The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-09-30
Legally Dead
tOriginaL1

best TO avoid being entanglcd in any
ono another Fer the possession of the
government. for to be on the wrong
side meant death. Dona Marlnn, Her
reras eldest daughter, was courted by
Sgnor Juan Bustamentc, q neighbor.
ing hacienda owner who had done
great deal to establish the government
then I'm power. He was more than
twice Marlnas age and was especially
dsagreeable TO her. But she was
urged by her family to accept him on
the ground that if she declined him
he might seek revenge by impugning
her fathers loyalty TO the government
But Dona Marina loved Philippe .
Mendoza, the son OF q nclghboring /
planter. Urged to give him up for
Bustamentc, through fear she consent |
ed, but not for long. She confessed to
Bustamentc her love for Mendoza and |
begged him TO release her. He did so
at once with many expressions of grief
and wishes for her happiness. by this !,
course Marina turned what had been [
feared for her father against her lover. !
| Bustamcnte, thinking that II he got
| Mendoza out OF the way Marina might
/ yet become his wife, secretly accused
| his 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 as the news Of the arrest
reached the HeTeras, not suspcctinG
] fpNn1nra1 him tn
I use his influence with the president in
behalf of her lover He promised TO do
! so and set off at once 20 the capital os-
tensibly for the purpose. He knew
! very we'll that Mendoza would haze
been executed before his arrival, for he
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 n 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
/, his 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 volley at him. He
y fell. The commander of the firing party
y took look at the body and saw TINT 1t
9 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.
G ten report handed In that Philippe
Mendoza was dead.
. But Mendoza was not dead. Notwth.
standing his wounds after the firing
party had marched away he revived.
D For n time he supposed that lie had
r awakened in another world. Yet there
e. above him was the same blue sky he
/, had lived under, and he could hear cat
/, tie lowing Making an effort, he raised
l., himself on his elbow, looked about him
. aud down on his blood stained cloth
. ing Then, making another effort he
. got up and walked several miles TO q
, 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, tst
d before they could agree upon this
,. course the news OF the strange case
n reached the governor Of the province
q He had been on the bench, and the
only thing In the world he respected
q was the law. lie took the matter un
!" der consideration. ut last deciding tha
~ Mendoza had been executed, had beer
~ reported dead and was therefore dead
~ That Is, he was dead I'm lnv Therefore
10 those who had icon "|cuu 10 execute
II him had nOthiI' fu'rici o do will
10 him. He was y tho lC.gl eNistcnc,
10, In the republic cf MSXicO 30 furthe
10 report OF the mn u need be Forwarded
~ to the govCr2mcnt FOR There was moth
70 ing 10 be said about one who had Deel
% reported legally dead
% One evening as Signor Bustament
10 wus returning from visit TO the Hel
" rcra hacienda he heard voice fror
~ bushes beside the road ordering hlr
~ to halt. lie stopped, and a man steT
N ped into the road n short distance bt
1t fore him. His cheeks were hollow
his lips were thin, his eyes were wilt
his face was white. Bustamcnte say
his rival, or what he considered hi
rivals ghost.
Nv "Are you OF the living or the dcadl
m 81 am dcad-legally dead. But tina
=, you shall not again have me execute
~ am firing party to execute you"
VI The ghost raised a rife aud shot hi
% enemy dead
Dy When Mendoza appeared nt the Lei
c. rera hacienda no one there knew wha
rs had become OF him. He told the stor
as of his execution and that he had ex'
TX cuted the man who had brought
". about. His visit was brief, and no on
xt except the Herreras knew that he hn
a. been there. The slayer of Bustnment
,r was never known. Soon after all th
occurred new leader Of the party ol
iS posed to the government arose, marcl