chapter 11 of the life and adventures of joaquin marietta the celebrated california bandit by john rollin ridge also known as yellow bird this recording by dan hogan this is a librivox recording all librivox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit librivox.org chapter 11. so burdemson were the tributes levied upon the citizens of the whole state by the roberts and so ceaselessly did they commit their depredations that it became a fit subject for legislative action a petition numerously signed was presented to the legislature praying that body to authorize captain
harry love to organize a company of mounted rangers in order to capture drive out of the country or exterminate the desperate bands of highway men who placed in continual jeopardy both life and property a bill to this effect was passed and signed by the governor on the 17th of may 1853 and a company was organized by harry love on the 28th of that same month the pay was set down at 150 dollars a month per man and the legal existence of the company limited to three months while the number of men was not to exceed
20. notwithstanding the small amount of wages allowed each member was required to furnish his own horse provisions and equipments at his individual expense without hesitation nay with alacrity for it was incontinence with his daring spirit love immediately took command of 20 choice men selected for their well-known courage and led them forth the meat as formidable a man as ever figured in the arena of crime this brave but small party of mounted rangers was looked upon with the anxious eyes of the community from whose midst they started as almost certainly destined to destruction but they forgot
that a leader was now in the field and armed with the authority of the state whose experience was a part of the stormiest histories of the frontier settlements whose soul was as rugged and severe as the discipline through which it had passed whose brain was as strong and clear in the midst of dangers as that of the daring robber against whom he was sent and who possessed a glance as quick and a hand as sudden in the execution of a deadly purpose with untiring energy and the most stealthy movements captain love set himself to work
to obtain a full knowledge of the haunts of the bandit chief the latest traces of his steps and all that was necessary to enable him to fall upon him at the best possible time and place while on this lookout for him joaquin was busy in making his preparations for the grand finale of his career in california after robbing extensively on the little mariposa in the merced river he proceeded to the rancho of joaquin guerra near to san jose killing on his way a frenchman who kept the well-known tevoli gardens and there stopped for a few
weeks lying concealed the major domo of this rancho francisco scaro was secretly connected with his band and this accounts for joaquin staying there in the meantime he had dispatched luis vinuela to the arroyo cantuba with orders to remove the women to a place of safety in the province of sonora and descend valenzuela as soon as he should arrive at the rendezvous to the same place with remittances of money there valenzuela was to arm and equip his followers and adherents who stood in waiting fenuela himself was to proceed to the different harboring ranchos in california and
collected at the arroyo contuba all the horses that had been left upon them it was joaquin's own intention to go to the rendezvous in a short time and wait for the arrival of his forces the extreme caution with which his wily leader was bringing his plans to a focus is aptly exhibited in the following comparatively little incident feeling one evening someone inclined for a dram and unwilling to show his person he sent from guerras rancho in indian to bring him a bottle of liquor from san jose after the digger had started he became a little
uneasy lest the fellow should betray him and mounting his horse he overtook him on the road near coyote creek and killed him on the first day of july 70 of his followers had arrived at the arroyo cantuba with 1500 horses in another part of the valley joaquin with reyes three-fingered jack and a few other men was waiting for the final arrival of all his forces from sonora and from other quarters his correspondence was large with many wealthy and individual mexicans residing in the state of california and he had received assurances of their earnest cooperation in
the movement he contemplated a shell was about to burst which was little dreamed of by the masses of the people because they merely looked upon joaquin as a petty leader of a band of cutthroats on the 5th of july captain love who had been secretly tracing the bandit in his movements left with his company to the town of san jose and camp near san juan for four or five days scouring the mountains in that vicinity from san juan he started in the night on the coast route in the direction of los angeles and carried a
night or two on the salinas plains thence he went across the santa benito valley camping just before daylight without being discovered by anyone in a small valley in the coast range near to the kiensave rancho leaving this place after a short survey of the neighborhood he proceeded to the eagles pass and there came upon a party of mexicans who were going or said so at least into the tulares to capture the wild mustangs that fed there in great numbers from this point the rangers divided a portion going to the panoche pass and the others taking
