San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-28
TELLS POLICE
he SHOT MAN
q YEARS AGO
San Antonian Confesses
! Killing at Kennedy
in 1902.
CLAIMS SELF DEFENSE
Conscience Does Not Trou-
Bile But Wants Peace
With God.

Juan Lopez. J3, for - years a resi-
dent OF San Antonio, and well known
on the West Side. stepped into No. >
sub-pOliCe station on FL PaSO street,
at 10 30 Wednesday morning and sur
rendered for a killing committed in
Kennedy, Karnes county. n years ago.
Il want TO give up" Lopez told
Policemen Padron and VALDEZ. on duty
at the substatiOn. Il killed a man
many wears ago in Remedy
The policemen at first were inclined
TO think he was joking. 1t was not
until Lopez, whose home is at 1919
Guadalupe street and whom they had
known for years. insisted he be locked
up, that he was taken to central police
headquarters. He was transferred to
Sheriff Tobin's office, and then placed
in the county Jail. He will be held
pending the arrival of Sheriff Brown
Of karnes county. who is expected
here Wednesday night.
Says He Killed CandaleriO Cantu.
Il am the man who killed Canda-
lcriO Cantu in Kennedy on Christmas
Eve, 1902" Lopez declared while
seated in the sheriff's office surround
ed by deputies. Not a deputy in ser
vice now was in the service then and
they did not recall the case. Sheriff
Brown was notified of the surrender
of Lopez. and said he would check
the records. get a warrant. and come
for the prisoner Wednesday evening.
When Lopez was asked why he
should surrender. he replied: Il have
slain a man. For two years | have
been in poor health. and, if | have
committed a wrong | want to make
peace with God.
Lopez then voluntarily went into
detail by way of explanation.
Il killed Cantu honcrably." he said.
but l am anxious to get it off my
mind. When | shot him he had at
tackled me with knife. inflicting n
long. deep wound in my head. | rode
out of Kennedy that night on a horse
and have ever since lived among you
here as Juan Lopez. My real name
is Louis Lopez"
Shows Scar on Head.
The prisoner added that Cantu had
become involved in n difficulty with
his (Lopez') brother, because of u
saddle, owned by the Lopez relative
and which had disappeared. Lopez
and Cantu. he said, met at a Mexican
dance at Kennedy. Words were ex-
changed and Cantu. he said, drew a
knife.
Il jcrkcd my pistol and told him
to stand back" Lopez said in his
statement to deputies. "Cantu was
known as a dangerous man and | kept
him covered. He was quick and be-
fore | could prevent him, he had
struck me with the weapon"
Lopez barred his head TO the of
ficcrS, revealing Il long, jagged scar
across his forehead at the hair line.
That is the wound Cantu infict.
ed he asid. Il shot him second
after he struck me. fled from the
place, reached my home. washed my
face which was covered with blood
and then bandaged the wound.
jumped on my horse and rode TO san
Antonio. have resided here every
since.
Conscience Does Not Trouble.
Lopez explained that while he lived
AZ Kennedy, working on n farm he
was known as Julian FrutosO. Though
his name is Louis Lopez he said he
went under the name Of Juan Lopez
here. He said he was married in
Bastrop county. in 1890. and after
the death Of his wife wed second
time. He raised six children. all of
whom, he said. are residents of San
Antonio.
Il do not regret the killing and it
is not because my conscience has
bothered me. that | surrender" LOPEZ
said. Il have led happy life until
| became i'll nearly two years ago.
But. / am sick man and | don't
want to die. if tho killing was a
wrong without making my peace with
God. I want TO clear it up and PC
vindicated."
Marshal Remembers Killing.
G. VI. I'ullin. city marshal nj Ken
cdy. tod The Light over long dis
lance phone that he remembered the
killing but did not remember any of
the details.
Sheriff ]. 7. Brown of Karncs City
was attending funeral Wednesday
and dm not have time to look back
into the records to see about the kill
ing. None Of the office workers in
the shCrff'S office knew anything Of
L.,