Local Intelligence
FIRE AT ST. JOHNS.--From parties who arrived yesterday from St. Johns, in Eastern Yavapai, we learn that the new gristmill of Serafin Apodaca was set fire to and entirely consumed about two weeks since. At the time the fire caught, there were sleeping in the mill, eight persons, who barely had time to escape, the flames spreading rapidly, from the fact that the incendiary had saturated the inside of the building with turpentine. The mill was valued at about $5.000, which was a total loss. There was in the mill several thousand pounds of wheat which was also destroyed. The mill was but just completed, and had not some person with a very bad heart set fire to and burned it up, would have proven to be one of the most useful enterprises in Eastern Yavapai.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WEEKLY ARIZONA MINER PRESCOTT, ARIZONA, Page 4, January 10, 1879
Local Intelligence
HORSES HEARD FROM
Wesley Clanton, of Lower Agua Fria, started this morning to Mohave County, having heard of a number of horses that strayed away from his ranch a year ago. They are said to be at Chloride, some distance beyond Mineral Park. They were supposed to have been stolen at the time of their disappearance, but it now appears that they merely strayed away and kept on following up the green feed until they reached the verge of the desert bordering upon the Colorado River. Had they found water beyond Chloride, they would probably kept on to Alaska.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WEEKLY ARIZONA MINER PRESCOTT, ARIZONA, Page 3, April 4, 1879
Local Intelligence
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WEEKLY ARIZONA MINER PRESCOTT, ARIZONA, Page 4, July 4, 1879
Local Intelligence
Romulo Baca, who killed several men in New Mexico and finally escaped to Springerville in this Territory, and for whom a requisition was made on our Governor, evaded the officer who came in pursuit of him remaining some time with relatives in Eastern Arizona. Now comes the news that Baca finally went home to New Mexico, surrendered himself to the authorities for trial. A change of venue was taken from Valencia to San Miguel county with a view of giving the prisoner a fair trial, but the people seemed unwilling to submit, and when the prisoner was on route to the last named place, a mob took him from the officer in charge and riddled his body with bullets. Baca was of a good family, has many relatives living in Apache County in this Territory who are good citizens.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PHOENIX HERALD
Phoenix, Maricopa County, A.T. April 5, 1879
The Valencia County (N.M.) Sheriff, who was in Prescott a few weeks since and procured an order from the Governor to arrest a man named Rumaldo Baca, who broke jail in New Mexico and escaped to this Territory, has returned home to New Mexico, leaving Baca in Springerville, being unable or afraid to make the arrest. Baca stands indicted on two charges of murder. It is likely that the Sheriff will return with reinforcements. Baca is known to be protected by several men living in Springerville.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SILVER CITY, GRANT COUNTY, NEW MEXICO, SATURDAY, June 14, 1879, Page 2
By Telegraph(Special to the Herald)
Editor Herald:
Silver City, N.M.
Saturday's buckboard passed here with three passengers aboard; the Valencia County Sheriff, his Deputy and a prisoner. Five miles from San Felipe the driver was killed, and the Sheriff and Deputy were slightly wounded by the prisoner. The driver was terribly bruised and appears to have had a hard struggle before he was killed. The Coroner's Inquest was a mere farce. Heresay witnesses only were examined. The prisoner left the buckboard and one mule eight miles further on. Four men from Santa Fe are in pursuit. Fifty men from Valencia County are also reported to have been started in pursuit. URBANO CHACON.
LATER:--The prisoner has just been recaptured, and is in Los Lunas.
LOS LUNAS, June 13, 1879.
Editor Herald:
Silver City, N.M.
The notorious murderer, Romulo Baca, recaptured near Manzano, night before last was brought here and heavily ironed hand and feet. He was taken from the custody of his keepers last night, by an over-powering force, and hung to a temporary gallows erected in the public street. The hanging took place about 11 P.M.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WEEKLY NEW MEXICAN
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 1879, Page 1
TWO MEN HUNG IN LAS VEGAS
was accompolished, the Plaza was perfectly clear of people and the town was as quiet as a graveyard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WEEKLY NEW MEXICAN
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 1879, Page 2
MURDER ON A BUCKBOARD
ONE MAN KILLED AND TWO WOUNDED.
