Chipita Rodriguez
Encyclopedia
Josefa "Chipita" Rodriguez (December 30, 1799? - November 13, 1863) was convicted of murder
and hanged in San Patricio County, Texas at the age of 63. A century later, on June 13, 1985, the Texas Legislature
passed a resolution
noting that Rodriguez did not receive a fair trial
. She has been the subject of two opera
s, numerous books, newspaper articles, and magazine accounts.
who furnished travelers with meals and a cot
on the porch
of her lean-to
on the Aransas River
. She was accused of robbing and murdering a trader named John Savage with an axe
. However, the $600 of gold stolen from him was found down river, where Savage's body was discovered in a burlap
bag. She and Juan Silvera (who was possibly her illegitimate son) were indicted on circumstantial evidence
and tried before 14th District Court judge
Benjamin F. Neal at San Patricio. Although Rodriguez maintained her innocence, she refused to testify in her defense and remained silent throughout the trial, perhaps, some have speculated, to protect her guilty son. Although the jury
recommended mercy
, Neal ordered her executed. She was hanged from a mesquite tree on Friday, November 13, 1863. She was 63 at the time of her death. Her last words were quoted with being, "No soy culpable" (I am not guilty).
At least one witness to the hanging claimed to have heard a moan from the coffin
, which was placed in an unmarked grave
. Her ghost
is said to haunt San Patricio, especially when a woman is to be executed. Rodriguez is depicted as a specter with a noose
around her neck, riding through the mesquite trees or wailing from the riverbottoms.
where she was hanged.
Rodriguez has been the subject of numerous books and newspaper articles. Rachel Bluntzer Hebert’s epic-length poem “Shadows on the Nueces” and Teresa Palomo Acosta’s poem “Chipita” both portray Rodriguez as a heroine. In 1993, the University of Texas music department performed the opera, "Chipita Rodriguez", composed by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi professor Lawrence Weiner. In 2010 a screenplay was written by Del Mar College and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi student screenwriter Cary Cadena.
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
and hanged in San Patricio County, Texas at the age of 63. A century later, on June 13, 1985, the Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
passed a resolution
Resolution (law)
A resolution is a written motion adopted by a deliberative body. The substance of the resolution can be anything that can normally be proposed as a motion. For long or important motions, though, it is often better to have them written out so that discussion is easier or so that it can be...
noting that Rodriguez did not receive a fair trial
Trial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
. She has been the subject of two opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s, numerous books, newspaper articles, and magazine accounts.
Trial and execution
Rodriguez was reportedly born December 30, 1799 in Mexico. She was a Mexican-American woman from the South Texas town of San PatricioSan Patricio
San Patricio is Spanish for "Saint Patrick". As a name it may have several meanings:Places:* San Patricio, a barrio in Ponce, Puerto Rico* San Patricio, New Mexico, a community in Lincoln County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico...
who furnished travelers with meals and a cot
Camp bed
A camp bed, or cot in North America, is a small portable, lightweight bed used in situations where larger permanent beds cannot be used. Camp beds are generally used by armies or government organizations....
on the porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
of her lean-to
Lean-to
A lean-to is a term used to describe a roof with a single slope. The term also applies to a variety of structures that are built using a lean-to roof....
on the Aransas River
Aransas River
The Aransas River is a short river in south Texas in the United States. It drains an area of the south Texas coastal plains into the Gulf of Mexico. It rises in Bee County southwest of Beeville and north of Skidmore, from the confluence of three creeks: Olmos, Aransas, and Poesta...
. She was accused of robbing and murdering a trader named John Savage with an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
. However, the $600 of gold stolen from him was found down river, where Savage's body was discovered in a burlap
Burlap
Hessian , or burlap in the US, is a woven fabric usually made from skin of the jute plant or sisal fibres, or may be combined with other vegetable fibres to make rope, nets, and similar products...
bag. She and Juan Silvera (who was possibly her illegitimate son) were indicted on circumstantial evidence
Circumstantial evidence
Circumstantial evidence is evidence in which an inference is required to connect it to a conclusion of fact, like a fingerprint at the scene of a crime...
and tried before 14th District Court judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
Benjamin F. Neal at San Patricio. Although Rodriguez maintained her innocence, she refused to testify in her defense and remained silent throughout the trial, perhaps, some have speculated, to protect her guilty son. Although the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
recommended mercy
Mercy
Mercy is broad term that refers to benevolence, forgiveness and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social and legal contexts.The concept of a "Merciful God" appears in various religions from Christianity to...
, Neal ordered her executed. She was hanged from a mesquite tree on Friday, November 13, 1863. She was 63 at the time of her death. Her last words were quoted with being, "No soy culpable" (I am not guilty).
At least one witness to the hanging claimed to have heard a moan from the coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
, which was placed in an unmarked grave
Unmarked grave
The phrase unmarked grave has metaphorical meaning in the context of cultures that mark burial sites.As a figure of speech, a common meaning of the term "unmarked grave" is consignment to oblivion, i.e., an ignominious end. A grave monument is a sign of respect and fondness, erected with the...
. Her ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
is said to haunt San Patricio, especially when a woman is to be executed. Rodriguez is depicted as a specter with a noose
Noose
A noose is a loop at the end of a rope in which the knot slides to make the loop collapsible. Knots used for making nooses include the running bowline, the tarbuck knot, and the slip knot.-Use in hanging:...
around her neck, riding through the mesquite trees or wailing from the riverbottoms.
Cultural references
Chipita Rodriguez has become a folk legend, and since the 1930s, there have been numerous alleged sightings of her ghost along the Aransas RiverAransas River
The Aransas River is a short river in south Texas in the United States. It drains an area of the south Texas coastal plains into the Gulf of Mexico. It rises in Bee County southwest of Beeville and north of Skidmore, from the confluence of three creeks: Olmos, Aransas, and Poesta...
where she was hanged.
Rodriguez has been the subject of numerous books and newspaper articles. Rachel Bluntzer Hebert’s epic-length poem “Shadows on the Nueces” and Teresa Palomo Acosta’s poem “Chipita” both portray Rodriguez as a heroine. In 1993, the University of Texas music department performed the opera, "Chipita Rodriguez", composed by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi professor Lawrence Weiner. In 2010 a screenplay was written by Del Mar College and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi student screenwriter Cary Cadena.