and when'the local citizens learned this, they rioted and a lynching
was averted narrowly when the train carrying the Sheriff and his
prisoner to Pueblo pulled out of West Las Animas just as a mob
approached, Garcia was tried and convicted three different times,
The trail judge granted a new trial following the first trial be-
cause of inaccuracies in the transcript and he ordered a new trial
following the second conviction because of an ins sufficiency of evi-
dence to sustain the verdict, At the third trial, the State had
strengthened its case by recovening Wilkes! neuen which Garcia had
sold in Trinidad and producing testimony positively identifying it
as the property of the mrdered man and Garcia as the man who had
sold it, There was no appeal and he was hanged from a gallows con-=
structed 15 miles north of Pueblo in a ravine on Dec, 20m 188), Be-
tween three and four thousand persons witnessed the execution, Gar-
cla went to his death calmly and though he said nothing on the
gallows, he gave newspapermen a written statiement which read: "T ask
.pardon of the world at large, I go to give an accountoto God, my
Creator," Maintaining his innocence, he had told the Priest that he
had no objections to being executed but disliked having it done pub-
licly, As the Sheriff of Pueblo County where the execution took
place .expressed an aversion to officiating, this function was per-
formed by the Sheriff of Bent County,
Pueblo Chieftan, Pueblo, Colo,, 12-193 12-20; 12-21-188),
and when’the local citizens learned this, they rioted and a lynching
was averted narrowly when the train carrying the Sheriff and his
prisoner to Pueblo pulled out of West Las Animas just as a mob
approached, Garcia was tried and convicted three different times,
The trail judge granted a new trial following the first trial be-
cause of inaccuracies in the transcript and he ordered a new trial
following the second conviction because of an insufficiency of evi-
dence to sustain the verdict, At the third trial, the State had
strengthened its case by recoviming Wilkes! watch which Garcia had
sold in Trinidad and producing testimony positively identifying it
as the property of the mrdered man and Garcia as the man who had
sold it, There was no appeal and he was hanged from a gallows con-
structed 15 miles north of Pueblo in a ravine on Dec, 20m 188], Be-
tween three and four thousand persons witnessed the execution, Gar-
cia went to his death calmly and though he said nothing on the
gallows, he gave newspapermen a written statiement which read: "I ask
pardon of the world at large, I go to give an accountoto God, my
Creator," Maintaining his innocence, he had told the Priest that he
had no objections to being executed but disliked having it done pub-
licly, As the Sheriff of Pueblo County where the execution took
place .expressed an aversion et arn pitt this function was per-
5 ed by the Sheriff of Bent County,
Saeat Chieftan, Pueblo, Colo,, 12-12; 12-203 1221-188),
and when'the local citizens learned this, they rioted and a lynching
was averted narrowly when the train carrying the Sheriff and his
prisoner to Pueblo pulled out st Las Animas just as a mob
proached, Garcia was tried and convicted three different times
The trail judge granted a new trial following the first trial be-
cause of inaccuracies in the transcript and he ordered a ney trial
following the second conviction because of an insufficiency of evi-
dence to sustain the verdict, rd trial, the State had
engthened its case by recoviming watkest wateh which 6,
sold in Trinidad and producing testimony positively identifying it
as the property of dered man and Garcia as t!
it, There was no appeal and he was hanged from a gallows con-
structed 14 miles north of Pueblo in a ravine on Dec, 20p 188),
tween three and four thousand persons witnessed the execution,
cha went to his death calnly and though che said nothin: on +)
tten statement which read:
10 to giv
Mia cee, he h
ad no objections to being executed but disliked h
cly, As the Sheriff of Pucblo County where the execution took
place expressed an i
aversion to officiating, this function was per-
formed by the Sheriff of Bent County, 6
Pueblo hieftan, Pueblo, Colo,, 12-195 12-203 12-21-18)
GARCIA, Miguel
Garcia, a Mexican, was a wanderer who arrived at West Las Animas,
BeniR1orado, around the first of April, 1883, He was employed
by Dennis Wilkes, an elderly white man who earned hb modest living
by collecting rags, bones, old iron and junk, As an assistant, Gar-
cla received “75¢ per day plus room and, board in Wilkes! home near
West Las Animas, The two men were last seen together at the Wilkes
residence on the afternoon of April 15, 1883, That night, Garcia
appeared in town alone and spent money freely until the train for
Trinidad departed when he purchased a ticket and left for that city,
On April 17, some of Wilkes! neighbors became alarmed because the
old man's stock had not been fed and when they went to his cabin
they found the doors locked, Forcing an entry, they found Wilkes!
Pony ene in inte i et heving been crushed ve an axe, The
Leen wes found in the room in widch Ge ete ee it The, Sheriff
of ate County trailed the suspect to Trinidad and when Garcia learn-
ed that he was wanted for questioning, he fled in the mouritain foot-
hills ss he hid for several days before he was apprehended, He
refused to admit the crime and when he was SLi Si to Bent County,
he requested a change of venue, This was granted to Pueblo County
GARCIA, Miguel
Garcia, a Mexican, was a wanderer who arrived at West Las Animas,
Bent®olorado, around the first of April, 1883, He was employed
by Dennis Wilkes, an elderly white man who earned bh modest living
by collecting rags, bones, old iron and junk, As an assis
cia received 75¢ per day plus room and board in Wilkes! hom
West Las Animas, The two men were last seen together at the Wilkes
residence on the afternoon of April 15, 1883, That night, Garcia
appeared in town alone and spent money freely until the train for
Trinidad departed when he purchased a ticket and left for that city,
On April 17, some of Wilkes neighbors became alarmed because the
old man's stock had not been fed and when they went to his cabin
they found the doors locked, Forcing an entry, they found Wilkes!
body lying in bed, his skull having been crushed with an axe, The
of Bent County trailed the suspect to Trinidad and when Garcia learn-
ed that he was wanted for questioning, he fled in the mourit
hills where he hid for several days before he was apprehend
refused to admit the crime and when he was returned to Bent County
UY»
he requested a change of venue. This was grant to Pueblo County
wanderer who arrived at
» bones, old dron and jun
by collecting rage
cia received 75¢ per day plus room and board in Willes|
vers, last seen toget!
That ni
The two men y
alone and :
ted wien He umvoheaed’e cick © anaivect for that city.
‘ome of ‘Wilkes neigh bors becane alarmed be
man's stock had not been fed and shen they wet h
pee
the crime
of venues
