Muerte de Miguel Soto en San Gabriel
Dublin Core
Title
Muerte de Miguel Soto en San Gabriel
Subject
Newspapers
Vigilante violence
Vigilante violence
Description
Article detailing the killing and decapitation of Miguel Soto.
Transcript: El juéves pasado, Mr. Cyrus Sanford, de la Mision, fué atacado por Miguel Soto y dos otros. Mr. Stockton fué a su socorro, y la pelea continuó por algun tiempo bastante encarnizada. Sanford le dió un balazo a Soto en el muslo; y Soto le dió cuatro balazos al caballo de su antagonista. Soto estando herido, dejó su caballo, y corrió a pié, a refugiarse es una especie de ciénega que estaba cerca. Se cubrió allí todo el cuerpo con lodo y ramas. A este tiempo varios ciudadanos del Monte (Houstin, King y Ward,) llegaron y le pegaron fuego a la yerba, hasta que consumió toda. Esto expuso la posicion del astuto ladrón, cuando uno de la partida le tiró un balazo y le dió en el corazon. Inmediatamente le cortaron la cabeza al ladron, y fué llevada al Monte en donde fué reconocida por Mr. Wm. H. Petterson como la cabeza de Miguel Soto, que habia sido examinado ante el juez Sackett por el robo de la tienda de Mr. Twist hace algun tiempo.” En otra parte dice: “Hace algunos dias, un Mexicano llamado Miguel Blanco, fué arrestado y alojado en la cárcel. Ha confesado que Soto, que fué muerto por el pueblo de la Mision, tuvo algo que hacer con el robo de Twist. Tambien ha confesado su propia participación en aquel asalta, y los nombres de toda la cuadrilla.” Y tambien: "Soto, que fué muerto por la Mision por los Señores Stockton y Sanford llevaba una mula cargada de provisiones, y una escopeta reconocida por ser de D. Francisco Mellus, que le prestó a Barton antes de salir en su expedicion” Si todo esto es cierto no hay duda que era un criminal; pero su muerte no deja de ser terrible. Nos dicen que cuando le pegarón fuego a las ramas y yerbas en donde se habia ocultado, en la agonia del dolor y la desesperacion hizo un hoyo con las manos para enterrarse. Allí fué muerto: córtada la cabeza, y su cuerpo quedó abandonado para alimento de los animales y las aves. Por malo que es su hombre, y haya cometido crímenes que lo hagan detestable a los ojos de la sociedad, siempre el corazon noble se compadece de él: siento lo que humanidad, y no persigue a sus semejanes como si fueran otros tantos animales del campo.
Translation: "Our colleague on Saturday says the following: Last Thursday, Mr. Cyrus Sanford, from the Mission, was attacked by Miguel Soto and two others. Mr. Stockton came to their aid, and the fight continued for some time and was quite fierce. Sanford shot Soto in the thigh; and Soto shot his opponent's horse four times. Soto, being wounded, left his horse, and ran on foot, to take refuge in a type of swamp that was nearby. His whole body was covered there with mud and branches. At this time several citizens of the Monte (Houstin, King and Ward,) arrived and set fire to the grass, until it was all consumed. This exposed the position of the cunning thief, when one of the party shot him and hit him in the heart. The thief's head was immediately cut off, and it was taken to the Monte where it was recognized by Mr. Wm. H. Petterson as the head of Miguel Soto, who had been examined before Judge Sackett for the robbery of Mr. Twist's store some time ago." Elsewhere it says: “A few days ago, a Mexican named Miguel Blanco was arrested and held in jail. He has confessed that Soto, who was killed by the people of the Mission, had something to do with the theft of Twist. He has also confessed his own participation in that assault, and the names of the entire gang." And also: "Soto, who was killed by the Mission by Misters Stockton and Sanford, carried a mule loaded with provisions, and a shotgun recognized as belonging to D. Francisco Mellus, which he loaned to [Sheriff James R.] Barton before leaving on his expedition" If all this is true, there is no doubt that he was a criminal; but his death is still terrible. They tell us that when they set fire to the branches and grasses where he had hidden, in the agony of pain and despair he made a hole with his hands to bury himself. There he was killed: his head was cut off, and his body was left for food for animals and birds. No matter how bad this man is, and he has committed crimes that make him detestable in the eyes of society, the noble heart always pities him: feel some humanity [?], and do not persecute your fellow men as if they were so many field animals."
Transcript and translation by Daniel Lynch.
