Mounting the stairs with some of his men behind Juan
de Messa and his wife, who had ascended, and leaving
the others below with the other friend who had come
as companion to Juan de Messa, the death of his wife
followed, as did that of Juan de Messa and of the
latter’s escort, a pilot who had come from Castilla
last year. They were killed up stairs and down,
as I have said, and because the governor had taken
possession of the streets, and stationed soldiers
there with orders to allow no one to pass. The
soldiers killed a young lad who tried to pass, or wounded
him so severely that it is said that he died.
Notwithstanding the unseemly hour, the people came
running out at the outcry and clamor especially those
from the nearest houses. They saw and noted everything
with fairness, and consequently it has been published
that the chief murderers were those whom the governor
took with him, both those of his wife and of the others.
That has seemed in this community to be a very lamentable
occurrence. Then the governor went to his house
after the event and the matter was immediately known
throughout the city. Thereupon Licentiate Legaspi
and Don Antonio Rodriguez proceeded to make investigations.
What they began to do was, it is said, to furnish
proofs of adultery. They have managed to do this
by great efforts, and that with the criminals free,
and with the power of the governor. And I am
told that the governor ordained what had to be done,
namely, to make no investigations against the dead
woman. What is understood is, that many fine things
have been done in the records, for they say that they
have expunged, erased, and copied things according
to their pleasure, the notary in the cause being the
governor’s most devoted follower, Pedro Munoz,
secretary of the Audiencia court, as above stated.
In everything has always been done what the governor
has ordered and commanded—especially by
Licentiate Legaspi, for Don Antonio withdrew then and
refused to do anything further, at seeing how the
governor flinched from everything. All the criminals
go about and take their pleasure, thus occasioning
much reproach. Will your Majesty consider what
you shall be pleased to order done in this matter;
for there is much talk of the hatred and great and
long-standing enmity of the governor to his wife,
and of the evil life that he led her. It is said
that he had already given her poison three or four
times, from which she escaped by antidotes that she
took; and that one of her women, to whom she gave
the remainder of a little chocolate [37] in which the
poisons were administered to her, died within two
days or so, because she did not take the antidote,
while his wife escaped because she had done so.