THE MURDERER CAUGHT AND HUNG BY THE PEOPLE
The buckboard from the south due here last Saturday evening, had as passengers Jesus Ma. Luna and Patrocinio Luna, of Los Lunas, the latter Sheriff of Valencia County, and a prisoner accused for murder whom the Sheriff was taking to San Miguel County. The prisoner was handcuffed and shackled, was thought to be perfectly secured, and the idea that he would attempt to escape was not entertained by any of the parties. About one o'clock in the afternoon, as the buckboard reached a place called El Espinazo, near the Indian pueblo of San Felipe, in the County of Bernalillo, and while the Sheriff was for a moment off his guard, the prisoner, who had by some means released himself from manacles and shackles, snatched a bowie knife from the belt of the Sheriff, and stabbed both Jesus Ma. Luna and the Sheriff. The wounded men fell from the buckboard from the violence of the blows, when the assassin seized the Sheriff's rifle, a sixteen shooter, and leaping to the ground satisfied his thirst for blood by shooting the unfortunate driver, Paddy Travers, who fell dead from his seat to the ground, shot through the body. The murderer then fired at the Sheriff, but without effect, when the two wounded men being without arms managed to get behind the buckboard which they used as a shield to keep between them and the assassin; fortunately after the second shot a cartridge in some way clogged the gun, and the Lunas took advantage to retire from the vacinity of the murderous scoundrel. The assassin, Baca, then got into the buckboard and made off in a southerly direction, carrying the U.S. Mails and all the property aboard. It has since been ascertained that he left the buckboard near the Sandia Mountains, and took his way on foot in the direction of the Mexican Republic. The Lunas started towards Santa Fe and on meeting the coach going south were brought to the Cienega, where Don Nasario Gonzales provided them with a conveyance to reach our city, where they arrived early Sunday morning. The Sheriff, Patrocinio Luna, was suffering greatly from the wound in his side, but the surgeons while pronouncing the wound serious in its nature, did not anticipate any fatal result, and thought that with good care he would soon be around again; the wound of Don Jesus Ma. Luna was slight, the knife having encountered a bone and glanced off. On hearing of the murder of Travers and the flight of Baca, Marshal Sherman dispatched several Deputies in pursuit, but up to this writing no intelligence has been received as to the result of their mission. It is the general opinion that it will be difficult to overtake Baca as he is well armed thoroughly acquainted with the country, and undoubtedly has confederates who will assist him to escape from the Territory.Romulo Baca, the assassin whose foul crimes we have above recorded, was a prisoner charged with murder, and on his way to Las Vegas, having been granted by Judge Parks a change of venue to Sam Miguel County; his case was to have been tried at the next term of court, and as there was no justicication for the crime with which he was charged, he undertook the commission of another to escape. From all reports Baca is the champion assassin of the United States, and has for years been notorious through the Counties of Socorro and Valencia, for his misdeeds and crimes, ranging all the way from petty larcency to murder, and it is said that Travers is the fifteenth person murdered by him in cold blood. Those who know him describe him as a most cunning and brutal desperado, uniting in his person the ferocity and treachery of an Apache. From one cause or another he has heretofore managed to escape conviction for his numerous crimes, but it is hoped that the parties will rid the Territory of the foulest assassin that ever breathed within its limits. The body of Travers was taken to Algodones, and buried in the cemetery there on last Monday.
LATER--A dispatch to Tranquilino Luna from Los Lunas, dated the 12th, says that Baca was captured on the river, and is now in the Valencia County jail.
LATEST--A party of men came into Los Lunas Thursday evening, overpowering the guards, took the prisoner Baca from the jail and hung him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WEEKLY NEW MEXICAN
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, SATURDAY, June 21, 1879, Page 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
|
Now comes Patrocinio Luna, Sheriff of this County, and Special Messenger, appointed by His Excellency The Governor to arrest and bring back from the Territory of Arizona, under and by virtue of a requisition issued by the Governor of New Mexico to the Governor of Arizona, for one Romolo Baca, charged with murder, in the County of Socorro, and Territory of New Mexico and presents an account of his services and disbursements, which said account is in the words and figures following, to wit:
| DATE | ITEMS | AMOUNT |
-
MONTH DAY DOLLARS CENTS- 1879
April 26 Cash paid to Teburcia Cordova for 53 days service $99.00
April 26 Cash paid to Selso Trujillo For 25 days service $75.00
April 26 Service of self for 76 days at $7.00 per day $380.00
April 26 Cash paid for shoeing animals at $4.00 each $16.00
April 26 Cash paid to Francisco Salazar as per voucher $88.50- $658.50
Whereupon, the said account appearing to the Court to he just and correct, and the services therein charged to have been actually and necessarily rendered, as therein stated, and the disbursements therein accounted, to have been properly made, it is ordered by the Court that the said sum of Six Hundred and Fifty Eight Dollars and Fifty Cents, be approved and paid, and that the Clerk of this Court foward a certified copy of this order to His Excellency, The Governor of New Mexico.