a course through the mountains they found trails which led both divisions to the same point that is to pocapodera or little prairie before reaching this point love stopped a few mexicans who were evidently carrying forward news of his advanced in that wild and suspicious region separating again the company again met at the pinochet pass from which they went on a body of the arroyo cantuba here they found seventy or eighty men of joaquin's band with fifteen hundred stolen horses these men and it would be fair to infer could have annihilated the small party of twenty
men opposed to them had they seen fit it was a wise act by captain love to deceive them as he did by informing them that he was executing a commission on the part of the state to obtain a list of all the names who were engaged in mustang hunting so the attacks might be collected from them for that privilege in accordance with the recent act of the legislature with this explanation and going through the farce of taking down a list of their names which are no doubt fictitious he started on the direction of san juan
but he turned about and stopped seven or eight miles off at the head of the arroyo in order to watch their movements as it was now the 24th of the month on the morning of which day he went back to their encampment and found it wholly deserted not a man or horse left fully convinced from the sudden abandonment of the place that they were nothing less than a portion of joaquin's band he resolved to follow their trail on the 25th which is a sunday at three o'clock in the morning he reached the tulare plains where
he found they had parted under the company some going south toward tejon pass and others north towards san joaquin river detailing a portion of the rangers to proceed to mariposa county with some stolen horses which had been recovered on the way the captain with the remainder of his party numbering only eight men dauntlessly pursued the southern trail which led in the more proper direction for finding joaquin just at daylight he saw smoke rising from the plains on his left wishing to allow no circumstances however trivial to pass unnoticed at a time so much requiring his
utmost vigilance he turned from the trail and rode out toward it he saw nothing more than some loose horses until within 600 yards of the spot from which the smoke proceeded then rising a mound he discovered seven men scattered around a small fire in a little hollow one was a few steps off washing a fine looking bay horse out of a pan their sentinel who had just been cooking at this moment caught sight of the approaching party and gave the alarm to his comrades who all rushed forth in the direction of their horses except the
man who already held his by the lariat at camp dashing up in hot haste the rangers succeeded in stopping every man before he got to his animal the captain riding up to the individual who stood holding the horse questioned him as the course upon which he and the others were traveling he answered that they were going to los angeles giving the nod the two of his young men henderson and white they stood watching the individual while the captain rode towards others as suspicious looking party who i have omitted to say were all mexicans superbly dressed
each wearing over their finery a costly broadcloth coke addressing one of these others in relation to their destination he replied in direct contradiction to what the first just said who flushing up with an angered look exclaimed no we are going to los angeles and turning to love said sir if you have any question to ask address yourself to me i am the leader of this company love answered that he would address himself to whom he pleased without consulting him leader as he called himself then advanced a few steps toward the saddles and blankets which lay
around the fire when love told him to stop he walked on without heeding the command when the captain drew his sick shooter and told him if he did not stop in an instant he would blow his brains out with a proud toss of his head and grating his teeth together in rage he stepped back and laid his hand again upon the horse's mane which had stood quietly during the moment he was away this individual was joaquin marietta though love was ignorant of that fact he was armed only with a bowie knife and was advancing toward
his saddle to get his pistols when love drew his revolver on him and made him stop a short distance off three finger jack fully armed and anxiously watching every motion of his chief others of the party separated by the rangers surprised and unable to act in concert and on foot and unable to get to their horses scattered here and there the danger to joaquin was great and imminent yet no sign of fear played upon his countenance he held his head firmly and looked around him with a cool and unflinching glance as if he calmly studied
the desperate chances of the time he patted from time to time his horse upon the neck and the fiery steed raised his graceful head pricked up his sharply pointed ears and stood with flashing eyes as if ready to spring in a moment's warning lieutenant burns who had known the young robber when he was an honest man of a few years before soon rode into camp having fallen behind by order of the captain and immediately on his approach joaquin who knew him at the first sight called out to his followers to make their escape every man
