Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-06-17

presses, and it was the eve of the
weekly issue. and big local event OF
the hanging, on the carpet. so this
was some honor. Each paper wanted
an interview with your writer. and she
wanted an interview with each and she
got hers, which will be given later.
Just as the sun came over the dist
ant peaks he next day. a group of
fifty representatives of the law and the
press and of Columbus townsmen,stood
outside theiail at Deming, hemmed in
by Gordon of the militia, for the town
is under martial law, as represented
by the National Guard of New Mexico.
who were ordered from the Columbus
army base twenty-four hours ago for
thd policing of the place where villa
men were TO meet the death penalty.
The witnesses were in two squads og
twenty each, the A. r. man was so eX-
cited he could not be at both events
but he later found one more than
enough and before the real tragedy of
morning transpired he was on his way
to Columbus, as were two other serv-
ice men, TO go to bed i'll from the event
Women seem, sometimes TO have more
endurance than men, so | was the only
one that knew the real sequel OF the
second execution. The first execution
passed of quietly.
Il was 6.S4 a. m. that Francisco Az
veries reached the scaffold His head
was bIavely aloft and he family smil-
ed as he thought himself hero. Ii all
depends on the viewpoint,in this twist
ed world. Two minutes it took to fix
the black cap. and spring the trap at
Csc. His body swung violently the
short distance; too short ii is said,
about eight feet was the distance from
trap to the ground. At 6.51 the doctor
pronounced him dead and the body
was cut down and carried out of the
enclosure, beyond the sight of the
younger Mexicans. Juan Sanchez'who
at 7.07 ascendedI to the scaffold trap
which was sprung two minutes later
and eight minutes later the doctor de-
clared death had come and the rope
was cut and loosened. The doctor
was wrong. for two minutes later the
body moved. the mouth opened breath
ing was re-established and the man
was very much alive. although it is
possible that his neck was broken.
All the witnesses had gone, but the
soldiers ran up to the officer who was
standing by me waiting to escort me
over the scene as soon as the Sheriff
4,l. %
story. Then ] saw the body being Ia
ken to the scaffold once more, where il
was suspended until it was all over
Is there not an unwritten law, if not q
statute law, that once pronounced
dead man has paid for his crime and
goes free?
Finishing this story in the little
| printing office when just by my side
| plays beautiful child, her arms still
| showing the scars of glass showereC
| over her by a raider Her mother the
| editors wife, alone with the babe
| standing through a furious lombard
| ment at the switchboard calling, call
| ing directions and for aid over the sur
/, rounding country while the shots
| few about her and the two-year ole
| child; the wreck of the hotel just be
| fore me, where nine people died il
| flames and from shot, who had laiC
down in peaceful sleep TO wake e
| death With the faces of the citizens
still glowing, the impress of all thu
sights of the night of terror and eyel
little boys saying "they will never ge
a sheep again without fear of raiders
these things make one who natural,
hates to kill a fowl. who cannot eat
chicken that has done to death, still
feel that the execution today was just
OF the bungling there was no justin
cation, but of the intent to punish s.
that others be deferred from doinl
| evilly, the hanging of the Villistas wa
holy and a wholesome thing. Ever
soldier who has gone the long trail
every mother who mourns a son VIII
will not return to her but who lies i
the sand of Mexico will say that
would have been weakness had IN
Government allowed these guilt-proye
men to escape the penalty of thei
Grim.