"The magistrate was one day on the street when he remarked to a friend that he had left his watch hanging over the head of his bed at home. In less than an hour a thief was at the door with a fat turkey; he said that it was sent by the magistrate, who wished his wife to send him his watch, which he had left at the head of his bed.
"She sent the watch, and when his Honor came home that night he learned of the trick that had been played. He consoled himself with the reflection that he had a fat turkey for the next Sunday's dinner, and would not be obliged to buy anything for that important meal.
"But the next day an accomplice of the watch-stealer called and said the magistrate had sent him to get the turkey, which they desired to produce in court. The man who stole the watch had just been arrested, and the turkey was needed to secure his conviction, as it was one of the 'properties' in the case. Of course it was promptly sent.
"So the good man lost both his watch and his turkey, and never heard of either of them again."
There is a short road to justice called ley de fuga, which is sometimes travelled in Mexico; it may be translated into "running the gantlet." By Mexican law an officer has the right to shoot a prisoner trying to escape. Sometimes, when bandits or murderers are captured, they are allowed to try to escape, and in their effort to secure their freedom they take the chances of being killed. Recently this disposition was made of seven bandits who murdered a German named Müller in the State of Durango, and then robbed his house, compelling Mrs. Müller to show where the valuables were kept. They were captured while seated at table in Müller's house after completing the robbery, a party of soldiers happening to arrive there most opportunely. As their conviction and execution were certain, they accepted the offer of the officers to permit them to try the ley de fuga, but not one of them succeeded in escaping.
SCENE OF THE CAPTURE.