The National tribune., 1903-09-24

WASHINGTON, D. G., THUR
mone.:i about 81 or S.. among which were
the PAPER quarters that she, the narrator.
had brought to town. Mr.. Zeckendorf
made the woman a small present, and,
cautioningjAer against mentioning their
conversation to anybody dismissed her.
- An ARREST.
Less than one hour afterward Sahuaripa
was in .theijaiI, loaded with heavy chains
and guarded by four of our committee. Lat
err on. after the streets had become emptled
of people We took him to the house of
the Hernandez and began to compare his
feet and hands with the bloody tracks and
marks feft,on the floor and counter. Some
Of them were without question made by
iInsclf3, From the moment that he saw
that hiS feet and fingers fitted exactly into
tho signs left by him he weakened. He
was voting still, and not hardened Grim
inal. fWt'then led him to the bodies,
which had been handsomely prepared for
their last resting place by order of Mr..
/eckendorf Immediately after the Coro-
ner's inquest was over twhOse verdict was
Itletfyeil for "a hours. We uncovered the
faces of the murdered couple and asked
S;tirlaripa if lie world swear by the holy
cross tthp Mexican OATH that he had had
M il.lI.l III inc kIlliHV OI tHe lWo NNitihS
before him. He sh,iddered. and trembling
visibfy. said: ''For Gods sake. lead me
away: I will tell yon everything
sAEUARIpA's CONFESSION. .,.....
When we returned with him to the Jail
he forthwith began his confession OF the
crime tie perpetr;ltfon of which had taken
place almost exactly in tile manner we had
strmiseI from appearances. His accom-
plicc.. really the cpncnctor of the whole
plan and leader i'll it's execution. was one
C.,rdoba. IL half-IEdian from Sonora. He
had handled the club. upon which Sahua-
ripaygare the death wounds with Il butcher
knife purchased by him Mt hardware
store lie indicated aud then sharlTeEed
upon n fiat stone on the edge of the river!
One Fieli was taken into the plot to stand
guard. or rather sit watching upon the
low wall adjoining the liyinE-room Of
The Hernandez A foi:rth man was taken
into ihe conspiracy. bni lie had weakened
n::d failed to put III an appearance ut the
inlnor.ant last moment.
Sahuaripa told Us that neither Cordoba
nor F'iclIi had left town. inasmuch rs they
lad not yet divided their booty, except the
cash. of which each received one third
Tie tnl,i MS exactly the spot where toy
had buried the jewelry. pistols and saddle.
and all these things were found and UNI
cnr:hed during the night by members of
our. committee. He also told ms where
Cordoba and Fici. generally lived. AID
where they would probably be found ut
tire present hour tahnut II p. m.). Cordoba
WAS found. as indicated. in a gambling
ssjNOn. He was n rather short man. but
powerfully built. with very dark COM
plexinn.. being about One-half OF three
quarters Opnta Indian. AT first he tried
to resist arrest. hut was soon OverpOwer'i
and taken to jail Ficbi was found in his
tI,pu l,ah itotipn tln
rapago village. on the outskirts of the
town. where lie was occupied in getting
rid of his plumber in game of cancan.
Cordoba was also taken to the house Of
the murdered people and his foot being
placed upon the bloody tracks on the door
sill and his hand npon the marks of the
door frame he ceased the violent protcsta-
lions of his innocence in which lie had ut
first INDUCED. .Fichi enve!oped, himself in
completes state of stolid silence and mis-
cry. Tie money in the pockets of each.
| considering the expenditures made by them
during jAe dav. showed that their division
Of he trisl spells had been fair and equal.
COMMITTEES OF THIRTY DECIDES FATE OF
2f ID MUEDEEERs.
As there vas no question Whatever as
to the stIil5 of our three prisoners, 'who
were an heavily claimed and whom we
guarded personally, we notified them that
they must prepare for death, abandoning
all liopcytiiere and then. of escape through
trickery of lawyers. or insecurity of the
Jail, as ,lwe, the committee representing
the people Of Tucson. would surely hang
| them during the forenoon Of this 4tlI Of
April. Upon being asked if they desired
Il pricsti;tO fake their confession and give
! them his, spiritual advice. Sahuaripa and
Fichi answered i'll; the affirmative: Corlo-
ba simply fold us to .'go to - All he
al,
for about five minutes. that he might throt
tie with his own hands that hound Sah-
uaripa. who had given tile whole thing
away
+ 4 priest was notified of the events that
| had. taken place during the night by the
F., Committee of Thirty, and his services
asked. 1t was also requested that he would
attend theculprits during the niornihg hours
| in order to administer to those who desired
| it tile last rites Of their religion. Sahua-
}ripa and Fici awaited themselves of the
| fathers good offices; Cordoba persisted in
Il srlllen silence. and treated the priest
with disdain. My establishment. when
Fichi had been brought TO the Jail, where
! | was one of the watchers, was consider
able when | discovered that he was the
Self-same fellow who had remarked at
noon while the people were ordered away
from the scene of the crime: LET US see
now if these American smarties will dis
cover the criminals"
Loud and long sounded the bells of the
church during the morning hours of that
4th of April. 1873. while the funeral pro-
cession, bearing the remains of the muir
dered couple to their last resting place.
wound it's slow and solemn march through
the streets of Tucson. while the 10 men
selected by the Thirty as n committee of
execution prepared the gallows in front
of the Court House, which formed one
side of large, open space. in Mexican
towns generally called the PLAZA" Two
strong posts forked at the top had been
firmly fixed into the ground, and from fork
to fork there lay a stout piece of timber
with four ropes dangling from it. -Four,
because there happened to be a twice-con-
victed murderer, an American named vii
lis. in the Jail, under sentence of death by
the regularly appointed Court. The Com
mittee Of Thirty decided that lie should
suffer the penalty Of death then and there,
as he had escaped punishment for his first
crime through legal technicalities and had
nearly made good his escape from the in
secure jail after being sentenced, for his
second most atrocious murder committed
in cold blood, to be hanged. His coffin had
already been prepared. and stood in the
Jail yard. but a reprieyc had postponed his
legal execution.
1 EXECUTION OF TIE NJJRDERERS