for himself three-fingered jack bounded off like a mighty stag of the forest he was shot at by several of the rangers attention being momentarily called away from joaquin he mounted his fine bay horse already eager to run and rode off without saddle or bridle at the speed of the wind a dozen balls from the colt repeaters whizzed by him without effect rushing along a rough and rocky ravine with that recklessness that belongs to a bold rider and a powerful high-spirited animal he let from a precipice 10 or 12 feet high and was thrown violently from
his horse which turned a half somersault as he touched the ground and fell on his back with his heels just a few inches of his master's head horse and ryder recovering in a moment joaquin again mounted with the quickness of lightning and was again on the wing one of his pursuers named henderson fearlessly leapt after him while others who were not so close behind galloped around to head him off at a certain favorable point henderson and horus went through the same motions of lofty tumbling as in the example that had preceded him he was not
mounted so soon and joaquin was some distance ahead before he was fairly ready to renew the chase the bold chieftain was fast escaping danger on his swift and beautiful seed and a few more vigorous bounds would carry him beyond the breach of gunshot when one of the pursuing party finding that they could not hit the rider level his rifle at the horse and sent a ball obliquely into his side the noble animal sunk a moment but rose again still vigorous though bleeding and was bearing his master as if he knew that his life depended upon
him clearly out of all reach of a bullet or any fear of capture when alas the poor beast with a sudden gush of blood from his mouth and nostrils fell dead beneath him a fortunate shot whoever aimed that rifle joaquin still far ahead of his pursuers ran on on foot but they outran him upon their horses and coming again in pistol shot discharged several balls into his body when the third ball struck him he turned around faced them and said don't shoot anymore the work is done he stood still a few moments turning pale as
his lifeblood ebbed away and sinking slowly to the ground upon his right arm he surrendered to death while their beloved leader was proudly submitting to the inexoral fate that fell upon him if we may call it fate when it was born from his own extreme carelessness and separating himself from the main body of his men in a habitual feeling of too much security as rendezvous his followers were struggling for their lives against fearful odds in all directions over the planes three-fingered jack pursued by love himself and one or two others ran five miles before he
fell pierced with nine balls he leapt over the ground like a wild beast of the chase and frequently gained a considerable distance on his pursuers whose horses would sometimes tumble in the gopher holes and soft soil of the plane and throw their rider's head long in the dirt when overtaken he would wheel with glaring eyes and with a whoop of defiance discharge his sick shooter though a good shot out of five trials he missed every time circumstances were against him but he was determined never to be taken alive and to no proposal of surrender would
he listen to for a moment he ran on as long as his strength would sustain him and he fought till he fell dying with his hand on his pistol from which he had emptied every load but one he was at last shot through the head by captain love who had wounded him twice before in the long chase three-fingered jack anomalous as it may seem to be since he was the very incarnation of cruelty was at the same time as brave a man as this world ever produced and he died so as those who killed him
with testify shortly after the chase of joaquin and three finger jack commenced three of the band not before discovered galloped out into the plane from a point a little below joaquin's campfire where they had probably made a small separate encampment the night before there they dismounted in full view of several of the rangers who approached them on three sides they stood still until within reach of pistol shot when they suddenly sprang into their saddles and firing the revolvers at the approaching rangers rode off the rangers returned the fire with effect wounding two of the men
and one of the horses their animals being remarkably swift they distanced their pursuers and reached the foot of the mountains without further injury but just at this point one of the wounded men grew so faint that he fell back in the flight and a comrade came back also to assist him and thus gave the rangers an opportunity to come within gunshot as he galloped off with his wounded companion to rejoin his brothers ahead a skillful marksman leveled the rifle as a retreating figure and sent a ball into his back that made him reel upon his
horse and thus added one more to the wounded list which now comprised the whole party they succeeded in escaping but one of them fell from his horse during the following night and died in a solitary place among the mountains the pursuit being ended on all parts of the field the rangers returned to the point from which they had started as yet all were ignorant of the true character of the party they had just attacked burns did not happen to be looking at joaquin when he first rode into camp and consequently had not recognized him at
all when they all got together it was ascertained that four mexicans had been killed and two others taken prisoners going up to the dead bodies one was immediately recognized by burns as that of joaquin marietta and another by someone else as that of three finger jack it was important to prove to the satisfaction of the public that the famous and bloody bandit was actually killed else the fact would eternally be doubted and many unworthy suspicions would attach to captain love so he accordingly acted as he would not otherwise have done and i must shock the
