Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 July 1884 — A Human Tiger. [ARTICLE]

A Human Tiger.

Sierra Majadako, Mexico, several men, drunk on mescale, were standing in front of a house quarreling. For an hour or more they wrangled, first on one. topic then on another, fre.quently coming to blows, but quieting down again without serious casualties. Finally, in a boastful mood, one of the number, pointing to a young woman just passing, observed that he was going home with her, and offered to bet that he would. Donato Viltegas, a brother of the girl, although the relationship was unknown to the braggart, Louis Gerra, accepted the wager with great promptness. Gerra stepped otifc, accosted the girl, and, to the surprise of everybody, walked away with her. Tiburcio Quezada, one 1 of the loiterers, reviled Viltegas for his foolish bet, and made a disparaging remark concerning women in general. High words followed, but no trouble occurred at that time. Later in the evening Viltegas met Gerra and Quezada in the outskirts of the town, and when they taunted him with the loss of his bet he drew a knife and sprang upon them with the ferocity of a wildcat. None of the men had firearms, but all were well supplied with murderous knives, and these weapons were quickly in use. At the first lunge Viltegas laid Gerra’s cheek open and inflicted an ugly wound on Quezada, bdff before he could strike again he had himself received a deep cut in the neck, from which the blood poured freely. For a minute the combatants stood facing each other, knives in hand. Viltegas wavered at first, but, realizing that he must fight or die, he made another cat-like spring on his adversaries. They closed on him with uplifted knives, but the struggle lasted only an instant. Gerra’s knife dropped from his hand, he reeled back a step or two, and fell heavily to the ground. Quezada, freeing himself from Viltegas’grasp, sprang to one side, tightened his grasp on his knife, and advanced slowly. Viltegas, although bleeding from several wounds, never quailed. The men eyed each other like wild beasts, but not a word was spoken. When an arm’s length apart the antagonists closed, each striving to stay the other’s arm rather than making an effort to strike. In the struggle both fell to the ground and rolled over and over, neither losing his hold on his blood-stained knife. Both men were growing weak from exertion and loss of blood, and the fight could not continue much longer. In making a drive at Viltegas’ neck with his- murderous blade Quezada overreached himself and fell on his face, his tightly clasped knife being driverrdnto the ground with his entire weight. In an instant Viltegas was upon him. Quezada tried to rise, but his wounds were mortal, and long before Viltegas had ceased driving his weapon into him he had breathed his last. Turning his attention to the other inanimate body, Viltegas continued to hack at that until his strength was exhausted, when, leaving his victims where they fell, he stole away. — Mexico Letter.