deed.
Geronimo Para had L.! a band Of cattle
and horse thieves along the southern bor-
der during the last fifteen years
He was Mexican far above the average
in intelligence, courage ana energy. and
managed to commit various crimes for
many years. and stude the officers His
gang was organized and operated between
Morenci. Ariz.. and Fort Hancock, Tex II
WhS composed IF desperate men, who are
charged with having committed n number
OF cold-bloodeI murders in connection with
their operations The members of the .;anc
were as ruthless as pirates on the high seas
and counted human life as nothing.
The most notable crime committed by the
gang was the murder of Ranger George
FusseiInan, more than nine years ago.
one day news WAS brought 10 III Paso
that settler. twelve miles north nf the
city. beyond Mount Franklin. had hacn
robbed Of his hoses and ra'tIs. by the Para
gang. That was in April. iS.o when law
lessnesa in this section WIS rampant 4
posse was Immediately organized II WAS
headed by Ranger FusscFman and George
Herold, then d ranger, now Il member of
the police force in this city The posse
went IN pursuit Of tho outlaws
in the Gefiics Of a mountain fifteen miles
north Of town they cucountero! the
thieves Who had taken refuge behind huge
rocks a little way above The trail In
those days capture meant death to the
horse thief. and Para's gang was prepared
for the worst. At tho first Iolley, fred at
q distance Of :riy yards. FuSscman fcu
from his horse and rolled down a ravine.
shot through th" head and holy. George
H"rojds rifle rctU-oi to work. and nc threw
II aside. drawing his s.E-shpaFrr. They T..-
treated. firing as they went and made their
way back to town. Before leaving how
ever, H,roia So" Geronimo Para raise. his
body from behind a rock. some distance uD
IN" hin and shoot al Fus<ci,nlr. Al The
trial oe Para. more than min. years later.
E"-oiI WIS able 20 identify Para as one
81 jhc mur''.Tors If the raag.r
\ second posse "-s gui. X, organized and
sent from II F#so wa.u N"ruld told the
news Tho member uf il recovered Fliesc!-
mans body and the stolen horses and cat
tie. but the Para gang had vanished
Nine years later Captain ). Il Hughes
of the State Rangers. now stationed y,
West Texas discovered that Geronimo Para
was serving a FIVE years sentence in the
Santa Fe pcEitentiRry for cattle thief. ana
assault to commit murder Para was 1T
once reindicted by the EI Paso County
Grana Jury. and II was an easy matter t.
procure his surrender at the expiration OF
ms term. He was convicted by = fury IN
THIS city and sentenced ip he hanged
----=>---
PILES CtRED WITHOUT TIL: KNIFE.
All druggists are authorized L- the manu-
factGrerS Of PaZo ointment 10 refund N.
money here il fails TO cure any case Of
plies no matter uf how long stauIi,-.
Cures ordinary cases in six days the worst
cases in fourteen days. One application
gives ease and rest. Relieves itching in
stGntly.
This is a now discovery and is the only
Pile remedy sold on a positive guarantee.
no cure no pay. Price % cents
II your druggist don't keep il in stock
send us aH cents IN postage stamps and We
VIII forward same by mail
g.. -,rr..4 -