The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-10-03
Legally Dead
Iorlrlnal

Iorginal1
In the days when Mexico was in a
chronic state OF revolution Signor Her
zero lived on his hacienda doing his
best to avoid being entangIed in any
Of the various strifes that succeeded
one another fer the possession of the
government. for tn be on the wron;
side meant death. Dona Marina. Her
rera's eldest daughter. was courted by
Signor Juan Bustamente, a neighbor-
ing hacienda owner who had done a
great deal TO establish the government
then in power. He was more than
twice Marina's age and was especially
disagreeable TO her. But she was
urged by her family TO accept him on
the ground that IL she declined him
he might seek revenge by impugning
her fathers loyalty to the government.
But Dona Marina loved Philippe
Mendoza, the son of nelghboring
planter. Urged to give him up for
Bustamente, through fear she consent
ed. but not for long. She confessed to
Bustamente her love for Mendoza and
begged him to release her. He did so
at once, withmnny expressions of grief
and wishes for her happiness. BY this
course Marina turned what had been
feared for her father against her lover.
Bustamente, thinking that If be got
Mendoza out OF the way Marina might
yet become his wife, secretly accused
bis rival OF plotting with one who was
known to be fomenting new revolu-
tion. Mendoza was arrested and taken
no one knew where.
AS soon ms the news of the arrest
reached the Herreras. not suspeeting
Bustamente. Marina implored him to
use his influence with the president In
behalf of her lover lie promised to do
so and set of at once to the capital os-
tensibly for the purpose. He knew
very well that Mendoza would haze
been executed before his arrival, for be
had SO arranged with the government
What he wished was to conceal his
own part In the murder and gain credit
with Marina that would benefit his suit
in the future
There Is d law in Mexico that one
executed shall be left where he falls
till friends or relatives come and take
away the body for burial. But at Men |
doza's execution there was no one to
claim the body. Bustamente had ar
ranged that he be taken to distant |
province from which the news of his
execution would be long in reaching
bis friends. especially Dona Marina.
Mendoza was taken out In the gray !
of the morning and was stood up be-
fore eight soldiers, who at the word of
command fred a voiley at him. He
fell. The commander of the firing party
took a look at the body and saw that 1t
had several wounds in the thorax and
two in the head. any one Of which
might be expected to kill him. The sol
diers were marched away and writ
ten report handed In that Philippe
Mendoza was dead.
But Mendoza was not dead. Notwith-
standing his wounds after the firing
party had marched away he revived.
For a time he supposed that he had
awakened in another world. Yet there
above him was the same blue sky he
had lived under, and he could hear cat
tie lowing. Making an effort, he raised
himself on bis elbow, looked about him
and down on his blood stained cloth
ing Then, making another effort, he
got up and walked several miles to a
hospital.
He could not keep the secret that he
had been executed, and word soon
reached those who had been charged
with his execution Fearing that they
would be blamed for neglect of duty,
they proposed to shoot him again, hst
before they could agree upon this
course the news of the strange case
reached the governor of the province
He had been on the bench, and the
only thing in the world he respected
was the law. lie took the matter I'M
der consideration. at last deciding that
Mendoza had been executed, had been
reported dead and was therefore dead
That is. he was dead in law. Therefore
those who had been ordered to execute
him had nothing further to do with
him. He was without legal existence