The Evening News. October 24, 1916

22. Don Antonio and the Horse Thieves

Bruno Bernal could hardly believe his eyes when he saw his son Antonio riding back to the Santa Teresa from Laguna Seca with ten of his best horses. Antonio was only twenty, but he was the hero of many a day's celebration.

A few years later when California was a possession of the United States, Don Bruno's two best horses were again stolen, this time by real thieves. No one called Captain Fremont a thief. He was a hero of a great conquering race. The horse thieves came to Santa Teresa when Don Antonio, his brothers and some cousins were mining in the Tuolumne country. The strangers were just out of prison, they pretended to Don Bruno that they wanted to buy his two best horses.

"No, I won't sell them," said Don Bruno, who had gone out into the field with the thieves. I lost the horses once. I got them back. You couldn't buy them for all the gold in the mines."

Next morning the horses were gone. This time Don Bruno felt certain that he should never see them. Don Antonio and all the young men were absent. There was no one to pursue the thieves.

Life is so much more romantic than romance that Don Antonio once more was to save his father's horses. With his friends and cousins, in a large party he was at that very time returning from the Tuolumne mines. They were coming along the edge of a ravine not far from Bakersfield. As usual Don Antonio was in the lead. In the distance he saw two horsemen. Don Antonio's horse began to whinny. The strangers' horses answered. Don Antonio knew that the horses approaching were from the ranch. What was wrong? Was his mother dead? Were messengers coming to warn him? He rode up to the whinnying horses. Strangers were in the saddle, but the horses were Don Bruno's. He dew rein.

"What's the matter" Where did you get these horses?"

"We just bought them from Don Bruno Bernal."

"No, you didn't. My father never sold those horses. You couldn't buy them. You stole them."

The other members of the party came up from behind. Antonio was in trouble again. "Look at those horses!" he said to his brothers and cousins. "These men have stolen them from Santa Teresa."

"We didn't, we bought them of Don Bruno Bernal."

"Let the horses go," urged one of Antonio's brothers.

Antonio was a turbulent soul. When he wasn't hunting elk, killing deer, training wild horses, fighting bulls, he was stalking thieves. The others would have liked tranquil lives, but it was impossible with Antonio. They told him no. Perhaps the strangers were telling the truth. Perhaps they had bought Don Bruno's horses. The horse thieves rode on. Don Antonio was disgusted. In silence he rode half a mile when he stopped.

"You fellows are cowards. You let those fellows get away with the horses because you didn't want to fight. I'm going back, and I won't return as long as my horses have hoofs unless I bring with me the Santa Teresa horses. Francisco, come."

He spoke to his younger brother. Reluctantly Francisco turned back, but Spanish boys obeyed their older brothers.

Antonio and Francisco took the opposite side of the ravine. Slowly they crept up on the horse thieves, who, thinking themselves secure, were traveling leisurely. Then Antonio and Francisco went rapidly ahead, crossed the ravine at a safe distance, came back and waited for the thieves in a hidden spot on the trail. When the thieves came in sight Antonio spurred his horse and chugged hard against them, covering them with his gun.

"It's all over. Give me my father's horses or you're dead men," said Antonio, his gun moving in his hands, as if on a pivot.

They protested. "We bought the horses. Don Bruno has the money. When you get home you will know what a mistake you're making."

Antonio kept his gun moving. "Francisco, disarm him."

This Francisco quickly did. He threw the weapons to the safe distance of fifty yards. "Now dismount."

Reluctantly the thieves dismounted. After them Antonio threw their saddles. He put ropes around the horses' necks. Then he and Francisco together rode back to the Santa Teresa. When Don Bruno saw the horses saved a second time by his son Antonio, tears were in his eyes, and he embraced his son. He was the happiest man in California.

The thieves continued on their way into the Tuolumne country. A few days later they robbed some prospectors and committed murder. They were captured, brought to San Jose where they were given a trial. They were found guilty and publicly hanged in the plaza.

They were the first men legally hanged in California.

Transcribed by Kitty LaFavor, for the Santa Clara Co. CAGenWeb Project. 2008

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