I, Samuel C. Parks Jr. Clerk of the District Court for the County of Valencia, do hereby certify that the above is a full, true and perfect copy of an order made in this Court on the Twenty-eighth day of May, A.D. 1879, as the same remains of record in my office.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court, this 29th day of May, A.D. 1879, at my office in Los Lunas, SAMUEL PARKS, CLERK.- Executive Office Santa Fe, New Mexico
June 5, 1879.
Respectfully referred to Auditor Alarid, who will submit the account as per custom of his office, respectfully, Lew Wallace, Governor New Mexico. - 1879
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- EXECUTIVE OFFICE
Santa Fe, New Mexico June 23, 1879
Honorable, Trinidad Alarid Auditor, New Mexico - EXECUTIVE OFFICE
- Sir:
I send you account of Gabriel Martinez, and from others, $188.50, for services by my employment in pursuit of Romulo Baca, charged with the murder of Patrick Travers and wounding of Sheriff Luna and Tranquilino Luna.
The law strickly construed does not authorize their employment. My authority was to issue a proclamation offering a reward, not exceeding $500. The man accused was a desperate man, said to be murderer of ten or eleven men previous to this particular crime. The crime itself was singularly daring and atrocious. Printing a proclamation of reward and distributing it would have given the offender forty-eight or
fifty hours start, and insured his escape under ordinary circumstances. Moreover, the public interests, required, in my judgement, extraordinary efforts to effect the capture. Failure or laxity on the part of the authorities might encourage other offenders to take to the highways and mountains in the region, making it unsafe for travellers and freighters. Therefore the result for which this account has been incurred. It is my purpose to submit the matter to the Legislature at the ensuing session for approval. If it is not approved, it becomes, of course, my personal indebtedness. With this explanation, I respectfully request you to pay the account from the Territorial Treasure.
Yours, very truely, Lew Wallace.
Governor, New Mexico.
RECEIVED, Santa Fe, New Mexico, June 23, 1879
of TRINIDAD ALARID, Auditor of the Territory, the following described Warrant in payment of
The enclosed certificate, and account.
No. 14131--G. Martinez, for $45.50.
No. 14132--F.L. DODSON, for $45.50.
No. 1415---M. Roblero, for $32.50
No. 1416---R. Baca, for $32.50
No. 1417---A. Torrez, for $32.50
$188.50
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO
- Gabriel Martinez, Fedrick F. Dodson, Manuel Roblero, Rafael Baca and Antonio Torrez, for services rendered, under employment by Governor Lew Wallace, in the pursuit of Romolo Baca, charged with the murder of Patrick Travers and the wounding of Patricino Luna, Sheriff of Valencia County, and Tranquilino Luna, with intent to kill and murder.
An account as follows:
Gabriel Martinez,---6 days and 1/2@ $7 $45.50
Fedrick L. Dodson, 6 1/2 days @ $7 $45.50
Manuel Roblero, 6 1/2 days @ $5 $32.50
Rafael Baca,---6 1/2 days @ $5 $32.50
Antonio Torrez, 6 1/2 days @ $5 $72.90
TOTAL $188.50
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- COUNTY OF SANTA FE SS
- TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO :
- Personally appeared before me. a Justice of the Peace, in and for said County, Fedrick F. Dodson, who first being duly sworn according to law, upon his oath says, that the foregoing account is just, correct and unpaid in whole or in part. (FEDERICK F. DODSON)
Subscribed and sworn to, this
18th day of June, 1879.
Ambrosio Ortiz, Justice of the Peace.
- Santa Fe, New Mexico. Junio 23 de 1879. Yo, Rafael Baca, doy poder a Gabriel Martinez, para que reciba por mi mi dinero.
- Santa Fe, new Mexico. Junio 23 de 1879. Yo, Antonio Torrez, doy poder a Gabriel Martinez para que reciba mi dinero y que de reciba por mi.
- Santa Fe, new Mexico. Yo, Manuel Robero, doy poder a Gabriel Martinez para que reciba mi dinero y que de reciba por mi. Junio 23 de 1879.
- COUNTY OF SANTA FE SS
From the files of Jack A. Becker, local historian.
All rights reserved ©2005