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Show ‘ Sn eRe cu aan a Ae ~ ote a 260 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY THE caps, fastened on behind, to be pulled over the face at the last ceremony. ‘*The azoteas in the vicinity were black with women and children, determined to witness the first execution by hanging, in the valley of Taos, save that of Pablo Montoya, the leader of the revolutionists, who had been hung the day after the battle, convicted by a drumhead court martial. No men were near; a few, afar off, stood moodily looking on. On the flat jail-roof was placed the six-pound howitzer which had been used during the battle of Taos, ready loaded and ranging the gallows. Near was a complement of soldiers to serve the gun, one holding in his hand a lighted match. ‘The entire command, except those serving as guards, was paraded before the jail and in sight of the gibbet, Colonel Willock, on a handsome charger, from his position commanding a view of the whole. When within a few yards of the gallows, the side-guard, filing off to the right and left, formed, at regular distances from each other, three sides of a hollow square, the mountaineers and personal friends of the late governor and others who had been slain forming the fourth and front side, in full view of the trembling prisoners, who marched up to the scaffold, under which was a government wagon, with two mules attached. The driver and the sheriff assisted the doomed men in, ranging them on a board, placed across the hinder end, which maintained its balance, as they were six, an even number, two on each extremity, and two in the middle. The gallows was so harrow they touched. The ropes,!* by reason of size and stiffness, despite the Soaping given them, were adjusted with difficulty, but, through the indefatigable efforts of the sheriff and a lieutenant of 185 Garrard, L. H., Wah-to-yah or the Taos Trail, p. 220: ‘‘The sheriff (Metcalfe, formerly a mountaineer, son-in-law of Estes) was in want of the wherewith to hang the criminals, so he borrowed our rawhide lariats, and two or three hempen picket cords of a teamster. In a room adjoining the bar, we put the hangman’s noose on one end, tugging away quite heartily. A while after we had been talking of the propriety etc., of taking the Mexicans’ lives, said Hatcher: ‘This hos has feelin’s hyar,’ slapping his breast, ‘for poor ee natur in most any fix, but for these palous (pelados) he doesn’t care a H ‘Yes,’ replied I ‘they sealped Leal alive, and butchered innocent persons.’ This coon,’ remarked Hatcher, ‘has wagh! — but he’s never sculped ’em ’live; its onhuman—agin Matas mity I’ve natur — an’ stiff —won’t got something fit; to they made Injuns ‘‘go under,’’ somethis child’s no niggur, an’ he says ought eh, old feller?’ make ’em to fit-good choke. Hello! ’intment-don’t Met, these ermit good ’nough; freeze into it boys,’ said Metcalfe, very pro ducing a real’s worth of Mexican soft soap, ‘this’ill make ’em slip easy — long ways too easy for them, I 4 ’spect.’ se Tve _ the rubbed the ‘intment,’ until the nooses could have ‘warranted to ’ intendedin purpose, without Sweet parfume; used an unusual but quantity. One item hitching; Met’s in on bi the teamster’s hard phe soap for greasing nooses— 1214,’ *m in Met’s bill of expenses, was: hie We ropes WAR WITH MEXICO 261 Missouri volunteers, all preliminaries were arranged. The latter, officiating as deputy sheriff for the occasion, seemed to enjoy the position — but the blue uniform looked sadly out of place on a hangman. With rifles grounded, the consummation of the fearful tragedy was awaited. No crowd was around to disturb; a death-like stillness reigned. The spectators on the azoteas seemed scarcely to move — their eyes directed to the painful sight of the doomed wretches, with harsh halters now circling their necks. The sheriff and his assistant sat down; and, succeeding a few moments of intense expectation, the heart-wrung victims said a few words to their people. ‘‘Only one said he had committed murder and deserved death. In their brief but earnest appeals, the words ‘madre’ and ‘padre’ could be distinguished. The one who had been convicted of treason showed a spirit of martyrdom worthy of the cause for which he died — the liberty of his country; and, instead of the cringing, contemptible recantation of the others, his speech was a firm asseveration of his innocence, the unjustness of his trial and the arbitrary conduct of his murderers. With a scowl, as the cap was pulled over his face, the last words he uttered between his gritting teeth were ‘Carajos, los Americanos!’ We can now see the atrocity of hanging that man for treason ; with the execution of those charged with murder no fault could be found. ‘Bidding each other ‘adios’ with a hope of meeting in heaven, at a word from the sheriff, the mules started, and the wagon drawn from under the gallows. No fall was given, and their feet remained on the board till the ropes drew taut. The bodies swayed back and forth, and, coming in contact with each other, convulsive shudders shook their frames; the muscles, contracting, would relax, and again contract, and the bodies writhed horribly. While thus swinging the hands of two came together, which they held with a firm grasp till the muscles loosened in death. After forty minutes suspension, Colonel Willock ordered the command to quarters and the howitzer was taken from its place on the prison roof. The soldiers were called off; the women, children and population soon collected, while the sheriff delivered the dead bodies to the weeping relatives. The murder of Governor Bent had been avenged !’’ **° The prisoners brought to Santa Fé by Colonel Price and those taken by Major Edmonson at Las Vegas, in all some twenty-five or thirty, were tried by court-martial, sentenced to death, and executed. The last COURTS-MARTIAL AND EXECUTIONS AT SANTA FE of those to be hanged were executed on Many others the 3d of August, 1847. are said to have been flogged and set at liberty. ees 186 Garrard, L. H., Wah-to-yah or the Taos Trail, pp. 226-227. |
