Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1894-05-03
GATHERING THEN IN.
A Big Bunch of the Las Vegas Gang
in the Pen. and More Coming
-Maestas Likely to be
Hanged.

Chief Justice Thomas Smith made the
quickest time on record in the district
court at Las Vegas yesterday in trying
and sentencing criminals. Court opened
at 10 o'clock yesterday morning and by
o'clock in the afternoon eleven convicted
criminals were on their way to the pen
itentiary under the charge of Sheriff
Lopez and Deputy Sheriffs Charles Shirk
Charles Falch. Eugenio Rudolph, Andre;
Sena, Portirio Casados and Tomas Lopez
The conviction of six of the men breaks
up the
INFAMOUS SECRET SOCIETY
which has for so long time held sway il
San Miguel county. There are now a
large but five of the members of the SO
ciety who are wanted, including the no
torious Vicente Silva. Sheriff Lopez ex
presses the firm conviction that all of the
culprits will soon be behind the bars.
Readers of tho New MEXICAN are famil-
lar with the details of the hanging of a
man named Macs to bridge in Las Ve-
gas about two years ago. For completely
IN this outrage these six men were tried
yesterday and they all pleaded guilty to
manslaughter. Judge Smith sentenced
them to serve terms in the penitentiary
as follows:
Procopio Rael ten years, Marcos Barela
seven years, Nestor Herrera seven years,
Pedro Baca five years, Nicocio Rael five
roo,, uo,o, Mas fo,,r wang
These are the men who, at the "trial''
of Macs in Silvas house voted against
hanging Macs as advocated by Silva,
hence the comparatively light sentences
imposed by the court.
Emlterio Cordova pleaded guilty to
grand larceny and was sentenced to serve
one year in the penitentiary.
Geronimo Chavez pleaded guilty to
grand larceny and received sentence of
eleven months.
Maximo Benavides killed a woman
near Salitre two years ago and was SEN
fenced to serve three years.
HANGING IN PROSPECT.
Herman Maestas killed a sheep herder
named Pedro Romero at Los Alamos a
month ago and was yesterday convicted
Of murder in the first degree. He is now
in the Las Vegas Jail awaiting sentence
of death. Sixto Montana murderously
assaulted Romero shortly before the lat
ter was killed by Maestas, and for this
crime Montana received a sentence of one
year in the penitentiary.
Georgia Lee was sentenced to serve two
years for committing perjury. John
Burke was acquitted on the charge OF
murder for killing man at Liberty
eighteen months ago on the testimony OF
the Lee woman, and thus her offense was
an aggravated one.
Although all the persons pleaded guilty
this speaks we'll for the thorough manner
in which the officers of San Miguel count!
performed their duties, as conclusive evi
dence of the guilt Of the criminals wal
obtained before they were taken before
the court for trial.
WHERE IS SILVA!
| Z. S. Marshal Hall has heard nothing
further from the man Cameron, who wrote
from Flagstaff, A. T., that he had appre
hended Vicente Silva, since sending hin
warrant for Silva's arrest. Word was
received at the penitentlary that Silva
had been arrested and was on his way to
the penitentiary, but the report is prob
ably erroneous as Marshal Hall woulc
have received word had the arrest taker
place.
HARD LOT IN IT.
Ex-Policeman Frank Romero was ar
rested by Deputy U. 8. Marshal Loomis
Tuesday afternoon and incarcerated in
the territorial penitentiary, on the charge
of forging postal note on the Las Vegas
postoffice about year ago. Louis War
rick was also arrested on the same charge
and taken to Las Vegas. Both men were
indicted by the last U. s. grand jury at
Las Vegas and will be tried at the next
term of the U. S. court. Romero waa
taken to the penitentiary in default OF
$1,000 bond.