Transcript: El juéves pasado, Mr. Cyrus Sanford, de la Mision, fué atacado por Miguel Soto y dos otros. Mr. Stockton fué a su socorro, y la pelea continuó por algun tiempo bastante encarnizada. Sanford le dió un balazo a Soto en el muslo; y Soto le dió cuatro balazos al caballo de su antagonista. Soto estando herido, dejó su caballo, y corrió a pié, a refugiarse es una especie de ciénega que estaba cerca. Se cubrió allí todo el cuerpo con lodo y ramas. A este tiempo varios ciudadanos del Monte (Houstin, King y Ward,) llegaron y le pegaron fuego a la yerba, hasta que consumió toda. Esto expuso la posicion del astuto ladrón, cuando uno de la partida le tiró un balazo y le dió en el corazon. Inmediatamente le cortaron la cabeza al ladron, y fué llevada al Monte en donde fué reconocida por Mr. Wm. H. Petterson como la cabeza de Miguel Soto, que habia sido examinado ante el juez Sackett por el robo de la tienda de Mr. Twist hace algun tiempo.” En otra parte dice: “Hace algunos dias, un Mexicano llamado Miguel Blanco, fué arrestado y alojado en la cárcel. Ha confesado que Soto, que fué muerto por el pueblo de la Mision, tuvo algo que hacer con el robo de Twist. Tambien ha confesado su propia participación en aquel asalta, y los nombres de toda la cuadrilla.” Y tambien: "Soto, que fué muerto por la Mision por los Señores Stockton y Sanford llevaba una mula cargada de provisiones, y una escopeta reconocida por ser de D. Francisco Mellus, que le prestó a Barton antes de salir en su expedicion” Si todo esto es cierto no hay duda que era un criminal; pero su muerte no deja de ser terrible. Nos dicen que cuando le pegarón fuego a las ramas y yerbas en donde se habia ocultado, en la agonia del dolor y la desesperacion hizo un hoyo con las manos para enterrarse. Allí fué muerto: córtada la cabeza, y su cuerpo quedó abandonado para alimento de los animales y las aves. Por malo que es su hombre, y haya cometido crímenes que lo hagan detestable a los ojos de la sociedad, siempre el corazon noble se compadece de él: siento lo que humanidad, y no persigue a sus semejanes como si fueran otros tantos animales del campo.
Translation: "Our colleague on Saturday says the following: Last Thursday, Mr. Cyrus Sanford, from the Mission, was attacked by Miguel Soto and two others. Mr. Stockton came to their aid, and the fight continued for some time and was quite fierce. Sanford shot Soto in the thigh; and Soto shot his opponent's horse four times. Soto, being wounded, left his horse, and ran on foot, to take refuge in a type of swamp that was nearby. His whole body was covered there with mud and branches. At this time several citizens of the Monte (Houstin, King and Ward,) arrived and set fire to the grass, until it was all consumed. This exposed the position of the cunning thief, when one of the party shot him and hit him in the heart. The thief's head was immediately cut off, and it was taken to the Monte where it was recognized by Mr. Wm. H. Petterson as the head of Miguel Soto, who had been examined before Judge Sackett for the robbery of Mr. Twist's store some time ago." Elsewhere it says: “A few days ago, a Mexican named Miguel Blanco was arrested and held in jail. He has confessed that Soto, who was killed by the people of the Mission, had something to do with the theft of Twist. He has also confessed his own participation in that assault, and the names of the entire gang." And also: "Soto, who was killed by the Mission by Misters Stockton and Sanford, carried a mule loaded with provisions, and a shotgun recognized as belonging to D. Francisco Mellus, which he loaned to [Sheriff James R.] Barton before leaving on his expedition" If all this is true, there is no doubt that he was a criminal; but his death is still terrible. They tell us that when they set fire to the branches and grasses where he had hidden, in the agony of pain and despair he made a hole with his hands to bury himself. There he was killed: his head was cut off, and his body was left for food for animals and birds. No matter how bad this man is, and he has committed crimes that make him detestable in the eyes of society, the noble heart always pities him: feel some humanity [?], and do not persecute your fellow men as if they were so many field animals."
Transcript and translation by Daniel Lynch.
Creator
El Clamor Público
Source
California Digital Newspaper Collection: https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=ECPX18570207.2.2&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1
Publisher
El Clamor Público, Volume 2, Number 32
Date
1857-02-07
Rights
Public domain
Language
Spanish
Type
Text
Citation
El Clamor Público, “Muerte de Miguel Soto en San Gabriel,” East of East, accessed April 27, 2024, https://semapeastofeast.com/items/show/331.