september california county convicted state prisoner received minor warning placing tracks protest built property adequate compensation continued authorities eventually arrested months later jury trial unable reach agreement convicted second trial sentenced years died pneumonia september serving years seven months sentence today considered folk heroine latino people county suggested white lady ghost said area reported seen walking railroad tracks 1930s background born according sources california located approximately miles southeast downtown santa little known childhood earlier life age inherited land mother north train station occupied chicken described dark eyed beauty appearance extremely proud woman authorities considered mexican born technically mexican american unpopular county time subject racism spent days prostitution coupled fact reportedly unmarried pregnant time second trial led belief supplemented income working prostitute obituary santa standard following death september add weight referring known favorite boys protest upset construction family land feet away home believing properly compensated railway having negative impact chicken quality life noise decided protest railroad life property local sources tied hung laundry track reports placed railroad tie tracks erected fence post rails attached note protest read land belongs railroad wants run pay thousand dollars agent reported removed post informed perfectly rights building railroad ordered interfere doubt occurred believe compensated documented traveled bank ask receive payment organized party celebration expected payment arrested party disturbing peace annoyed authorities trial victory railroad company government according historian book conquests historical identities california actions initial protest act led arrest months later attempted train example demonstrate protests punished new state legal system prosecution imprisonment trial interfering tracks held newly opened hot shot legal figure state assembly trial ended hung jury week leading rumors spread pregnant act considered time lawyer inexperienced probably forced confirm pregnant believed real decision years largely writing real crime poor girl having sense married appealed court grounds convicted reputation deed received hearing supreme_court lost case case vehicle law order image person convicted county boyfriend time fired job refusing distance pregnant baby unknown mention appears records died pneumonia september age serving years months sentence obituary santa standard concluded let sin throw stone legacy today considered important figure local legend cited folklore heroine county unveiled plaque town commemorating place history executive director included prominent women courage history celebrations centenary building railroad august enactment protest performed near railway station local woman actors playing sheriff city manager narrated hated train noisy dirty bit frightening kept chickens laying eggs whistle kept awake night plus powerful parent company paid people right way property act pure frustration chose symbolic act voice displeasure numerous writers latino oppression history united_states cite mexican americans period professor latin american studies instance considers imprisonment linked colonial domination subsequent struggle material resources southwestern united_states opera entitled american folk opera written engineer performed westminster dismissed neo nostalgia prisoner literature culture politics activist group los_angeles area involved fighting firms transport goods rail yards named suggested possible identity ghost known white lady seen los street historic district ghost reported walking railway tracks 1930s stretch walked
Modesta Avila