BEXAR COUNTY CRIME NEWS

Otto Blementhal, a jeweler at San Antonio, Tex. was robbed of $2500 worth of diamonds Saturday by a stranger, to whom he was showing some jewelry. The thief escaped. Hamilton News Press (Marion County AL), Oct 24, 1895 Submitted by Veneta McKinney JUAN ROCHA HAD HER HUSBAND MURDERED And Today the laws of Texas Hanged Juan Rocha, A Peon. San Antonio, Tex.; Aug. 8 – Juan Rocha was hanged here today for the murder in January of John Grimsinger, his employer. The hanging of Rocha is the climax to a remarkable murder case. John Grimsinger was a bartender. He had married a pretty Mexican girl Guadalupe Rodriquez, by name and they had one child, a little girl, 5 years old. Juan Rocha was a peon who had been in the service of the Rodriquez family for many years. He came originally from Mexico. When Guadalupe was married, Rocha was among the possessions which she took with her to her new home. He was a true type of the peon, faithful and service he knew nothing except to work at the bidding of his mistress and now master with the parsage of years discord entered the Grimsinger home, Guadulupe was not happy and her nature soon rebelled against the bonds which held her to Grimsinger. She conceived the design of ridding herself of him. She confided to Rocha her desire and intimated to him that he could serve her by putting Grimsinger out of the way. The old man -- he was 60 and gray and shriveled – entered into her design with the same obedient devotion that had marked his whole life. During two weeks mistress and servant plotted the death of the unsuspecting husband. Grimsinger worked at night. On the fatal day he slept all morning, ate his dinner and went back to sleep. At 6 o’clock in the afternoon Rocha took an ax handle, one he had whittled himself and went into the room where Grimsinger was asleep. Mrs. Grimsinger knew his design but continued calmly at the work of preparing supper. Rocha crushed Grimsinger’s skull. He returned to the kitchen and told Mrs. Grimsinger that the job was done. The two and the innocent child who knew nothing of the deed sat down to their meal. Rocha then returned to the death chamber and dressed the body of Grimsinger. After dark he slung the corpse over his shoulder and carried it out, his evident intention being to throw it on the railroad track where it would be mutilated by a train and thus the evidence of the crime destroyed. But he made a mistake. Whether because the body was too heavy to be carried so far or for what reasons is not known, the old man dropped the awesome burden a few feet from the track. He returned to the house and assisted Mrs. Grimsinger to destroy the evidence there of any crime. The first attempted to do this by burning and washing the bloodstained bedclothes. Failing in this, they attempted to set fire to the house. The fire department arrived in time to prevent its destruction. Early next morning a pedestrian stumbled over Grimsinger’s body and gave the alarm. The arrest of the couple followed immediately. The grand jury was in session and both made partial confessions. They were indicted next day and tried soon after. Rocha was condemned to death and Mrs. Grimsinger to imprisonment for life. (Kansas City Star, August 2, 1901, page 1, transcribed by Peggy Thompson)