Juan Robles Martinez to Sworn and subscribed to before me. JAMES O. LUBY, Justice of the Peace, Precinct No . 3, Nueces County, December 8, 1873

Proceedings of an inquest held on the bodies of Filomeno Bios, Epifaneo Rios, Vicente Garcia, Jorge Rodriguez, José Maria, Leonardo Garza, and Blas Mata, shepherds in the employ oj Don Toribio Lozano, of Aguafria, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, found dead at La Chuza, Duval County, Tex., on the 29th of November, A. D. 1873.

(On account of the Indian troubles was unable to proceed to the spot until the 5th day of December, A. D. 1873.)

The following jurors were impaneled and sworn, viz: Calixtro Tovar, Alonso Allen, T. A. Shaw, Owen Sinnott, D. G. Ramirez, and Francisco G. Flores.

On examination, the bodies were found hanging to trees in a creek, about one mile off a sheep-pen fronting La Chuza, and within a distance of twenty yards of each other. The brothers Filomeno and Epitacio Rios were hanging on one limb, and Jorge Rodriguez on another limb of the same tree; Bias Mata on a tree about 6 feet from Jorge Rodriguez; Leonardo Garza to a tree about twenty yards from the Rios brothers; Vicente Garcia on a tree about four yards in front of Leonardo Garza; and José Maria about half-way between the Rios brothers and Leonardo Garza. Some of them had their hands tied with what is called granny knots. The trail of horses, twelve or more, was found going in the direction of the Nueces River. The hats and blanket of the victims were laying near them, and the ropes with which they were hung was quarter-inch, commonly used for coping sheep and goats. The process of strangulation undoubtedly caused their death, and, from the appearance of the bodies, they had been hanging several days.

First witness, Miguel Martinez, being duly sworn, says that, on the 29th of November, 1873, Encarnacion Garcia Garza sent me to the Chuza, in Duval County, to see if it was true that the shepherds of Toribio Lozano were hung. I got to the Chuza at midnight, and went with a shepherd named Desiderio to where the bodies were. I examined the bodies with matches to see if they had wounds, and I did not see any cause for their death except that they were hung. I found seven bodies hanging.

We, the undersigned jurors, find that the bodies of Filomeno Rios, Epifaneo Rios, Vicente Garcia, Jorge Rodriguez, Leonardo Garza, José Maria, and Bias Mata were found hung to trees by parties unknown, some with their hands tied behind and some before, their bodies not appearing shot or stabbed.

indorsed.

Proceedings of an inquest held on the bodies of Filomeno Rios, Epifaneo Rios, Jorge Rodriguez, José Maria, Leonardo Garza, Vicente Garcia, and Bias Mata, December 6, 1873, at La Chuza, Duval County.

The State of Texas, County of Nueces, ss:

I, Joseph Fitzsimmons, clerk of the district court in and for said Nueces County, and legal custodian of the records thereof, hereby certify that the foregoing three pages contain a true and correct copy of the proceedings and report of the coroner’s inquest on the bodies of the seven shepherds found hung at the Rancho La Chuza, in Duval County, on the 29th November, A. D. 1873, as the same appears in the original report of said inquest filed in office of the clerk of the district court of said county on the 28th day of January, A. D. 1874.

Certified copy of inquest on bodies of seven shepherds found hung at Rancho La Chuza, December 6, 1873, Duval County.

Received from Don Toribio Lozano the sum of sixty-five dollars ($65) specie, in part payment of one hundred and twenty-five ($125) dollars, being the amount of inspection-fees due on 800 head of sheep and goats.

Balance due, $60.

tax receipt.

Received of Toribio Losano the sum of sixty-nine ²²/100 dollars, the State and county taxes for 1873 on his property, including the following-described real estate:

tax receipt.

Received of Pablo Garza the sum of ten ⁹⁵/100 dollars, the State and county taxes for the year 1873 on his property, including the following-described real estate:

tax receipt.

Received of Antonio Lozano the sum of thirty-three ⁴⁵/100 dollars, the State and county taxes, for the year 1873, on his property, including the following-described real estate:

This is to certify that I have this day inspected, in possession of Toribio Lozano, eight thousand (8,000) head of sheep and goats, of his own property, marked as follows: