The herald., 1894-03-24
A TAMALE TRAGEDY'S FINALE,
Pedro Montana WrOnged by
His Partner Torres.
He Found That His Wife Carmen
Loved Him a Great Deal
And Whom He Made the Discovery He
Kicked Both Out OF His House
aud Obtained q Decree
OF Divorce.


The partnership which has existed for
many day between Pedro Montafio and
his compadre Torres, for the manufac-
ture and sale OF those mysterious COM
pounds named "tamales de gallina." the
ingredients OF which are as mysterious
as those OF any patent medicine, was
rudely and forcibly dissolved upon the
night of February 25th.
On that fateful night, too, the marital
relations Of Pedro and his vile Carmen
we're disrupted, and she fed from her
husbsnd's bed and board, never to re-
turn,
Yesterday in the superior court the
reason for these cRtaelysms was fully
told, when the suit of Pedro Montafio vs..
Carmen Montsf1o, to obtain decree OF
divorce and the custody of their minor
child, came up before judge Van Dyke.
The ground upon which the severance
OF the marital bonds was demanded was
the adultery of the wife with the part
uer Torres.
be told very plain story indeed, and
did not mince matters at all, to prove to
the court that when tamalee got mixed
up with his marital affairs the way they
did, then the time had come when he
should paddle his own canoe, and if he
we're so minded, that he ought to be
able to keep the profits on his comesti-
bles without dividing them with a
woman who made his name by-word
even among the very chickens that ne
decapitated every morning before con-
signing parts of their anatomy to the
cornhusks in which his tidbits are
wrapped.
The story unfolded by Mr.. Montaf1o
WAS TO the effect that on the night of the
25th OF February he and Mr.. Torres de-
parted early to dispose of their stock in
trade to those who needed little chile
colorado to impart tonic to the coatinRs
of their stomach. Long before the mid
night hour. however, Torres gave some
excuse to depart, and Montafio sold his
wares until not single tamale remained
in the bucket; and then, aa a good hue-
band should, he wended his way back to
his freside.
On reaching home he claims he found
light burning very dimly in the conju-
i gal room, and at first noticed nothing
untoward, but when he turned up the
coal oil search light he found that his
partner was there under suspicious cir
cumstances, and it became a matter of
painful reality to the husband that he
was a tt subject for the relief that the
divorce court affords 10 o wrl nged hus-
band.
Inhamed with rage he sailed in with
both fists, licked hie partner and licked
hie wife. and drove them both out into
the street in the middle OF the night to
go whittier they listed. Since that time
Mrs. Montefio had been no more q vile
to him nor Senior Torres partner.
In the afternoon Mics Deifina Gallardo
testified Tor the defendant that she
knew Mrs. Montafio's reputation for
chastity to be good. She had never
heard that the defendant had been
guilty OF illicit conduct with one Jesus
Moreno, although the festive Torres kad
told her that such had been the rumor
once upon a time. Torres on the same
occasion admitted that he had himself
been on terms of easy tamale familiarity
with Mrs. MontsfIo.
Mrs. Carmen then took the stand and
related how Seflor Torres, on the night
in question. had come to the house feel
ing very good; he was, in fact, drunk.
AS the lock of her house door was
broken, which prevented her keeping it
fastened, Torres had no difficulty what
ever in making his unwelcome call. He
insisted that she sing him song, and
in order to thoroughly enjoy it he sat at
the foot of the bed. Torres did not en-
joy it, as it would appear, because it was
just about this time, the witness main
tanned, that the other and legitimate
tamale fiend came in and Immediately
proceeded to express mis- opinion with
his fists. He first tapped his wife, and
then expended his fury on his partner,
until both fled fer away from the scene
of the conflict. Mrs. Montana took
shelter with her friend, Mrs. Arragoiii,
but where Torres hid himself deponent
saith not. The defendant swore posi-
lively that Torres was fully dressed and
not at any time ON the couch; that she
never had any unlawful relations with
him, nor that any knife was found under
her pillow. She stigmRtzed her hus-
bands statement of Torres and her own
position on that night as untrue.
At this point Attorney Holton, who
appeared for defendant, said that he did
not feel like proceeding with such case.
He was of the opinion that the divorce
ought to be granted one way or the
other, but that it ought to be granted.
Judge Van Dyke evidently coincided
very much with these sentiments, for he
granted the decree az prayed for with
out any hesitation, also awarding the
custody of the child to Pedro Montafio.
Tho RoatonfRn