Fray Juan said, "Father, repent of your sins,
and in token of this clasp my hand." The provincial took his hand,
and the murderer absolved him, adding, "Trust, Father, in our Lord,
who will pardon your sins." Upon this he seized his throat, and
finished choking him. Then with diabolical cruelty, in order to be
more certain [that he was dead] they twisted his neck against the bed
in such a way that they disjointed the bones, no that the head fell
from one side to the other as if he had been a dead fowl. All this
tragedy was committed in the dark, so they went for a light, cleansed
the provincial's body of the blood that had gushed from his mouth,
changed his bed-linen and garments, and set everything in good order,
that it might appear that he had died of some sudden accident. They
did not take into consideration the many discolorations upon his
body, or the twisted neck, that must soon give testimony of the
hideous crime. Fray Andres Encinas took all the bloody clothing and
threw it into the closets. The others closed the door from within,
with a cross bar, and jumped through a little window. Although the
provincial had given many loud cries, and other friars lived near
the apartment, nothing was heard in the convent--a thing that seems
impossible. After the crime was completed the bells rang for matins,
for which it was now time. The murderers, or rather parricides, with
great craftiness went to prayers. Morning came, and the hour arrived
at which the provincial was accustomed to open his apartment; but he
did not open it.
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