The St. Louis Republic., 1901-07-21
ANOTHER IS ADDED
TO TRAGEDy's LIST.
Suicide the Latest Chapter in the
Santa Ynez Ranges Hor-
rible History.
EVERY CANON HAS A STORY.
Earliest Dates Back a Century,
When a Converted Indian Be
came Bandit and Met
a Terrible Death.


REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
San Francisco. Cal, July N.-when
George ". Barger committed suicide at his |
handsome but solitary residence overlook
ing the canon bearing the name. four miles |
west of Santa Barbara, he added one to ,
the long and extraordinary series of crimes |
and tfagical events associated with the /
beautiful canons Of the Santa Ynez Noun |
tain range. oreAooking that fair southern |
city.
The exquisite scenery, the Incompatible |
climatic conditions. and the peace and |
quietude OF these lovely haunts. where |
nature has done SO much that serves the
comfort and delights tho eye of man, would
seem to present no influences to account
for this sorrowful record. yet IN the twenty
or more miles Of mountains extending from
Carpinteria to Goleta there IS scarcely al
fndentation In the hills. where the lofty
heights have parted to let IN the sunshine
and to offer an enticing retreat fer the
world-weary. which has no, associated with
1t some bloody reminiscence. The following
record is incomplete, but is certainly a
notable one.
Ancient Mission Tragedy.
The earliest Of these is little more than
tradition. and belongs to Romero Conon,
a winding cleft, most abrupt aad majestic
OF all these gulches, leading straight TO the
backbone Of the mafn range, just behind
sSummerland.
The story goes tha. a converted Mission
Indian. harbored and fed by the good pad
res. turned bandit nearly century ago and
Found q retreat and hiding-place in a mar
row. cylinder shaped cave high DIP In the
face Of the perpendicular ledge. plainly to
ns seen 6y day by travellers across the
scarce half q mile above its entrance. BY
means OF q stout chain secured to a Eo.nt
S,s or r0cK above: ne was . accustomed to swing
and thence he used to sally forth at night
ana rob the peaceful inhabitants. OF the val
ley.
Tne climax OF his many crimes came
VI Cnen eH ne ae iengsn lnyaoed tne sacred walls
OF the Mission Church itself and stole the
the altar. Tor then the populaoe arose and
went In body to the canon. and cele-
nrated merksman: 1id Jose Dominguez. 50
opRo11Sc. pIaceo ms rine 70 ms snouioer.
snd. nnng al tne 1Snoit. VINO mocked them
from his inaccessible cave brought him
ioM;
In0y 3ackeo up tne CORPSE and bound q
s.a rois @ .ne i Daek ,T o. Tnite pony & ana a MIN
white hanks. the outlaw was brought back
70 ID eHar Cnicn nS 0So oesecta.eo.
Aese % EtIeSSs UOAu.
An even more 9omanuc story attaches t9
the lovely san RoQui most extensive and,
smp@tant OF an tnese meuntain eanons-
Appsoecnea oy means OF long ana wind
e I of % rock. is It sfst r sppesr. % ike Shadow sSadoWy
ysen whose green banks slope gently down.
nNr6 to spark!ing brook gliding beneath
y t!t.tsd and distorted syoamores with
SappIeo tI4nks; tnen IL ofoaoens out into q
eeisny smpntneaser almost circular IN
Torn; ex1enslvS eno4en 20 form the site Of q
goodiy city and overlooked by noble heights
enitting the sunshine free entrance. yet
ioidinx ' arm. -. aeA'' '>' 'A e''
FaI ~ tns sweMng piaIeau, oey9no wnere
yhe mountain tran IN series OF leaps and
s tbs q resioo on
lies beyond. nay De seen to-day the stone
kounS1enom 9. wnet vas once an an imporians
w.v s,d WSoiy was nave
Hither. when the Nineteenth Century was
young and pirates ranged the the coast; threat
Sood tsfhess sent the nuns S and ehilSren, fne foe
oafsty. under pretsxt OF establishing a dairy
Fanch Great riches they. are reputed to
s assSs . SSd ana sar Su ana III,
Souns padre. Who accompanied the s Women m n
sno WanHsssa Sn,aossn OF with Treasure.
ons; night the young padre sickened Of
Fever. and In his oelirium he arose and
0osssased hlmsele cf the treasure and wan
Seeuse hidinS place for It In The bt,Is u for r
kis feveFed brain imagined the pirates to be
- deeired ~ nreserve the treasura for the
Siurch
n The morning he was found wandering
ssSIsSriv sf,onf nv fhose Win v,enf o,,t eo
49, M. S,,t shs ~ treasnrs h.S S,sn un, ~
~ 49, .ifhc,,f recoveTinp HE mind c1 80. 90.
~ jsssC Era Sccrst .sn1 San pno.,,s San ~
~ .ssrca hesn NteraIiv rorevc1r,AeS NJ
:. sssrS 49, .esSsT. searctine for fha r,cf oS
SC~ss 1Nl 's:AAA M ene iic'
- !. MIL. .t.,v. %h. ..,.
We -. % IA ,,.,iSS.r se ~, .h NE Iounaa-
S - ~ 49, S,&tSN .tv.sr, h.X ~ snS opposlse s
% .ue .ass. xs..a rt So1fses ooWn
S1s os ~. Socir h,,rS,ed S.st q, phe
uyc " Ssy soSH u9..u. ~ = eu .oee III neien
eno ~ its Ace snere ls wide nssqre ex.
noanS 1!nost .ITM 'T Mpx xpex 10 oase. aere, II
e1io. ~ one WAC nyeo Iong N the can
On. the sao youn& paore may pe seen by
the elect on moonhgnt nights vainiy trying
% urecf tnem 20 the treasure. which lies
neAvy on MIS- MIND ana Keeps him from
Ueading the ueids OF paradise.
Tbs etoty must be true, for any one car
easily ma ana trace the stone foundation
q the ancient dalry building. and the clef
In the r0ckg u ther0 Near by there ma!
also Be tcund, 20 deeply graved In the bari
Of m ancient live oak that It would seem t
AAyo belonged to an epoch antedating tn,
arrival OF Christians, great cross. which
= attz1nuted ~ some 70 prehistoric origin
n0Av nAtvyAAA Nan and 2nAy