“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...
“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ... “MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...
Upon his release, Christomo found himself almost immediately back before local officials. This time, however, he was accused of attempted murder. According to a number of witnesses, Christomo had fired his pistol at Manuel Francisco, a pardo man, after a heated argument. 66 Christomo fled the town. This left it up to a local jury to convict him “ex- oficio.” Teixeira then appealed the verdict to the juiz de direito, once again arguing that the charges against his client flowed from “persecution” that had already resulted in him “suffering several months imprisonment.” 67 Teixeira noted that the juiz had already acquitted his client on one previous occasion. He also implied that Ribeiro and his allies likely coerced Francisco to testify against his client like they had done previously with the Paraguayan soldiers. Christomo then appeared himself. He testified: “I attribute the charges against me to my enemies that have already attacked the honor of this court.” 68 The court, however, refused to overturn the verdict. It sentenced Christomo to a year imprisonment. The decision in effect confirmed Christomo’s banishment from the local political scene in Alegrete. He was an outlaw, not a vizinho. 69 A similar fate awaited another one of Teixeira’s clients from the 1850s, Manoel Rodrigues da Silva. The proceeding involved a salacious family drama. According to prosecutors, Rodrigues had become enraged when he learned that his son Cándido had left his home to live with a woman named Merencia. Matters came to a head when Merencia became pregnant and Cándido began requesting sums of money from his father to maintain his lover and his future family. To put an end to the affair, Rodrigues allegedly arranged for his son to leave town in order to conduct business for the family’s ranch. Rodrigues, along 66 Traslado de um sumario de culpa em que a Justiça é autora e reo o Capitão João Christomo dos Santos, APRGS. Alegrete. Cartório Civil e Crime. Processos Crimes, Maço 88, n. 3090 (1870). 67 Ibid. The trial record was not numbered. 68 Ibid. 69 Ibid. 358
with his son-in-law Alexander da Cruz, then paid Theodoro d’Araujo and several other men six ounces of gold to kidnap and then murder his son’s lover. 70 Rodrigues further provided a horse to d’Araujo so that he could escape and then later assisted the men in disposing of the body. An “unnamed laborer” on a neighboring ranch saw the men burying Merencia and alerted officials. The police uncovered the body, tracked down d’Araujo and then arrested Rodrigues for his involvement in the crime. 71 Rodrigues again turned to Teixeira to defend him from the charges, but he faced a daunting challenge. Dozens of witnesses appeared in the proceeding. They offered testimony about the long-standing disagreement between Rodrigues and his son. Prosecutors further obtained evidence that Merencia had had “friendly relations” with the Manoel Rodriguez prior to the conflict. They claimed that she had “visited his house on a number of occasions.” 72 Under questioning, Rodrigues had himself admitted to the dispute with his son. D’Araujo then testified as to the terms of his arrangement to murder Merencia. He asserted that his involvement had been limited only to the kidnapping. He had left Merencia with da Cruz unharmed. Teixeira attacked this latter testimony. He argued that in fact Rodrigues had only ordered d’Araujo to remove Merencia from the house in which she was living and carry her to a nearby town of São Vicente. The gold was a blackmail payment to keep the girl away from the family. He argued that the actual assailants had exchanged their testimony against Rodrigues for leniency in the proceeding. They had only received “life imprisonment” in lieu of the death penalty. Not surprisingly, however, the local jury was unmoved. They 70 A Justiça c. Manoel Rodrigues da Silva, Alexandro da Cruz Santos, Manoel Theodoro d’Araujo, Virginia Paes e Crisceldo da Costa, APRGS. Alegrete. Cartório Civil e Crime. Processos Crimes, Maço 88, n. 3097 (1871) (documents in the file were not numbered). 71 Ibid. 72 Ibid. 359
- Page 317 and 318: captured the city of Corrientes. To
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- Page 385 and 386: Cárcano, Ramón J. Guerra del Para
- Page 387 and 388: Flores, Mariana Flores da Cunha Tho
- Page 389 and 390: Lasso, Marixa. Myths of Harmony: Ra
- Page 391 and 392: Piccolo, Helga I. L. "A Política R
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with his son-in-law Alexander da Cruz, then paid Theodoro d’Araujo and several other men<br />
six ounces of gold to kidnap and then murder his son’s lover. 70 Rodrigues further provided a<br />
horse to d’Araujo so that he could escape and then later assisted the men in disposing of the<br />
body. An “unnamed laborer” on a neighboring ranch saw the men burying Merencia and<br />
alerted officials. The police uncovered the body, tracked down d’Araujo and then arrested<br />
Rodrigues for his involvement in the crime. 71<br />
Rodrigues again turned to Teixeira to defend him from the charges, but he faced a<br />
daunting challenge. Dozens of witnesses appeared in the proceeding. They offered<br />
testimony about the long-standing disagreement between Rodrigues and his son.<br />
Prosecutors further obtained evidence that Merencia had had “friendly relations” with the<br />
Manoel Rodriguez prior to the conflict. They claimed that she had “visited his house on a<br />
number of occasions.” 72 Under questioning, Rodrigues had himself admitted to the dispute<br />
with his son. D’Araujo then testified as to the terms of his arrangement to murder<br />
Merencia. He asserted that his involvement had been limited only to the kidnapping. He<br />
had left Merencia with da Cruz unharmed.<br />
Teixeira attacked this latter testimony. He argued that in fact Rodrigues had only<br />
ordered d’Araujo to remove Merencia from the house in which she was living and carry her<br />
to a nearby town of São Vicente. The gold was a blackmail payment to keep the girl away<br />
from the family. He argued that the actual assailants had exchanged their testimony against<br />
Rodrigues for leniency in the proceeding. They had only received “life imprisonment” in<br />
lieu of the death penalty. Not surprisingly, however, the local jury was unmoved. They<br />
<br />
70 A Justiça c. Manoel Rodrigues da Silva, Alexandro da Cruz Santos, Manoel Theodoro d’Araujo,<br />
Virginia Paes e Crisceldo da Costa, APRGS. Alegrete. Cartório Civil e Crime. Processos Crimes,<br />
Maço 88, n. 3097 (1871) (documents in the file were not numbered).<br />
71 Ibid.<br />
72 Ibid.<br />
359 <br />
<br />
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