nerves of the fastidious much against my will by stating that he caused the head of the renowned marietta to be cut off and hurried away with the utmost expedition to the nearest place a distance of 150 miles at which any alcohol could be obtained in which to preserve it three-fingered jack's head was also cut off but being shot through soon became offensive and was thrown away his hand however was preserved that terrible three-fingered hand which had died itself in many a quivering heart had torn with its ruthless talons the throats of many an agonized victim
and had shadowed itself forth upon the horrified imaginations of thousands who only knew that it existed the head which for a very long time retained a very natural appearance was carried for exhibition over a large portion of the state and thoroughly identified in every quarter where its owner was known the hand was also exhibited in a glass case not to prove its identity even though that was done but to give the public the actual sight of an object that had flung a strange haunting dread over the mind as if it had been a conscious voluntary
agent of evil many superstitious persons ignorant of the phenomenon that death presents and the growth of the hair and nails were seized with a kind of terror to observe the mustache of the fearful robber had grown longer since his head was cut off and the nails of three-fingered jack's hand had lengthened almost an inch the bloody encounter being over love gathered up the spoils which consisted of seven fine animals afterwards restored to their owners six elegant mexican saddles and bridles six coat revolvers a brace of holster pistols and five or six pairs of spurs three
splendid horses were killed under their riders in the chase five or six fine broadcloth cloaks were found at the camp money there was none one of the prisoners however declared that three-fingered jack threw away a very large purse of gold which was encumbering him in his flight it is probable that others did the same upon the return of the rangers from this expedition one of the prisoners after vainly endeavoring to persuade his companion to follow his example suddenly broke loose from his captors and plunging into a deep slew nearby bravely drowned himself the other was
taken to mariposa county jail and there confined until the company was ready to expand when he was transferred to martinez while there he made of confession implicating a large number of his countrymen and the villainies that had been perpetrated and he was prepared to make still more important disclosures perhaps with the view of making the value of his information way against his execution when he was forestalled in a mysterious manner the jail is broken open one night at the dead hours and the prisoner taken out by an armed mob and hung the americans knew nothing
of the hangings so at that most rational conjecture is that he was put out of the way by mexicans to prevent the damning revelations he would certainly have made after a thorough identification of the head of joaquin the governor of california colonel john bigler caused to be paid to captain love the sum of one thousand dollars which in his official capacity he had offered for the capture of the bandit dead or alive and subsequently on the 15th day of may 1854 the legislature of california considering that his truly valuable service in ridding the country of
so greater terror was not sufficiently rewarded passed an act granting him an additional sum of five thousand dollars the story is told briefly and without ornament the life and character of joaquin marietta have been sketched his career was short for he died in his 22nd year but in the few years there allowed him he displayed qualities of mind and heart that marked him as an extraordinary man and leaving his name impressed upon the early history of the state he also leaves behind him the important lesson that there is nothing so dangerous in its consequences as
injustice to individuals whether it arises from the prejudice of color or from any other source that a wrong done to one man is a wrong to society and to the world is only necessary to add that after the death of its chief the mighty organization that it established was broken up it exists now only in scattered fragments over california and mexico its subordinate chiefs among who is joaquin valenzuela lack the brilliance and unconquerable will of their leader and thus will never be able to revive it in its full force and although all the elements are
still an act of existence they will make themselves felt nothing more is probable then petty outbreaks here and there and depredations of such a character as can easily be checked by the vigilance of the laws of rosita the beautiful and well beloved of joaquin nothing further is known than that she remains in sonora silently and sadly working out the slow task of a life forever blighted to her living under the roof of her aged parents alas how happy might she have been had man never learned to wrong his fellow man end of chapter 11 end
of the life and avengers of joaquin marietta the celebrated california bandit thank you for listening to this recording special thanks to the librivox team steve hogan and jp mayhew for audio help this recording by dan hogan august 2022
