The Baca / Douglas Genealogy and Family History Blog

02 July 2008

Socorro Vigilantes

The book "Desperadoes of New Mexico" by F. Stanley includes a chapter called "Murder in Socorro." This is the story of the murder of a Socorro newspaper publisher in 1880 by three Baca cousins, and the subsequent arrest of the men by vigilantes. One man tried to escape by shooting a guard, but was shot dead by the same guard; another was lynched by the mob; and the third was tried and was acquited. It's an interesting story.

The book, which includes sixteen other stories, can be found online at the New Mexico Digital Collections page of the University of New Mexico Libaries website. Here is a direct link to the book. The Socorro story is on chapter 13, starting on page 221.

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