Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-06-20
STORY OF
JOAQUIN MURRIETA .: .:
FAMOUS BANDIT
rev. got away with $40. 600.

crew, got away with $4,000.
In the firm discipline that he main
tanned over this gang Of -throats,
Joaquin was comparable to Robin
Hood Also like Robin Hood, all sorts
Of stories of his impudent daring and
his whimsical kindnesses are told.
Some of the stories, in fact, are very
like the legends of Sherwood Forest
and the men in the Lincoln green.
Ismael Ramirez, local restaurateur
Of some fame, tells me that his father
knew Joaquin Murrieta well. Ramirez.
the elder, was an early-day trader and
had a little ranch near Monterey.
Sometimes, in the night, a rap would
come at the door and he would get up
to admit the bandit with one or two
companions. Ramirez WAS a splendid
cook and Joaquin would station mount
ed sentries all about the house and up
and down the road while he and his
companions ate midnight meal. Upon
finishing their meal. Murrieta would
table and slip away into the night. On
one occasion, Ismael tells me that the
coins amounted to near $1,000.
I know an old Spanish gentleman
near Salinas who had q somewhat
similar experience with the great out
law. One very cold, stormy night a
bedraggled. weary traveller stopped at
his ranch and asked sos food. Little
knowing the suppliant was the noto-
rious Joaquin Murrieta, my friend, the
rancher, got up and prepared him a
good meal. When the traveller left he
said: "Sir, my name is Joaquin Muir
rieta. You have been very kind to me.
Nothing that belongs to you or yours
shall ever be molested OH the road. II
you ever need any help or the help Of
good herders let me know"
AS they talked, the rancher told Joa-
quin that he had great trouble driving
his sheep into San Jose to market.
When he got his fiocks into the city,
the sheep dived down the side streets
and got lost. ~
1.-THE next time you drive sheep. my
men will be there to help" said Joa-
quin.
Ny rancher friend told me that the
next time he drove his sheep to mar
ket, every side street through the city
was guarded by a silent vaquero on
horseback. This incident, was told,
was repeated not once but many times
during the years that followed.
Murrieta took all sorts Of reckless
chances. On one occasion one Of his
bandits was on trial in San Jose
court. Murrieta had. shortly before,
waylaid and murdered a gentleman
named Samuel Harrington. Taken into
court he pretended to be Harrington,
gave false testimony and secured the
acquittal of his pal
Another time, in Sacramento, a
crowd stood looking at a poster
which offered $4,000 for the capture Of
Murrieta. A Mexican pushed his way
through the crowd and wrote on the
bottom of the placard: II will give
$4,000 myself-Joaquin Murrieta;"
jumped on horse and escaped.
AS might be imagined, the horrors
Of Murrieta's crimes reused a great
hue and cry throughout California.
Hunted like wild animals, Murrieta
and his followers selected dark can
yon near the mouth of TETON Pass for
their headquarters and divided into
three bands.
The country was becoming too dan
gerous for him to continue his work
in. Claudio had been killed in des-
perate battle at San Luis Obispo. Fe-
liz, Joaquin's brother-in-law had been
hanged in Los Angeles. Pedro Con
zales had been shot by an officer near
Camulos to prevent his rescue from
arrest by the bandits. The TETON In
dams, becoming enraged at some de-
probation that concerned them, had
swooped down upon the bandits, stolen
their horses and whipped some Of the
gang with lashes.
Although he wreaked horrible re-
venge against those who tried to cap
ture him, he never made any attempt
to punish these Indians who took
even the clothes from the gang.
Gen. Bean Of San Gabriel, who tried
to organize a movement against Muir
rieta, was waylaid on the road and
murdered. A campaign was started
against the bandits In the town Of
Saw Mill Flat and Murrieta had the
water poisoned.
But finally, Murrieta's Nemesis ap-
peared. He was a Texas frontiers
man, named Harry Love, who had
come to Los Angeles to live. He or
ganized a company Of rangers from
among the daring horsemen Of Los
Angeles and went on a systematic
hunt for outlaws.
After various adventures and mar
row escapes on both sides, the end
came early one Sunday morning, July
25, 1853. Love and two or three COM
panions were riding ahead on the
mounted rangers on the flats just
west of Tulare Lake In the San Joa-
quin valley. They came upon small
company of Mexicans eating break
fast around a camp fire.
Love asked them what they were
doing and one of them replied that
they were on their way to Los Ange-
les. He asked a further question OF
one Of the poems; whereupon MeXi-
can on the other side OF the fire spoke
up haughtily, saying: Il am the lead
er of this band; say what you have to
say to me-"
Il will speak to whomever I please
retorted Love. Noticing that the Mex
lean had risen and was sliding over
toward a saddle that lay on the
ground, Capt. Love covered him with
revolver and told him to stand still
for there were revolvers on the sad
die.
While they were standing there, g
ranger who knew Murrieta by sight