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Show MEXICANS ARE PUT TO DEATH Duran Brothers Executed For Slaying Bert Aker, an American. El Paso, Tex., Jan. 23- Bernardo and Federico Duran, the CVlexIcan cattle cat-tle thieves condemnod to die by tho Carranza authorities for the killing of Bert Akers at San Lorenzo, a few miles below the international boundary boun-dary Friday, wore executed nt daylight day-light in the cemetery at Juarez. The body of Akers was Interred here lato today. The bodies of both Mexicans wero burled Immediately but that of Bernardo, Bern-ardo, who confessed to having fired the shots that killed Akers, was exhumed ex-humed to satisfy a doubt concerning the Identity of the slayer. Douglas Downs, another American who was with Akers, seeking stolen cows, and who escaped the bullets of the Mexicans, declared last night after aft-er seeing Bernardo Duran. that the prisoner was not the man Downs was at the Juarez cemetery when the face of the executed man was exposed lato today and then admitted he had been mistaken. American,' officials were with Downs and their certification certifi-cation that the Blayer had been duly executed served tonight to calm a feeling at Ysleta, where Akers and DownB lived, which authorities believed be-lieved might result in trouble. Three Mexicans previously arrested In connection with cattle stealing at Ysleta, wero removed to Jail in El Paso for protection. Die Cursing Americans. The Duran brothers died cursing Americans. Bernardo appealed for mercy on behalf of his brother Federico. Fed-erico. "It is unjust to kill two of us for one American," he said. "It is giving giv-ing two eyes for one tooth. I am willing to die, because I killed the gringo, but my brother ought to be allowed to live." Tho bullets of the firing squad killed Federico, but Bernardo was still conscious after he fell, and the officers commanding the firing squad gave him tho "mercy shot" through the head. The execution was attended by about fifty Americans, of whom a number were women. The first automobile carrying spectators spec-tators reached the cemetery shortly after 3 a, m. It was greeted by a lone sentry and a chorus of dog barks. The sentry growled that "tho prisoners had been shot and burled." The machine raced back to the cuartel general where a drosy corporal, cor-poral, roused from slumber on the floor, declared the Du-rans wore to be shot at 5 o'clock by the provost guard. Bugles were sounding revelllo, and dawn was just breaking when tho prisoners, bound and ready, appeared in fnlrn thrlr nl.oo.o bofnrft fhft n.dohe wall where hundreds have fallen since civil war began in Mexico nearly six years ago. As the prisoners faced the rifles of the firing squad with eyes unband-aged, unband-aged, Bernardo shouted. "Watch and see how Mexicans die. If I had a rifle" he added, "some of you would go with us." There were no Mexicans present except tho soldiers and officers in charge. Bernardo, the elder of the Mexicans, was 24 years old, and Federico Fed-erico 22. The later gave a tintype picture of himself to a soldier to be sent to his parents at Santa Rita, N. M. Bernardo gave his hat as a present pres-ent to a policeman who embraced both prisoners as they left the cuartel cuar-tel for tho execution grounds. Just Inside the cemetery gate the party halted for a last word with the bandits. "We want to hurry up and have it over." said Bernardo in a growl, answering an-swering the question of an American. "There is nothing to say except that I Ulled the American, and am willing to die We thought the Americans were trying to rob us and that they were armed. The peace officer with them had no warrant to search our place. But hurry up and have it over." Captain Alfredo Ortiz, commanding the firing squad, offered Bernardo a bandage for his eyes. He refused. "I want to see," he said. "I want to die as my brother dies," S3 Id Federico, who braced himself against his brother and said "We are bad men, we kill the American, we should die " Captain Ortiz shook hands with the prisoners and embraced them. Then he stepped back and gave the order to aim and fire. The captain stepped to the bodies and fired one shot through Bernardo's head. A shot also was fired into the head of Federico and the American spectators hurried back to this side of the border. oo |
