Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-03-28
TRIED To SET
HIM ON FIRE
Epifanio Vigil Says Robbers
Placed Lighted Paper
Tapers on His Toes
BUT He KICKED VIGOROUSLY
Sensational Torrance County
Case In District Court Set
for Tomorrow


That he was threatened with tor.
lures similar to those suffered by
the Christians in the time of Nero who
made lighted torches out of them and
that the work of burning him alive
had been actually begun by the sex
tette OF robbers who wanted to force
a confession from his Fps, was the
declaration made by Epifanio Vigil,
who will be the chief witness in a
trial begun late yesterday afternoon
and which promises to reveal one of
the most sensational robbery stories
heard in years. Mr. Vigil declares
that strips of paper were saturated
with kerosene oil and then placed be-
tween his toes and We're lighted while
a revolver was placed at his knee.
The case, which is heard by Judge
| McFie in the district court, is that of
the Territory VS. Doroteo Torres, Lag
ara Cordoya A. d. Shartzer, Doughty
A Tucker, Francisco Perea and J. c.
Cravens. These six men are charged
with robbery on January 13, 1910. and
Epifanio Vigil, his wife and his daugh-
J ter, Nina. aged 16, appear against
them.
Said Mr.. Vigil to a representative
OF the New Mexican:
| 81 have heard of the tortures in
flicted in the days of the Incas when
men were put on the stretcher and
asked questions which were punctua-
ted by the sound of swapping joints;
when they refused to divulge where
hidden treasures We're, but | myself
had similar experience.
Somehow or other the report got
around that | had sold a lot of sheep
and had an immense sum of money
in the house. l lived on a ranch near
I Progreso, Torrance county, and all
! the money l had in the house was
/ $140. About 7 o'clock on the night
OF January -, 1910, six masked men
broke into my house and held all of
us up at the point of pistols. In
fact when my wife interfered, iInplor.
ing that no one shoot me, one of the
bandits blazed away and injured her
on the top of the head. Each one of
us was bound fast, hands behind the
back, and commanded to tell where
our 'muchO dinero' was"
Mr. Vigil talked rapidly and dram
atically in Spanish while Deputy Pro
bate Clerk Sandoval translated sent.
ence by sentence.
81 told them that there was no large
sum of money in the house, but point
ed out the trunk where all we had
was. They opened it and got $40,
also a gold watch. But they were
not satisfied. They kept saying
mucho dinero' and declared that they
would find it. They put pistol to my
forehead and made many threats.
But I told them that was all the mon
ey We had in the house and not to
kill US.
The bandits carried the lamp
around the house and ransacked the
| place to try to find the hidden treas.
ure. Not finding it they grew des-
perate with rage and taking off the
shoe on my right foot they removed
the stocking and put pieces of pa
per between my toes; these slips of
paper they saturated with kerosene
and then lit them, telling me they
were going to burn me alive.
He Kicks
Mr. Vigil said that he did not like
this Nero-fre-cure and kicked vigor-
ously when he felt the warmth of
the flame. Then one Of the bandits
drew his revolver and placed the muZ-
; zle at his knee threatening to shatter
the bone if he moved his foot again.
: But the tapers between his toes went
out and his flesh was only singed.
Mr.. VigiIs wife and daughter lay
trembling nearby, their hands tied be-
!. hind their backs and were suffering
great anguish fearing that the head of
the family was to be roasted alive.
The bandits finally grew weary
and about s o'clock left the house as
suddenly as they had entered it.
Following their footprints arrests
were made and the case came up in
Torrance county a charge of venue
was granted and now the case is being
heard by Judge McFie.
Assisting District Attorney E. c..
Abbott in the prosecution is Attorney
z. P. Davies. Colonel George w.
Prichard represents the defendants.
Be Tried Tomorrow.
Owing to the absence Of two of the
t defendants in the case, the trial has
: been postponed until tomorrow. The
3 case was to have come up last week
/ and was postponed but it seems Ger.
( tain that it will be tried tomorrow by
e Judge McFie.