Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1894-01-16
AT LAST.
Another Chapter Growing Out OF TIE
Murder Of Ex-SherIT Frank Chavez,
Of Santa &c County.

-"
About 10 o'clock on tho night Of May
20, 1892, Francisco Chavez, ex-sheriH OF
Santa Fe county, was brutally assassin.
ated on the bridge, near Guadalupe
church. His body was pierced by Ave
bullets, and that fact, together with
many other circumstances, indicated
that he was the victim of a conspiracy
in which a number Of people were impli-
Gated.
On the following Thursday night,
about s o'clock, Juan Pablo Dominguez,
who served as iailor under Sheriff Cha
vez, was shot IN front Of the archbishop's
residence. Three bullets passed through
his body. Francisco Gonzales Borrego,
Antonio Gonzales y Borrego and Chino
Alarid were arrested for this crime, and
confessed that they had killed Domin-
guez, but were acquitted by a Jury on
the plea that they killed him in self de-
Tense.
sPoTTINo AssAssrNs.
Since those bloody events, friends Of
law and order, regardless of politics, have
been quietly but earnestly engaged in an
effort to definitely spot and convict the
cowardly assassins of Frank Chavez.
Those who confessed guilt in the Do
mlnguez killing we're naturally suspect
ed OF being parties to the first murder,
but evidence was not easily attainable.
When VIM. p. Cunningham assumed
the duties Of sheriff in July as the APP
pointee Of Gov. Thornton, he immediate
~ decided that his first and most impor-
tant duty was to discover and bring TO
justice the murderers OF ex-Sherif Cha
vez. He has since been working to that
end night and day. He has met with
many difficulties ana discouragements.
At timei 1T has looked dark but he has
never abandoned the chase.
HERIF CuNNINeHAM's STATEMENT.
After relating the circumstances given
above, Sheriff Cunningham makes the
following statement: "Finally l sue
ceeded, through the assistance OF Page
b. Otero, in securing from a Mexican an
affidavit giving a full statement of the
facts connected with the murder OF
Frank Chavez. Afterwards / procured
two other affidavits substantiatlng the
first, besides the strong confirmatorY
verbal statements of various individuals.
The Information l thus received, which
is undoubtedly correct, l laid before
Judge Seeds, with my affidavit attached,
and
X o WARRANTS
for the arrest of Francisco Gonzales y
Borrego, Antonio Gonzales y Borrego,
Chino Alarid, Patrico Valencia, Francis
co Rivera and Hipolito Vigil.
"At half past 3 yesterday afternoon /
was given the warrants requested, and
Immediately notified my deputies, Messrs.
Il. H. Tucker, Page b. Otero, Juan Pa
checo and Juan Dalgado, that / needed
their services in serving the same and
making the arrests contemplated. They
all promptly responded.
ave first went to the house Of Fran
cisco Rivera, where four of the parties
wanted had been about ten minutes be-
fore we arrived, but the birds had flown.
ANoTHER RENDEZVOUS.
knowing that the parties wanted fire.
quented the house of Antonio Ortiz y
Salazar, we continued our quest to that
place. l met Francisco Borrego at the
door, arrested and disarmed him. He
had upon his person a regulation size
40 caliber Colts revolver and his pockets
were filed with 45 caliber cartridges.
"The next man we found was Hipolto
Vigil, then acting on the police force,
coming toward us on the sidewalk,
about seYenty-tive yards from the house
Of Antonio Ortiz y Salazar, nearly oppo-
site the capitol. Deputy Sheriff Tucker
and myself advanced toward him, and,
when about forty yards from him l or
dered him to
BoLD Up HIS HANDS
as / had a warrant for his arrest. At the
same moment Deputy Tucker, in a clear
tone Of voice, gave the same order. This
order was repeated at least three times,
but was disregarded.
"Vigil instantly drew his 40 calibeT
revolver, jumped behind an electric light
post and Tired at us. My impression is,
from the position he took, that he aimed
at me. We returned the fire, but kept
on ordering him to throw up his hands
and surrender, which he refused to do,
persisting in his efforts to fire more
shots.
oLtNGNe TO HIS GUN.
"When Vigil fell dead he held his 40
caliber pistol at full cock in his hand.
We left him where he fell, in the hands
OF his friends, and proceeded to make the
other arrests. At Up. m. / had all the
parties called for by the warrants in Jail
except the dead man."
Deputy Otero adds that, when Sheriff
Cunningham ard himself went to the
house of Antonio Gonzales y Borrego,
1--WE we're told that he was not there, but
we saw him through a window, with a
Winchester ia his hands, struggling with
a lot of mt and plainly heard him
making threats. After a parley Of about
thirty minutes and with the assurance
that he wouldn't be hurt, he came out
and surrendered"
SOUGHT TO AVOID B%LooDsHED.
All the deputies agree that, before
starting out to make the important ar
rests mentioned, Sheriff Cunningham
gave them special Instructions to avoid
bloodshed il possible. The killing Of
Hopohto Vigil was clearly unavoidable.
He fred the first shot and tried to fire
more. The sheriff and his deputies sim
ply did what the circumstances and the
law required OF them. Persons who pro
bounce the killing OF Vigil a murder do
80 through ignorance or malice.
A number Of passers by witnessed the
killing, and although their statements
are somewhat incOherent on account of
excitement, nearly all agree that the
statement Of the sheriff is essentially
correct.
DIED LIMOS INSTANTLY.
Hipollto Vigil died almost Instantly
Il is believed that the FIRST shot was ia
tai. He only spoke a word or two as he
was beng carried into the office Of JUS
tice Alarid near by.
An inquest is now in progress before
Justice Alarid.
Ia addition to the testimony OF eye
witnesses a powder mark on the post be-
hind which he stood and a bullet hole in
the sido walk just south prove that Vigil
shot at the officers. He was IN TO much
Of a hurry to lift his gun TOO the proper
height before firing.
~OnpuucvproN