Friday, March 29

A crime on the border sealed with satanic kisses


Once the crime was consummated, it is possible that the murderers separated very happy for the act carried out, which they may have sealed with satanic kisses. This is how the newspaper ‘La Región Extremeña’ narrated in 1898 the murder of a Spanish citizen who was found dead on the border with Portugal. Beyond the satanic theory of the journalists, what was behind that death was a story of love and jealousy.

In 1898, both in Badajoz and Elvas, Carnival was already celebrated and one of the dates was Fat Sunday, that is, the Sunday in the middle of this festivity. The press described the festival as a time of freedom, since there were safe-conducts to be able to do things and make fun of things that were unthinkable the rest of the year. Of course, the newspapers criticized that some abused the freedom to say “profanity and nonsense.” But, in general, the Carnival liked. «The indelible traces of pleasure, insomnia and repeated libations (…) Carnival? Well, it’s a time of sensations and we already have permission to have fun, “published the newspaper ‘La Región Extremeña’.

That year Fat Sunday fell on February 20 and there was a party, but the news of the following days not only spoke of Carnival, but of a crime that sounded on both sides of the border. It was Uncle Frasco’s death.

Uncle Frasco was the nickname of a 50-year-old Spaniard who lived in Elvas and worked as a guard at the Caya border. Although he was single, he lived with a woman from Jerez de los Caballeros whom the press did not generously describe. He «he lived with María del Carmen, a rather ugly woman, over thirty years old».

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Although the newspapers of the time assured that María del Carmen, nicknamed ‘la Carmen’, was not a beauty, it was her attractiveness that caused Uncle Frasco’s ills, as revealed by the police investigation. “A few months ago Uncle Frasco thought he noticed that his mistress had quite equivocal familiarities with Juan S. (…) and that discovery resulted in jealousy, questions and some slaps from his lover.” Juan was from Elvas and was about 40 years old. Her lover, ‘la Carmen’, asked her to free her from Uncle Franco “whom she could not suffer anymore”, as she later declared. The pair of lovers was joined by Juan’s aunt, Catalina C., who decided to help her nephew and María del Carmen for unknown reasons.

assassination attempt

The first assassination attempt on the Spaniard was days before Carnival, as the investigation later revealed, but the victim suspected the intentions of the murderous trio and was able to save himself.

According to Spanish and Portuguese newspapers, the idea was Catalina’s, “who, pleased that her nephew was making love with ‘la Carmen,’ proposed to make a drink that would make the unhappy Frasco disappear from the world of the living.” The pair of lovers accepted the proposal and in a meeting, since they all lived in the same area, they offered Uncle Frasco a drink.

The poisoning attempt also took place on a Sunday, but the Spaniard declined the invitation. According to later statements by the conspirators, he realized that they covered the glass they offered him a lot. “I don’t accept it because what you want is to kill me,” he told his lover.

Since the poisoning didn’t work, they decided to move on to more drastic methods. On Carnival Sunday, at seven in the evening, Uncle Frasco left Elvas on foot on his way to the border, where he was supposed to work as a security guard. After leaving through the door of San Vicente, María del Carmen joined him and they walked together. Shortly after, the woman came forward, possibly to notify her lover that she was waiting with a pruning knife and that she was accompanied by her aunt Catalina.

After passing an inn, the victim was hit in the head with a club and fell to the ground. Lying down he was attacked by the women and by the man. They hit him on the head while Juan stuck the knife into his neck twice.

When the body appeared, there was a great stir on both sides of the Ray. The media gave extensive coverage to the murder and Spanish newspapers highlighted the good work of the Portuguese authorities. It was a municipal secretary of Elvas and a jailer who investigated and arrested the three involved just two days after the events. On Wednesday they had already confessed “with all its horrible details”, according to the Portuguese newspaper ‘O Elvense’.

‘O Elvense’ also covered the trial that took place three months after the crime. The three involved were convicted and what is striking is that they were sentenced to prison and exile. This was common at that time. According to a study by the University of Seville, the penalty of banishment was widely applied in Portugal to repopulate its colonies in Brazil, Africa and Asia and also to eliminate criminals from their localities.

In some trials, moreover, the condemned could choose between prison or exile. It was the case of this crime. Juan and María del Carmen, the lovers, were given eight years in prison followed by 12 years of banishment in Africa or, alternatively, 26 years of banishment. Aunt Catalina was sentenced to six years in prison followed by 10 years of exile or 20 years of exile if she wanted to avoid prison.


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