It was not strange that the citizens of Chihuahua wondered that their fellow-citizen, thought to be quiet and law-abiding, and the priest, well known in the city for his many charitable deeds, were behind the bars on a charge of treason.
The calm of the early morning, produced by reading the full account of the charges and the arrest of these two well-known citizens, in the great Chihuahuan, was now giving way to noisy discussions of them, by small and large crowds of citizens of all classes, assembled on the street corners, and in public and private houses. At nine o’clock the jail in which the two offenders of law were held was almost surrounded by what looked to be the rabble of the entire country.
The great and progressive city of Chihuahua had never had such a large crowd of ungainly and suspicious looking creatures assemble since it became a part of the great Republic of the United States of America. From whence had they come and for what purpose? were the questions propounded on every side by the uninitiated.
At first no particular attention was paid to the miserable looking beings hanging around the jail. But as their number increased so rapidly, although they seldom spoke and made no disturbance, the number of police usually on beat near the jail was doubled, and a company of one hundred soldiers were stationed close by.
The rabble questioned no one, and no one questioned the rabble.
The police and soldiers kept their eyes riveted upon them, but as they only looked suspicious, and did nothing, they were allowed to remain and no arrests were made.
Such were the orders received from the Governor, and no officer cared to disobey them. During the forenoon several priests and friends of Don Francisco R. Cantu y Falomir came to the jail and begged for admittance. Each person was refused and went away angry. Some of them openly vowed vengeance.
One priest ventured to return, and asked the guard why his friends were confined in jail, and if an early hearing would be granted them. Unable to get any satisfactory answers, he turned away, his white face showing the terrible rage he was in.
The Governor and his scientific coworkers had not been seen on the street during the day, and as night approached and no official word could be had as to the probable fate of the prisoners, the rabble around and near the jail showed signs of great uneasiness, and in bodies of threes and fours wandered away. As each party left it was quietly followed by an officer, who thought himself in a condition impossible to be surprised, no matter how unusual an occurrence which would happen might be.
However, his thoughts in that direction were wholly in error, as what occurred will demonstrate.