Josepha Rodríguez, known as "Chipita," was hanged in 1863 for the murder of John Savage. She remained the last woman legally executed in the state of Texas until 1998. Little is known of Rodríguez' life, though it is believed that she was the daughter of Pedro Rodríguez; they moved to San Patricio de Hibernia when Chipita was young. Chipita earned money by hosting travelers on the Cotton Road, a section of the Camino Real which ran through Texas and passed over the Aransas River near her house.
In August 1863, John Savage, a horse trader, roomed at the Rodríguez homestead. Soon afterwards, he was found dead in the Aransas River. Sheriff William B. Means arrested Rodríguez, believing she murdered savage for $600 in gold which he was carrying; Means also arrested Juan Silvera as an accomplice. A grand jury indicted the two, and although the missing gold was recovered prior to the trial, Rodríguez was found guilt of Murder. The jury recommended leniency, because of the circumstantial evidence, but Judge Benjamin Neal sentenced Rodríguez to hang. She was executed on November 13, 1863. Her age at the time was unknown, though she was likely at least sixty years old.
The trial's fairness was questioned because of the jurists' problematic personal histories, Rodríguez' weak defense counsel and the lack of a motion for retrial,
among other issues. Most of the court records have been lost, and discrepancies exist in trial accounts. Rodríguez' hanging has contributed to local lore and has been the subject of numerous writings and other works. In 1985, the Texas Legislature absolved Josepha "Chipita" Rodríguez of murder in a resolution signed by the Governor.
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