New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1905-07-22
LOVE AND TRAGEDY
IN HISTORY OF HISTORIC NEW
MEXICAN TOWN.
Affection Of Savage indian Chief for
Beautiful Daughter of Spanish Gran
dee Cause of Massacre of Many In
nocent People.

The recent destruction of Tome. N.
NJ, by food waters from the Rio
Grande river removes one of the
uuaintest and most historic places In
the Southwest. says the Kansas City
Times At the time of its obliteration
Tome had a population of about 600.
Every house in the town was swept
away and what was formerly the main
street is now the new channel of the
prratic river. No lives were lost, but
there were many narrow escapes and
thrilling resCues. The survivors are
now camping on the adjacent hills.
Tome is rich in historic legend, trag
ody and romance. The place was
founded in the seventeenth century by
colony of Spaniards coming by way
of Mexico This colony consisted oil
seventy persons. headed by Don lg-
racio Bacca a Spanish grandee. The
settlement hOurished and for many
years was the leading town OF New
Mexico. although it never attained a
population beyond n few thousand. In
its palmy days Tome was the home OF
the Baccas, the Castilos, the Oteros,
the Chayes and other distinguished
families whose names still stand on
New Mexico's roster Of aristocracy.
Tome was once the scene of an APP
palling Indian massacre massacre
which came as revenge because
Cueryeno Verde. Comanche Indian
tod in, &c n a n
| TO marry Beatriz Bacca, daughter OF
| Don Ignacio Bacca. the Spanish gran
| dee The chief had made the dcquaint-
ance of the Bacca family and lost his
| heart to Beatriz when she was mere
| child He asked her father If he might
| have her for his wife. Presenting that
| the Indian was testing, Don Bacca re-
piled in the affirmative. adding that
! the chief might come and take Beatriz
on her 18th birthday.
The redskin sutton remembered.
| When Beatriz was Is he appeared at
| her fathers home, accompanied by a
| band of warriors, not to make war, but
| to help celebrate the nuptials Don
| Bacca, realizing that the Indian was
| in earnest. resorted to strategy.
See me tomorrow, he said, for
| have bad news for you-Beatriz Is
| dead"
Meanwhile the father caused a
| grave to be dug and next day the In
dian was led thither. He looked at
! the little mound, accepted the story as
true. and went away mournfully.
A few weeks later the chief discov-
| cred that he had been deceived. He
was furious. Gathering his warriors
about him he swept down upon Tome
| early on a Sunday morning when
many of the residents were in church.
First he captured Beatriz, the object
of his savage affection. Then he gave
| orders to destroy the town. The
church was burned and many of the
fleeing worshipers were caught and
! scalped. Beatriz became the unwill-
| ing bride of the chief. and although
| she grieved for a long while. she final
| Nv became reconciled to her new en-
vironment and lived to an advanced
| age.
So many people were killed In the
| Tome massacre that the local priests
| had to call upon the clergy or Albu'
| querque, short distance away, TO
come and help bury the dead. The
romantic story of Tome Is fully veri'
fed by church records saved from the
recent food by Father Railerre, the
local parish priest, who has been on
| duty in Tome since 1858.