A few days after he killed the man who ran off with his family, Guadalupe Lubo appeared in Tucson and surrendered to authorities.
He told a different story from the one his wife told, right down to the way they traveled. Since Lubo admitted killing Limon, one might be inclined to believe his story, but it does make one sympathetic to him.
Lubo's story ran in the Star, Thursday, Feb. 15, 1912:
SURRENDERS WHILE NELSON TRAILS DESERT
Lubo, Admitting Slaying of Home Despoiler Not for Stealing Wife But for Taking Child, Seeks Friend Here
Though the admitted slayer of Miguel Limon, who broke up his home, Guadalupe Lubo, for whom the authorities have been looking since Monday, is not an outlaw, in the sense that he has no respect for the law. At half past 7 o’clock yesterday evening he presented himself at the store of Juan Grijalva, an old acquaintance, and inquired where he could surrender himself.
He had been there but a short time before Constable Tom Mills and Sam McEwen passed and Mr. Grijalva called them in. They escorted Lubo to the county jail.
In a brief conversation with Mr. Grijalva, Lubo said that he had killed Limon, who had stolen his wife and his little child. He said that he did not care so much for the woman — that is, not enough to engage in the shedding of the blood of the despoiler of his home, but wanted his child, and that was what nerved him to fire the fatal shot in Alder Creek canyon.
It was never his purpose, he said, to try to escape, for at once he had made up his mind to surrender himself, and before the smoke from his rifle had passed away he was on his way to Tucson. He made fairly good time, for the nearest road to the scene of the killing is 68 miles. Lubo made the journey on foot, coming around the point of the mountain.
He brought with him a letter addressed to Judge Campbell. He turned that over to Mr. Grijalva, who will present it today. The letter had been given him by some acquaintance, and though the contents of it are not known, it is supposed to set forth something favorable to the bearer.
Lubo is about 70 years of age. He is quite well known in Tucson and it is said that he had always been a hard working and law abiding citizen.
When seen at the county jail last night the aged Mexican did not appear very remorseful for his crime. When taken in charge by Deputy Sheriff E. F. McEwen he was carrying a large, ugly looking knife. When asked, through an interpreter, what he had done with his rifle, he explained that he had left it at a ranch about 16 miles from Tucson. He said that he would have given himself up had he run across any of the officers.
“This man Miguel stole my boys and my wife,” he said to an interpreter last night. “I knew he would take them away, so I locked them in a room the night it rained (last Sunday night). The next morning I found them gone with Miguel. I took my rifle and tracked them 12 miles from my camp at Reddington. I saw my two boys, my wife and Miguel walking along the road and I stopped them and told him he could have the woman, but I wanted my boys back. I called to my sons and one of them started toward me, but he was held by Miguel. We were about 20 yards apart then. Taking the boy in his arms he drew his revolver and came up to me. I pointed my gun at him, but he took hold of the end of it and then I jumped back and shot. He dropped dead and I went back to my camp at Reddington and started across the desert. All I wanted was my boys and if he had not tried to keep them from me I would not have shot. I never want my wife back again.”
