168 MURDER OF CHAVEZ. 
a stampede and escaped. The remaining 
eight, soon after the departure of their com- 
rades, determined to put Chavez to death,— 
for what cause it would seem difficult to con- 
jecture, as he had been, for two days, their 
unresisting prisoner. Lots were accordingly 
cast to determine which four of the party 
should be the cruel executioners; and their 
wretched victim was taken off a few rods and 
shot down in cold blood. After his murder a 
considerable amount of ae was found about 
his person, and in his trunk. The body of 
the unfortunate man, atten with his wagon 
and baggage, was thrown into a neighboring 
ravine; and a few of the lost animals of the 
marauders having been found, their booty was 
packed upon them and borne away to the 
frontier of Missouri 
Great exertions aa been made to intercept 
this lawless band at the outset; but they es- 
caped the vigilance even of a detachment of 
dragoons that had followed them over a hun- 
dred miles. Yet the honest citizens of the 
border were too much on the alert to permit 
them to return to the interior with impunity. 
However, five of the whole number (includ- 
ing three of the party that killed the man) 
effected their escape, but the other ten were 
arrested, committed, and sent to St. Louis for 
trial before the United States Court. It ap- 
pears that those who were engaged in the 
killing of Chavez have since been convicted 
of murder ; and the others, who were only 
concerned in the pans were found guilty 
LDS ee RS 
