New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-04
c. A. SOI'ELDOS RECORD.
HE SERVED A YEAR ON THE ISLAND
FOR ASSAULT
THE PURCHASING AGENT OF THE FIRE DE-
PARTMENT IMPLICATED IN CASE OF
HIGHWAY ROBBDRY-CHARGED WITH
MURDER IN WASHINGTON AND

ACQUITTED
According 10 a story published yesterday. C. A.
so,eldo the purchasing agent of the Fire Board.
whom ex-Fre Commissioner Henry Winthrop Gray
accused of dishonesty in his dealings with the CITY,
has an interesting history. Like the head or MS
department Mr. Scannell, Mr.. SOteldo has Killed MS
man though in Soteldos his own brother was
the victim while he trying TO Kill another
man Before that he accused OF assault IN
connection with a robbery. pleaded guilty and was
sentenced to the penitentary for one year Al the
time of his arrest he was known to the ponce as
one of the Frog Hollow gang"
Ii was twelve years last month that Sotedo
hecame involved in the ARRAY which resulted In his
hrother's death I'D to THAI time he was known as
"a c." Soteldo: it Is &C. a.. mere trans
position of the initials Of the name lie ana ms
brother were then in Washington. ID. C. ON FeD-
ruarv 9 1882 It appeared according to the evidence
adduced i'm the trial of the case. they went TO the
of,ce of "Thc National Republican" which had
published an article rejecting on the latter Ihefe
they met the editor Clarence Barton, who was az
tackled during the interview. During the struggle
the presant purchasing agent Of the Fire Depart
mont shot at Barton but a. NJ SOtedo was hit
fatally. Barton was wounded, but survived Inc
wounded Sotedo died two days later. ana the o'her
one was arrested charged with murder lie was
tried and acquitted.
This account of the purchasing agents arrest
and sentence was printed in The Tribune OF Feo-
ruary u. 1882:
c. sotedo who was one Of the Sent1ai h 6fre
in the ARRAY in The NatSn3 ar tbe fatal shot
has police record in this city. Early on the morn
ing Of august Is nf WIN w teTfe of MoTrsana
IN Third-ave near One-hundred-andsixty- eishth-s.
rested. but the fourth escaped. 1t appears
from the papers, which are on record IN me once
walking on the avenue when the men met him
Noonan accosted him first. but took no further
held Welsh. while Moore and Soteldo searched his
pockets soteldo took the pockste9ok and ran
OF the Frog Hollow Gang" and their arrest was
Sr e S sa the action Of the
Jury and they were afterward indicted for robbery
sons Of petit larceny from the person. and was
sentenced to the State Prison for four years
was sent to the penitenary ION Biackwells Island)
for year by Judge Sutherland Noonan was &C
The next day Welsh the complainant wrote
letter TO DistrictAttorney Phelps. in which he said
too late for me TO attend to- understand that
a Clear case Of highway robbery. or nothing. as he
put his hand in my pocket and took the pocket
Tertiary. At that time he gave his age as twenty
and his occupation as that of clerk.
In interview. published yesterday Sotello
the Fire Department purchasing agent. admitted
that he was the man who pleaded guilty but he
denied that he had served year in the pententiary
if that true, he would not now be a voting
citizen. lie only served year the island. he
said. He a young fellow of eighteen only
he explained. without mother, and his father was
minister in Venezeula. SO he lived in the streets
was rather wild and fell in with the Frog Hollow
Gang which proved to be bad company. When he
arrested with Noonan and the other men for
robbng Welsh Peter Mitchell, afterward Civil
Justice of the Ist Judicial District Court but who Is
now dead. advised him to plead guilty, which Mr.
SOteldO regards extremely poor advice. In
the light OF his present knowledge of what Tam
many pull" will do he cannot understand how he
could have been : foolish TO plead guilty. But
he hat he wear OF he
Island.