The herald., 1893-09-01
THE TRIAL OF MANUEL lUGO,
Charged With Wilfully De-
grading His Wife.
Some Very Interesting Evidence
Given Yesterday.
Some Revelations which show How One
Part of tho world, Ordinarily
Called the Ha.f, Lfves-The
Case Continued.

The trial OF Manue, Lugo, charged
with placing his wife in house OF pros
titution, was commenced in Judge
Smiths court yesterday.
The defendant is low-browed Mexi-
can, dirty, unkempt and unprepossess-
ing. although possessing the large black
eyes and glossy black hair characteristic
of the race. His wife presented pitia-
BILE appearance.
The trial was productive OF some novel
features. notably the complete desertion
OF the prosecution by the little woman
who swore to the complaint-the defend
ants wife.
Her actions caused Deputy District
Attorney Davis great annoyance, but he
proceeded in an able and adroit manner
to elicit the facts from other witnesses.
1he defendant bad for counsel A. ].
King md E. st. Julian Cox, the
latter vi whom Judge Smith cali
ed down several times for brow
beatin. Witnesses and TO- making
an argument in stating to the Jury what
he expected to prove before he called any
witnesses.
The testimony elected the fact that
the grossest perjury is being committed
on one side or the other.
The fact of the marriage of Lugo and
Ignacia Viesenor was proved by ex
Justice Stanton, who married them May
10, 1891.
Mrs. LuQo was then called to the wit
ness stand. She stated that she is II
years old and that che lives on New
High street. She started off quite
briskly TO answer preliminary queptlons,
but when it came to the questions im-
plicating her husband, changed at once
and would for long time make no re-
sponse to the queries. u
She seemed to hesitate not at all and
was not ashamed when, in response to
questions, she said: 81 rustic for q
living for myself and child.v
The ignorant woman alec stated that
she went to Josefa Contrera's house OF
ill-fame on New High street. March 10th
of this year. When asked If her hue
band took her there the controversy be-
gan.
At first che sulked and said nothing.
Then she said she didn't know, and car
ried confusion into the camp of the
prosecution by saying that her husband
came there once to get her out of the
house and che would not go.
Judge Smith finally took hand by
asking the young woman: "Have you
made up your mind you will answer no
questions?"
There was long silence, and Judge
Smith continued: II can punish you.
can send you to jeil."
Mrs. Lugo: "Punish me if you can.
won't answer any questions"
Tt1dUa Smith IA that ha <ooH i,I al
notice of the condition of the witness
and would not send her to Jail.
Mr.. Davis tried again, and after awhile
Mrs. Lugo thought better of it and said
her husband did go to the house with
her. She said, however, that she knew
the place and what 1t meant, and went
there of her own accord.
Then she gave come testimony show
ing the utter degradation and lack OF
moral instinct of herself and the people
among whom she lived. She said her
sister Gregoria lived in the came house,
and they occupied the front room. and
younger sister and her own child that
her husband knew she lived there and
would spend the night there, although
he would be away in the daytime; that
her husband knew what she was doing.
She denied that she ever gave him any
money.
Some of the testimony at this stage of
the proceedings was disgusting in its
indecency, involving statements said to
have been made by the defendant to
his wife, as to how she should act to-
wards men who came to her house.
Mrs. Lugo identified a man called
Rivera by the defense, who was called in
for the purpose, and admitted that last
week she told him she had gone to the
house OF ill fame because she wished to,
and that she would continue in it.
Joseia VieseDor, sister of Mrs. Lugo, q
girl 20 years old, testified that she had
been woman OF the town since she WAS
16 years old. She also said Lugo was at
! the Contreras house at night during the
| month of March after the 10th, when
| her sister came there. She was ratified
by Mr.. E. st. Julian Cox, who initiated
her voice and made such remarks to her
all, but maintained sullen silence.
Her testimony was corroborative of
the statements of Mrs. Lugo. The pros-
ecution then put on police officers who
saw Lugo around the premises during
March, going in and out. This closed
their testimony.
1t was at this point that Mr.. E. st.
Julian Cox locked horns with Judge
Smith, after which the defendant took
the stand.
He denied that he had done any such
thing as that charged, but had tried to
keep his wife out of the house. He went
there once March 18th to get her away,
and she would not come. After that he
went to Bakersfield and was absent from
Los Angeles until July. He thus set up
the defense that he was not in and
around the house, contradicting all the
witnesses of the prosecution.
The daily adjournment was taken at
this time, and the trial will be resumed
this morning.