The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-18
WIFE KILLS HIM
Maria Lopez Butchers Her 32-
Year-OId Husband.
She Failed to Give Him ChaI-
Ienge to a Duel.
THROAT CUT and SHOT TWICE
Then to Make 1t More Com.
pIete, She Turned on Gas.
Jose Macias, 1S-Year-Old
Lover, Held by Police.

Maria Lopez, good looking 16-year-
old Mexican girl, this morning told
the police that she had literally butch
cred her 32-Year- husband, Fran
cisco Lopez, when he threatened her
with death because she had not turned
over to him a typewriter challenge
to duel sent by her 1S-year-old
lover, Jose Macias. The killing oc-
CURED about o'clock this morning.
Lopez was shot twice with a .3S
caliber revolver, once thru the head
and one thru the right hand. as he
lay in bed, according to the girls
floor dead, she cut his throat with
"a razor, ITO let the blood run out"
as she had seen men do when they
killed hogs and cattle. The gunshot
wounds were sufficient to cause the
death of the Mexican, and the girl
wife nearly severed his head with the
razor.
Then she dragged the body from
the bed to the middle of the floor,
to get it out of the pool of blood
fled, she wrapped it in a blanket to
keep the blood still streaming from
the corpse from spelling the carpet"
Have Had Much Trouble.
For months past there has been
trouble in the Lopez household. Jose
MaciaS has been hanging around
Iand has disturbed what domestic bliss
He was openly in love with Maria,
and on various occasions, the police
were informed, has come about the
place, fired a couple of shots into the
air and invited the husband of his
"dulce corazon" to do battle with him
for her possession.
Challenged to Duel.
On August s, according to evidence
gathered by the officers, Macias sent
a. letter, typewriter in Spanish, to
Lopez, inviting him to meet him at
IL O'Clock at night at Ripley park.
The letter informed the husband that
he might bring friends with him if
he wished, but that Macias would be
alone as usual 1t was intirnated in
the letter that the meeting was to be
arranged for the purpose of talking
over the conditions which had arisen,
hut boneath was the -veiled threat that
the night tryst would develop into a
duel.
The letter was sent to the house
Maria Lopez opened and read it. she
told the officers. Knowing that there
would be trouble between the two
men if she gave it to her husband, she
put It in the keeping of her next door
neighbor instead. But Lopez found
out in some way about the letter, and
for two days has been demanding it
of his wife with threats. she said.
Thursday night he threatened to
make her sleep outdoors if she did
not produce the letter, but she was
obdurate. He left the house to return
again about $50 O'Clock. and left
again to return about 1880 o'clock
this morning.
While he was absent the last time.
Maria Lopez took his revolver. a .38
caliber weapon, from his trunk, she
stated.
Placed Revolver Under Pillow.
She secured ammunition from his
pockets and loaded the revolver then
placed it under her pillow and lay
down again. When Lopez returned
tinued his threats and his quarreling
Presently the woman rose and went
to the kitchen for drink.
According to her story. she took the
revolver with her and on her return,
started shooting at her husband as he
lay in bed, in the dark. She claims
to have fired five shots at him, and the
police found the marks of two bullets
thru his pillow. two thru hers. and one
in the wall behind him.
Two Shots Took Effect
Two of the shots took effect-one
thru the back of Lopez's head and the
other thru his right hand. He started
from the bed at the first shot, fell
back, and then rolled to the floor. as
she continued to shoot at him, accord
ing to her story.
When she finished shooting, she re-
moved the empty cartridge shells.
which the police found, and reloaded
the revolver with two new cartridges.
Then she took a razor which she
said Lopez was in the habit of carry
ing, and with which he had been
threatening her, and cut his throat.
In order to complete the operation,
she turned on the gas and lit it.
In the meanwhile, her next door
~ Oh h1 rd he Sl nf nd N
heard Lopez cry out. He went to the
front door and saw the light burning
but when he knocked, the light was
turned out and there was no answer.
The neighbor ran to the home of Vim
cent Toledo, a Mexican who speaks
English fluently, nearby, and returned
with him They found the light burn
LCnntinned o PFC Nine b