Forty Years at El Paso, 1858-1898Mills, W. W. (William Wallace)
Philosophy
Forty Years at El Paso, 1858-1898
Mills, W. W. (William Wallace)
El Paso (Tex.); Texas -- History
“October 2.—J. R. Mariani informed me that the people took up arms,
arrested G. M. Garcia and Howard, and asked me to go to San Elezario and
use my influence to pacify the excited people, which I did. Found the
people very much excited against Howard only. I begged for his life with
all my might and left San Elezario at about 3 o’clock A. M. on 3d after
being satisfied that the people had taken my advice to let Howard and
all the rest free. Arrived at El Paso 9 A. M. after twenty-six hours of
no rest or sleep. On the 4th, at night, Howard arrived here at El Paso
escorted by eight of the people, and on the 5th A. M. Howard left (I am
told) for New Mexico.”
AFFIDAVIT OF ADOLPH KRAKANER.
“I am the bookkeeper of S. Schutz & Bro., merchants at El Paso, Texas,
who are also agents of the Texas and California Stage Company, of which
Louis Cardis, deceased, was a sub-contractor, running the U. S. mail
between this point and Fort Davis, Texas; hence Cardis had more or less
transactions with the firm and came frequently into the store and
office. On Wednesday, the 10th day of October, 1877, between 2 and 3
o’clock P. M., Louis Cardis, deceased, came into the office, requesting
me to write a letter, which he wished to send down to Ysleta and San
Elezario. He (Cardis) took a seat in a rocking chair standing near by,
with his back turned toward the store door—the main entrance of the
establishment. While I was writing the letter, which occupied my whole
attention, Judge Charles H. Howard came into the store, and when Mr.
Jos. Schutz, a member of the firm of S. Schutz & Bro., who was sitting
at a little table in the office, saw Howard, who had a double-barreled
shotgun in his hand, he left his seat and walked up toward Howard,
saluting him in a loud voice, thus: “How do you do, Judge Howard?” This
salute caught the attention of Cardis, who was yet seated in the rocking
chair, and he turned his face toward the store door. He (Cardis) seeing
Howard, left the chair, passed behind me (I was sitting at the desk
writing), and took a position behind the high office desk. Mr. Schutz,
seeing Howard raise his gun, in a harsh and exciting tone exclaimed:
“Krakaner, come away from there!” I at once dropped the pen, got up from
the office chair and was by no means slow in trying to reach the door.
While I passed the place where Mr. Schutz stood I heard the latter say:
“Don’t shoot here, Judge; respect my house and my family.” The moment I
reached the door I heard the discharge of a gun and another one
following in quick succession. Howard left the store at once, walking
slowly down the street toward his house. When I went back into the
office I found Cardis lying dead at the same place (behind the high
desk), where I left him a few seconds previously alive. The desk behind
which Cardis sought protection did only cover the upper part of his
body; from the navel down to his feet his body was exposed to Howard.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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