also on July 25

Joaquin Murietta was a bandit who was part of a 19th century gang of outlaws that came to be known as The Five Jaoquins. Not a terribly imaginative name for the conglomerate since the principal members were Joaquin Murietta, Joaquin Carrillo, Joaquin Ocomorenia and Joaquin Valenzuela. While it wasn’t such a great nickname it did get across the idea that people should be on the lookout for a bunch of people named Joaquin. 'The Five Joaquins' rolls easily off the tongue but it’s not as much fun as saying “Hey watch out for Thierry “The Beast of Montmarte” Paulin, Anna “Arsenic Anna” Hahn, Benny “Dopey” Fein, and Jack “Crooked Nose Jack” McCall.” The Five Joaquins fit nicely on posters without causing too much trouble for the typesetters.
On the 25th in 1853, Murietta and colleague Manuel “Three Fingered Jack” Garcia were killed by members of the California Rangers, a group that had been set up by the governor of California for the sole purpose of getting the Five Joaquins to seriously consider going into retirement. Well, they got someone named Joaquin, who they assumed was Murietta, and they got Three Fingered Jack and the Rangers went the extra mile to help with California’s budget problems and put Murrieta’s head and Garcia’s hand on display and charged admission. Now that’s an innovative approach to fiscal responsibility.