Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1892-06-28
BLOOD SPOTS TELL TALES.
The Haustin Ortiz Murder Case-What
the Mother Saw Before Sunrise
Straight Testimony.

After three days effort a jury in the case
of Juan Ortiz y Rodriguez was secured
this morning, and that individuals trial on
the charge OF numbering Faustin ORTIZ was
begun. The jurors are: Anastacio Mon
toya, Abrsn Garcia, Ignacio Ortiz, Apollo
MO Vigil, Monico Trujilo, John Martin,
q. b. Chapen, Alexandra Hernandez,
Elias Gallegos, SoterO GARLIC, Gavino
Trnjtllo. Emiterio Rivera
The forenoon was devoted TO hearing
the testimony of the mother OF the dead
man. She told her pitiful story without
a break. although the defense tried its
best to entangle her.
She said Faustin and the accused had
apparently been good friends for years,
though she had frequently told her son
that Juan Ortiz Rodriguez was not a
proper companion and she mistrusted his
motives. On Saturday afternoon preced-
ing the disappearance of Faustin, Juan
Ortiz y Rodriguez had been trying to sell
his furniture and raise money which he
said he wanted to spend in drink and
gambling. Faustin had undertaken to
aid him in selling it, and at o'clock
Saturday evening came home, remaining
twenty minutes, saying it was good furni-
ture, we'll worth SIS, and that if his
mother had that much money he knew
she would loan it to him to
buy with; hut she had no money. A
few minutes after Faustin left, Juan Ortiz
y Rodriguez came to the house inquring
for Faus.in, spoke OF the furniture deal,
said his father had attempted to hold
him at home, but that he had broken
away and was going out to make night
of it, and wanted money. He was anx-
ious to know if Faustin had raised money
on the furniture and left, saying he would
90 and hunt up Faustln.
At day-break on the following Monday
morning Faustin Ortiz had not returned
home and bis mother, half crazed with
grief, started out in search OF him. She
went to Motley thence came up to San
Francisco street, inquiring OF all whom
she met if they had seen her son. None
had seen him. Then she retraced her
steps and turned down Water street.
When opposite the Jail she observed the
front door of Juan Ortiz y Rodriguez Of
flee to be open, and she saw therein the
prisoner at the bar and Juan Pablo DO.
minguez (then jailer, shot and killed on
the "a inst each with broom in
his hand, and they were flooding
the office with water and sCrubbing
the floor. At this time the morning sun
was not yet in sight. 1t seemed to her to
be a mysterious proceeding, scrubbing
the floor OF an office OF justice of the
peace at this hour, and she stopped at
the door, peered IN and engaged the two
men in conversation. They said they had
not seen her son. She remained there
twenty-five minutes and they continued
to scrub. Juan Ortiz y Rodriguez said he
had been drunk in the office over the
preceding night and in this way account
ed for bis early scrubbing of the floor.
But the gref-striCken mother had her
eyes open. She saw on the floor large
spot of blood, probably twelve inches in
diameter, and on the base board to the
right of where Juan Ortiz Rodriguez
dispensed justice was another blood spot.
There was sand and dirt on the floor near
the door. Seeing these things the mother
Immediately became impressed with
the idea that that blood was
from her sons body. She did not accuse
Rodriguez Of his murder then; she was
afraid, she said was afraid to enter the
room, or to ask any of her friends to 60
back with her and make an investigation.
Later, however, she confronted Juan
Ortiz y Rodriguez and charged HIM with
the murder of her 9on, and the accused
merely shrugged his shoulders.
Mrs. Ortiz is still on the witness stand
this afternoon. The court room is crowd
ed with listeners.