_JUAN GUILLÉN_
The Valencian family of Guillén was really fecund in men of energy and
cleverness. It is true that with the exception of Father Francisco
Guillén and of his nephew Juan Fort, none of them became known; but in
spite of the fact that the members of this family lived in obscurity in
a humble sphere, they performed deeds of unheard-of valour, daring, and
impertinence.
Juan Guillén, the first of the Guilléns whose memory is preserved, was a
highwayman of Villanueva.
What motives for vengeance Juan Guillén had against the Peyró family is
not known. The old folk of the period, two or three who are still alive,
always say that these Peyrós devoted themselves to usury; and there is
some talk of a certain sister of Juan Guillén’s, ruined by one of the
Peyrós, whom they made disappear from the town.
Whatever the motive was, the fact is that one day Peyró, the father, and
his eldest son were found, full of bullet holes, in an orange orchard.
Juan Guillén was arrested; in court he affirmed his innocence with great
tenacity; but after he had been sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment, he
said that there were still two Peyrós left to kill, whom he would put
off until he got out of prison.
As it turned out, Guillén was set free after six years and returned to
Villanueva. The two threatened Peyrós did their utmost to keep away from
the revengeful Guillén; but it did not work. Juan Guillén killed one
of the Peyrós while he was watering the flowers in the balcony of his
house. The other took refuge in a remote farm-house rented to peasants
in his confidence. This man, who was very crafty, always took great
precautions about all the people that came there, and never forgot to
close the doors and windows at night.
One morning he was found in bed with his head shot to pieces by a
blunderbuss. No doubt death overtook him while he slept. It was said
that Guillén had got in down the chimney, and going close to where Peyró
lay asleep, had fired the blunderbuss right against him. Then he had
gone tranquilly out by the door, without anybody’s daring to stop him.
These two last deaths did not cause Guillén any trouble with the law.
All the witnesses in the suit testified in his favour. When the trial
was over, Guillén arranged to stay and live tranquilly in Villanueva.
There was a highwayman in the town, who levied small sums on the farms
for cleaning young sneak-thieves out of the country, and for escorting
rich persons when they travelled; Guillén requested him to give up his
job and he did not offer the least resistance.
Juan Guillén married a peasant-girl, bought a truck-garden, and a
wine-cave, had several children, and was one of the most respectable
highwaymen in the district. He was the terror of the country,
particularly to evil-doers; for him there were neither scruples nor
perils; might was always right; his only limitation his blunderbuss.
To live in a continual state of war seemed to him a natural condition.
Half in earnest, half in jest, it is told of the truck-gardeners of
Valencia that the father always says to his wife or his daughter, when
he is going to have an interview with somebody:
“Bring me my pistol, sweetheart, I am going out to talk to a man.”
To Guillén it seemed indispensable that he should carry his blunderbuss
when discussing an affair with anybody.
Juan’s energy did not diminish with age; he kept on being as barbarous
and brutal as when he was young. His barbarity did not prevent his being
very fine and polite, because he was under the conviction that his life
was a well-nigh exemplary life.