Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-03-29
WHO MURDERED HIM?
The Mystery Of Faustiu Ortiz Death
Still Ursolved- Horribly
Mutilated.
The County Physicians Examination OF
the Body The Mothers Prayer
The Verdict.

As chronicled briefly in these columns
last evening the body OF Faustin Ortiz was
found at 3 As yesterday afternoon buried
beneath q few inches of sand in the
Rosario arroyo, some 600 yards west OF
The narrow gauge round house. Cosme
Lujsn, q wood vender, made the discovery
and notified lad named Juan Apodaca,
and togethey they scraped away the sand
sufficiently to reveal the hand Of human
being. The news spread like magic and
in half an hour excited people were flock
to the scene from every quarter OF the
town. When the sheriff arrived 600 peo-
pie were congregated about the spot. a
l.cle " as formed and self constituted d.
rectors kept the crowd back SO that no
one should disturb the remains until
coroner's jury Was impaneled.
During this time
A TOUCHING SCENE
was noticeable in carriage near by. A
messenger had been sent on horseback
to notify the grief stricken mother that her
sons body had been found, and friends
sent carriage to convey her to the spot.
The team came dashing wildly through
the sand and halted near enough for the
heurt-broken occupant OF the vehicle,
tine looking old lady, to catch sight OF the
dead mans clothing, just protruding
through the sand. She recognized 1t,
aud without word fell upon hei knees,
rested her elbows OH the carriage seat
ana lifted her hands in prayer. Not many
men in that crowd looked upon that pic
ture with fearless eyes. 1t MAS heart
rending. The poor old mother never ut
tered sob. Her grief WAS beyond that.
She simply looked heaveh"Md anu
thought. The poor woman kept this
position during the whole time the body
Was being taken up.
suERIFF CHAVEZ ACTED
in the absence OF a justice OF the peace and
the coroner. He explained that there was
but one justice OF the peace at present i'll
town, Juan Ortiz y Rodriguez, and he
was at home watching beside the re-
mains of his dead father, Don Abran
Ortiz. The sheriff therefore assumed The
responsibility OF inpanellng coroner's
jury. He summoned the following named:
Atanasio Romero, Juan b. Sandoval,
Guadalupe Bnto, Julian Provencio, Tomas
Aarld, Lucas Archuleta. These came
forward, were sworn in, and
ordered the body to be exhumed. Only
about four inches of sand covered the
body and in very few minutes the work
Was done. A pair Of blue overall panta-
looms, besmeared with SCOT and oil, and
several gunny sacks covered the body.
These coverings were taken in charge 10y
the jury and the body was lifted and con
veyed to q wagon, a white sheet placed
over it and then it was conveyed to the
home Of the dead man mother, followed
by not less than l,OUO people.
The coroner's jury followed the body,
and upon reaching the house repaired to
a vacant room and began its lnvestiga-
tions. The two boys, Cosme Lujan and
Juan Apodaca, were the first Witnesses
called and Explained as to how they dis
covered the body, the main points OF
hich are BET forth in the beginning oil
this article. In the meantime the county
physician, DR.. W. s. Hsrroun, was SUM
moued.
HE WAS MURDERED.
Dr.. Harroun arrived at 80 p. NJ, and
in the presence Of the jury made an ex-
animation OF the corpse. He found the
head incrusted with gravel, also the
clothing. The body Was in an advanced
stage of decomposition as the clothing
WIS removed patches of skin came OF
with it. The lower jaw WAS broken be-
tween the angle and chin. The teeth OF
the lower jaw we're broken out and lay
loosely in the mouth. At the left angle
OF the mouth there was found round
hole, having something OF the appearance
OF u bullet wound. Near the chm WAS a
wound Of one and a hall inches in length
toward the angle of the jaw. A
scalp wound was also noted, and some
abrasions about the head. Grumous
blood was found oozing from the left ear.
On the right side oi the chest were
discovered four circular wounds,
resembling pistol or gunshot wounds.
he dot tor described the location OF these
very infinitely, saying he was satisfied
they were inflicted by bullets. Three OF
the wounds were also to be seen in the
back, near the spine, indicating that all
of the shots but one perforated the body. |
DR.. Harroun said lie would make further |
and search through the body
for the missing bullet if deemed neces-
eary, but the jury seemed to be satisfied
that bullets, daggers and clubs had brought
about the poor fellow 3 death and did not |
insist on further examination by the |
county physician.
THE VERDICT.
The coroner's jury reassembled this
afternoon at l 80 at the Office Of Juan
Ortiz, justice of the peace. Only those
witnesses above named were examined.
The jury sent word to the family asking
If they had any witnesses to he examined,
and received a reply to the effect that
they had not that other legal proceedings
would be taken by them TO ferret out the
murderers. The jury then deliberated
behind closed doors for three hours, and
late this afternoon returned verdict to
the effect that Ortiz WAS murdered by
four gun shot and other wounds inflicted
by parties unknown to the jury.
Thus the mystery of ortiz death is as
yet unsolved.
To-day 81 900 was pledged to the moth.
er OF this boy to prosecute the case in the
courts.
The sensational features OF this case will
come at the August term Of the district
court.
IT. n -ox, o;o. 81 Co,,e&;u n-x;. ,,;u h.