Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-04-25
Confrtbufod by an
Old TJn1cr

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the mayor of Galway, Ireland, had &C.
casion to pass the sentence of death
victed of murder. The friends of the
son were numerous, and as is charac-
~teristic of the people of that nation,
sympathetic. Particularly so with the
unfortunate. and who is more unfor-
tunate than the poor devil who can see
his immediate finish in a manner ig-
nominlous and violent. The n%eighbors
of the Lynch boy massed for his res
cue with the intention of aiding him
to foreign terrestrial post, rather thar
to a celestial one. knowledge of this
coming to his father. he being beyond
a doubt a righteous u~pholder as well
as an ex~pounder of the law, had his
son brought home and saw that he
was properly executed by hanging him
from a window of his own castle.
We are also told hat Lynch law is
of American origin; that in the early
days of our history there lived in the
frontier of our colonies in Virginia a
most upright man named Lynch, to
whom, because of the distance to
courts of law. was referred the settle
ment of all disputes and questions of
right and wrong. His judgments were
followed by immediate execution. In
the one case we have the properly con
stituted court putting aside the law
and as a civilian enforcing il. In the
other, the civilian by common consent
assuming judicial functions, and his
Judgments enforced by the people.
Whether the name Lynch law orig
mated 377 years ago in Ireland, or 11S
years ago in this country, it is true
that man has been subject to violent
death at the hands Of a mob of his fell
low man since the time of Christ to
the present.
In the history of Albuquerque. from
its foundation twenty-three years ago.
there has been but two lynchings, one
in triplicate and one single. but both
in punishment for the one crime. How
it becomes known to a body of men
that they are about to come together
at a certain time, and within a limited
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only be co~njectured. All seem to know
of it, none speak of It, yet at that APP
pointed time and without a variance
Of ten minutes between the first arri-
val and the last. eighty men were with
in the enclosure of an adobe corral on
Main street in Old Albuquerque on the
night of January 81, 1881. Few words
Warn Gnnknn and fhncn hu hut nnn
A column of twos soon formed itself,
and a light stepping march was being
taken along Railroad avenue, passing
Posts hotel through Shanker alley to
the old town Jail. This was an adobe
building with massive porches In front
and formed three sides of a Il
Upon the east a large single room
with grated inside and solid outside
doors; this the Jail proper Upon the
south was a court room and upon the
west a living room of the jailor and
his family.
Four men at the %jailor's door when
he appeared in response to a knock
asked for the keys and went inside
while procuring them. Leaving a
guard they crossed the square, opened
the jail and entered to return in a mo-
ment. leading at the end of a rope,
with a moose around his neck, Califor-
mia Joe. Placed between two pillars
of the porch. he was questioned as to
his knowledge of the murder of Col
onel Potter. He knew nothing, the
other men did it. His rope was thrown
over the porch rafter and Joe wilted.
going to the ground in a heap, A sec
ond visit to the Jail room and Miguel
Herrera appeared. he being placed be
tween adjoining pillars, and replying
to questions confessed his presence at
the murder. but that Marine Leiba
had committed it. Again to the Jail
and E~scolasto Perea was between ad-
joining pillars and answering ques-
tions. Yes. they all fired at Pottef,
but Leiba killed him. California Joe
was not there, but he furnished the
guns for all but Leiba. Yes. they tried
to burn the body of the lead man,
and afterwards buried it. Over the
porch rafter the ropes had been placed
and at the word all three were sus-
pended, Joe from his collapsed posi-
ton on the ground and the others
from standing positions. Ropes ends
We're made secure to the pillars and
three humans were suffering the judg-
ment of the Lynch court. The bodies
swayed slightly, but without any re-
pulsive or convulsive movements.
There was NJ contortion of the face:
no evidences of pain or horror. After
a few moments suspension there com
menced a contraction of the muscles
of the arms and legs. The forearms
were gradually raised until the cross
ed hands reached the height of the
shoulders. The legs were simultan-
eously drawn up, until they were as
completely doubled as possible. Then
came as gradual a relaxation, until
the bodies hung limp. These move
mentS lasted nOSSihlv two minutes