Golden era. (Lincoln, N.M.) 1884-188?, 1885-06-11
PRISON KILLED,
While Making an Assault Upon Jai!er
Lea and Attempting to Escape.

While J. S. Lea, the jailcr at
this place, was locking up the
prisoners for the night, Thursday
evening, Catarino Romero, who was
sentenced at the last term of court
for life in the territorial prison,
made an assault upon the Jailor for
liberty, which ended in his (,he
prisoner's) death from four shots
from Jailer Lea's Il Colts revolver.
The facts in the case arc these:
AS is customary Mr.. Lea, on the
evening of the killing went to the
Jail, and before entering the outside
door, told the prisoners FIVE in
number, to 90 to their cells. They
all obeyed with the exception of
Romero. He pointed to the stove
hearth with one hand an | motionod
Mr.. Lea with the other hand to stay
out. Mr.. Lea told him to go ON to his
cell and that he didn't want any fool
ishness, at the same time entering
the outside door, and advancing
toward Romero. Romero snatched
the iron hearth, and raised his arm to
throw it, but Mr.. Lea grabbed him
by the throat and showed him back
against the wall. In the scuffle
that followed Romero attempted to
Jerk LEAFS revolver from his hip
pocket, but was un&uccessful in get
ting the same. During this time
the hearth had fallen to the floor
the Jailer released Romero, at the
same instant stepping back a pace
or two and the prisoner doing like
wise. Mr.. Lea jerkod out his re-
volver and told Romero that If he
attempted to strike him with that
iron ho would kill him, leveling the
weapon, uncocked, down upon him.
The prisoner held his hands in front
of his face but did not say a word.
Then espying the stove hearth on
the floor made grab for the same
and as he did 50 Jailcr Lea cooked
his revolver, and as the prisoner
raised the iron to throw, Slr. Lea
fired az him, c(odgin5 The iron as he
fired. Romero jumped for the out,
side door and Lea shot n him again
and as the prisoner ran he received
tso more shots, falling in the jail
yard dead.
There woro only four shots fired
and each one took effect. Ths first
shot hit The prisoner fair in the
centre Of the breast, tho next ono, as
ne wheeIol TO run, entered his left
arm and side, the next one en-
led bis eft side, and the last
ono tooi; effect directly under the
left car
The iroa hearth spoken Of, hit Mr..
Lea on top of the head, making
and ugly wound. If the iron had
hit hin square in the head it would
have undoubtedly killed him.
Although the other prisoners were
not locked up in their cells, they
made no attempt to escape, nor did
they make any attempt to aid Mr..
Lea, for the reason, they said, that
they were afraid Mr.. Lea might
think they were trying to help the
prisoner,
The inquest was held over the
body of Romero the same night and
the jury, after hearing the evidence,
discharged Mr.. Lea.
This Catarino Romero was dan
gerous man. A few years ago he
murdered man i'll this town by
riding up to the murdered mans
house after dark aud shooting him
through window. At the time he
was arrested, but afterwards es.
capped. About year ago he was
re-captured and was tried az the last
term of district court, receiving a
life sentence in the territorial prison
While a free man, the natives feared
him, for when drunk he would do
anything, no matter how fendish
or cold-blooded, to satisfy his
british temper. His sentence for
life was soon served.
Romero has made several unsuc-
cessful attempts to get away aud
Jailer Lea has used ever precaution,
knowing that he was a dangerous
man and would kill him if he gave
him a ghost of show. This last at
tempt to escape was no surprise to
the officers.
While the killing of human
being is to be deplorcd, it is not
worth while to shed tears over this
death. Mr.. Lea gave the prisoner
every chance in the world to save
his life, and run more risks than the
majority Of jailers generally do. If
Mr.. Lea had been killed instead of
Romero, then tears and words of sym.
pathy would be very appropriate