Hola prim@s,

The reason I started this thread, beside wanting to crack this riddle, is I recently stumbled upon some documents, that put this family in a whole new light, and which just might link these four men as brothers.

It all started with the entry for Gaspar de Avalos, in Rafael Morales Bocardo’s (RMB) “Diccionario biografico de antiguos pobladores de San Luis Potosi 1582-1666,” p 57:

“Vecino en la jurisdiccion del pueblo y ciudad de San Luis Potosi. El 24 feb 1657, se lo abrio proceso de oficio de la real justicia por la muerte del alferez real Gaspar de Amezquita. Fue sentenciado a la pena de muerte y ejecutado en la horca publica.”

”Resident of the town and city of San Luis Potosi. On 24 feb 1657, criminal proceedings began against him for the murder of alferez real Gaspar de Amezquita. He was sentenced to death and hung on the public gallows.”

Curious as to whether this was the same Gaspar de Avalos who was married to Luisa Quezada, I looked for his causa criminal in the SLP Misc records, at FamilySearch. I haven’t found it, but I did find that of his sons, Nicolas and Gaspar Garcia de Avalos, and of their cousins, Juan and Geronimo Aparisio de Avalos, sons of Alonso de Avalos and Catalina de Orosco. Dated 15 Feb 1657, they are accused of the same murder. Gaspar de Avalos is not listed amongst the codefendants, nor as present during any of the crimes.

The expediente is a long 201 images, in good condition and legible, with every-other page numbered. It is incomplete, as it appears to contain only the trials of Juan and Aparisio de Avalos.

I’d really like it, if one or more of you would read it, and add your take to this thread. It has an incredible amount of information, more than I can pick up - and I might have misinterpreted something.

I have to advise, this does not paint a very pretty picture of these two families, which really startled me, since I’ve been researching them for years, and especially since I think my ancestor, Sebastian de Avalos, is linked to them.

15 Feb 1657
Proceso de oficio de la Real Justicia desta Ciudad de San Luis Potosi
Contra
Nicolas Garcia Davalos su hermano Gonzalo Garcia Davalos
Juan y Aparisio Geronimo Davalos hermanos
y los demas culpados en las muertes de Gaspar Amesquita y dos muchachos sus criados
SLP Misc.; Protocolos notariales 1657, vol 1 exp 8-9 img50
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-958F-QFY?i=49&wc=MXBY-TPD

SUMMARY (or, my interpretation, based on my notes from my first read. Please excuse any errors, which I’m sure exist)

Along with accomplice, Juan Rodriguez, Mulato Libre, the 4 cousins are accused of 4 counts of murder, and 3 counts of attempted murder, plus robbery and other crimes.

Background: around 1651, the family of Alonso de Avalos and Catalina de Orosco move to a rancho in SLP called El Ojo de Bague (located in Laguna de Santo Domingo, between Armadillo and Rio Verde, on the camino de La Guasteca). Gaspar de Avalos would move into the area, probably around the same time. His rancho was called “El Ojo de Muerte.” Both families ranched, some cattle.

These 2 families, “Los Avalos,” soon developed a very bad reputation. Witnesses said that they had been terrorizing the territory since their arrival, some 6 years previous. Words used to describe them: “delincuentes, personas de mal vivir, salteadores, ladrones y matadores.”

I was floored. They were an outlaw gang, highwaymen, “Los Avalos.”

And more: Gaspar de Avalos was said to have left Sierra de Pinos, fleeing justice, for crimes he had committed in that jurisdiction. It can be assumed that Alonso de Avalos left Lagos for the same reason, since the judge received word during the trial, that they were wanted for crimes in that jurisdiction.

The murders:

Dec 1656, Alferez Gaspar Amesquita was hauling a load of merchandise (dos mulas cargadas de butacas, ropas y otras cosas), accompanied by 2 muchachos (un Indiozuelo y un Mulatillo llamado Jusepe). Being in the area, he was also collecting debts. The Avalos owed him some 30-40 pesos, and he was going to make a stop. He was last seen heading toward their rancho.

