Corrido de Juan Reyna
Los Hermanos Bañuelos; Los Angeles, Ca. ca. November 1930
Voy a cantar un corrido
Aunque con bastante pena,
Es todo lo sucedido
Al compatriota Juan Reyna.
Dicen Que el once de mayo
Apenas obscurecía,
Cuando en el carro de Reyna
Chocó él de la policía.
Un fuerte llegón le dieron
Enchuecando las defensas.
Luego dos chotas bajaron
Diciendo a Reyna insolencias.
Querían bajarlo del coche
Y allí empezó la alegata,
Y luego uno de las chotas
Lo estiró de la corbata.
“Díganme quíen son ustedes?”
les dijo ya estando en tierra.
Le respondieron con golpes,
Llamándolo “hijo de perra.”
Como iban sin uniformes
Y haciendo mil tonterías
Reyna no estaba seguro
De que fueran policias.
Querían subirlo por fuerza
Al carro en que lo llevaron.
Como Reyna se opusiera
Entonces más golpearon.
Eran cuatro los gendarmes
Que al Mexicano estrujaron,
Y al subirlo al otro carro
Con un negro lo esposaron.
Luego el detective Brindley
Buscando cosa sencilla,
Le dió una fuerte patada
Sangrándole la espinilla.
Y como en esos momentos
El auto empezaba a andar
Sobre el pobre mexicano,
Brindley se vino a sentar
Entonces el mexicano
Con valor y con destreza,
Le arrebató la pistola
Y le clavó la cabeza
Pero el detective Miller
Y el negro lo sujetaron.
Disparándole otros tiros
Mientras que lo desarmaron.
Patadas, palos, moquetes,
Le dieron a granizar.
Por lo que tuvo Juan Reyna,
Que ir a dar al hospital.
El consul de la colinda
Y el vice-cónsul Quiñones
Hablaron luegopor radio
Mostrando sus opinions.
Explicaron bien el caso
Y la colonia atendió,
Porque al insultar a Reyna,
A México se insultó.
Mandaron toda su ayuda
Como Buenos mexicanos,
Probando lo que nos duele,
El maltrato a los paisanos.
Muy pronto juntó dinero
El cónsul digno y argente,
Y a la defensa de Reyna
Puso a un hombre competente.
Ya lo que el fiscal pedía
Que ahorcaran al delincuente.
El defensor luego dijo,
“Abranse que ahí va la mía.”
Algo dijo Mr. Rude,
Con que al fiscal le dío tos,
Y dicen por ahí las gentes
Que hubo un encuentro de voz.
Se le hicieron dos jurados
Y con toda claridad,
Unos pedían su castigo
Los otros su libertidad.
Por fin fallaron las damas,
Las de Segundo jurado,
Por homicidio de culpa
Juan Reyna fué sentenciado.
De un año a diez,
El juez Hardy a Reyna le sentenció,
Salvándolo de la horca,
Que el Mr. Blalock los pidió.
Adiós Juan Reyna,
Supiste defender tu dignidad,
Y hasta tu vida expusiste
Por su nacionalidad.
I will sing a ballad
Although is pains me much,
About all that happened
To my countryman Juan Reyna
They say that on the 11 th of May
It was just getting dark,
When Reyna’s car
collided with the car of the police
It was a head-on collision
The bumpers were dented.
Then two cops got out of the car
Saying insolences to Reyna.
They wanted to get him out of the car,
And that’s when the flap started,
And then one of the cops
Pulled him out by his tie.
“Tell me, who are you?”
he asked them being on firm ground.
They answered him with blows,
Calling him a “son of a bitch.”
Since they were without uniforms
And they were just fooling around,
Reyna was not sure
If they were policemen.
They wanted to put him by force
Inside the car that would take him.
Since Reyna opposed
They gave him more blows.
There were four policemen
who mistreated the Mexican,
And as they put him in the other car
He was handcuffed to a Negro.
Then detective Brindley
Looking for a simple thing (to do)
Gave him a bloody kick
Which connected with his shin.
Since about this time
The car began to run,
Up against the Mexican,
Brindley came to take a seat.
Then the Mexican
With bravery and agility,
Snatched the gun from him
And hit him in the head.
But the detective Miller
And the Negro caught him.
Other shots were fired
While trying to disarm him.
Kicks, blows, and more blows,
They gave him like a hailstorm.
And because of what Juan Reyna got,
He had to go to the hospital.
The consul from the area
And vice-consul Quiñones
Talked over the radio
Expressing their opinions.
The case was carefully explained
And the colony attended,
Because by insulting Reyna,
Mexico was insulted.
They sent all their help
Like good fellow Mexicans,
Proving the hurt to us all,
The mistreatment of our countrymen.
Right away money was collected
By the worthy consul
And to defend Reyna
He picked a competent man.
They had many witnesses
Who were police agents,
And the defense attorney said
“It is now my turn.”
Mr. Rude said something,
The prosecutor coughed,
And now people are saying
that their voices were raised.
Two juries were picked
And with all clarity,
Some asked for his punishment
And others for his freedom.
At last the ladies decided,
The ones on the second jury,
For intentional homicide
Juan Reyna was sentenced.
One year to ten,
Judge Hardy sentenced Reyna,
Saving him from hanging,
Which was what Mr. Blalock wanted.
Goodbye Juan Reyna,
You knew how to defend your dignity,
You even risked your life
Because of your nationality.