Days passed, and neither he nor his criados had been seen, so authorities were alerted. The Avalos were instantly suspected. A posse was formed, and they were rounded up: brothers, Joseph, Alonso, Juan and Aparisio de Avalos-Orosco, were arrested. Also arrested was Catalina del Castillo (38y), who was sister of Ysabel del Castillo, wife of Nicolas Garcia de Avalos. She was with there for the baptism of their son, Nicolas, on 16 Feb, and for whom she was madrina, along with Juan de Avalos. When authorities searched the house, she was found hiding in a “boltorio” (I suppose a “trunk”), with some of the victim’s belongings. In the wrong place at the wrong time? Was told to grab the stolen items and hide by both Aparisio and Catarina de Orosco.

From what I can tell, from the various and varying testimonies, the Avalos intercepted Amesquita and his party on the road to their ranch. It was Nicolas Garcia de Avalos, the apparent ringleader, who shot Amesquita, and his cousin, Juan de Avalos, shot one of the criados; Juan Rodriguez knocked the other off his mule and killed him with a spear, which he then used to give the coup de grace to the other two victims. Aparisio was told to gather and secure the mules of the victims, which were laden with merchandise. Nicolas and Juan Rodriguez disposed of the bodies, then hid the mules in a nearby canyon. I don’t know what Gaspar Garcia’s role was, though he was involved in other crimes.

Nicolas Garcia de Avalos was also accused of shooting and killing Matias de Vargas, Mulato Libre, and of shooting his brother, Hernando de Vargas, wounding him in the right leg. Juan de Avalos took their weapons, and they took Matias’ yegua. This apparently happened sometime before 22 Jun 1656, on the camino near the rancho of Gaspar de Avalos. In another incident, Nicolas Garcia is accused of shooting and injuring Joseph de los Reyes, Mulato Libre, and leaving him to die. And in yet another incident, he was accused of taking a shot at Lorenzo de Cordoba, though missing.

Along with their accomplice, the 4 cousins were tried and sentenced to death. On 28 March 1657, Juan and Aparisio de Avalos were paraded through the streets of San Luis Potosi, then taken to the public gallows, where they were hung until dead. Their co-defendants were likely executed the same day. The Cofradia de la Vera Cruz requested permission to claim their bodies, and give them Christian burials, as Semana Santa was nearing (likely a request of the family). They were denied. As decreed in their sentences, the cadavers were decapitated, and their heads placed on poles on the 4 roads leaving San Luis Potosi, as examples to other would-be highwaymen. Their bodies were also quartered and hung at the place where they killed Amesquita and the boys, and their belongings and properties were put up for public auction.

Days later, authorities were alerted that the heads of Juan and Aparisio de Avalos had been removed. Family members were instantly suspected. Alonso de Avalos, brother of Juan and Aparisio, and a younger unknown relative, had been seen in the area, on horseback and armed. Searches were conducted for the 2 heads, at a nearby Indian village, but they were not found. A search at the rancho of Gaspar de Avalos found only his wife and daughters, Gaspar and his other sons, being gone. End of Roll

And if that doesn’t sound like the storyline of the next Robert Rodriguez movie, I don’t know what does!

Additional notes:

- Officiating judge was Capitan Don Matias de Alegria Justicia Mayor, and Bartolome Diaz de la Banda was appointed curador (public defender?) for Juan and Aparisio de Avalos, who were minors. Witnesses include, amongst others: Francisco Barbosa, Antonio de Sosa, Francisco de Alcorta, Lorenzo de Cordoba, mercaderes; Pedro de Herrera Escudero, maeste sastre, and Pedro Alonso de los Ynojos, Esp age 40 (todos vecinos desta jurisdiccion de San Luis Potosi).

- Catalina de Orosco, wife of Alonso de Avalos (who was already deceased), was injured during the gun fight that broke out during the arrest her sons. Her son, Alonso, fired the first shot with his “arca buz,” defiantly yelling, “I’ll be dead before I go to jail!”

So, we have Gaspar and Alonso de Avalos as brothers, and part of a crime family (which I’ve dubbed “El Ojo de Muerte Gang,” or, OMG, after Gaspar’s rancho), which lost 5 of its members in one hanging. The next question is, if Gabriel and Sebastian de Avalos are their brothers, are they part of OMG? If Gabriel de Avalos did marry Augustina de Vargas en segundos, then I’d say that there’s a likelihood that he is, since his movements mirrored Gaspar’s. Sebastian de Avalos and his wife remained static, living and dying in Pozos, SLP, suggesting that they weren’t involved. But that’s left to be seen.

Genealogy is not boring.

Saludos!
Manny Diez Hermosillo