Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-05-16
SAN MIGUEL COURT.
How the Optic Sizes Up the Work OF
the Administration in Dealing
with Crime.

| Says the Las Vegas Optic:
The term of court just closed was the
most valuable ever known in this county
and probably it has never had All equal
and certainly not superior in the terri
tory.
The petit jury was discharged to-day
and court adjourned until Wednesday,
when the first report of the expert COM
mittee will be ready for presentation to
the judge and the general public.
During the five weeks of its continu-
ance, not only was large number of
malefactors condemned to endure the
penalties of violated law-twenty-two in
all--but an impression was made that the
reign of crime had ended and season of
punishment had set in, which will not
soon be forgotten again.
No one can deny that it had come to be
considered as matter of course that
crime could be committed in San Miguel
county with impunity. Men could d1sap-
pear and no traces ever be found Of them
again; men could be hung to bridges, aud
though scores participated in the murder
never any one would be brought to trial.
Stores could be robbed, barns burned,
men assaulted, women debauched-every
kiu.. of crime committed-and yet no one
was apprehended. Such state of case
could not but be conducive to crime in
the highest degree. But the spell has
been broken. Crime has been brought to
punishment. The law has been vindicat-
cd. Ring-leaders and their subordinates
in the commission of offenses have been
apprehended, brought to the bar of the
court, tried by their peers, found guilty
and sentenced to suffer the penalty of the
outraged law. That crime will be less
frequent in San Miguel county In the fu-
ture and punishment more frequent no
one can doubt. Better times have come,
and the just concluding court deserves
the praise for it.
For this wondrous improvement the
Op.'c has already given credit to the gov
@ or of the territory, who both here and
at other places showed that the full power
of the territory would be exerted to le.
press lawlessness and regain the good
name which New Mexico once enjoyed.
Much credit is also due to the chief JUS
tice ia his capacity of Judge of this judi
CHI OlsGriCb. ne mas SHOWN uFWne6b, u
fearlessness, decldedness of ruling on tho
side of law and order, that have proved
terror to evil doers, and have left no doubt
as to the results of criminal prosecution
before his court.
But the need of praise would be but
imperfectly distributed we're not mention
made of the efforts of Capt. L. g. Fort,
the district attorney. The laws of New
Mexico seem to have been made especially
to tie the hands of prosecuting attorneys,
and to prevent them from originating the
work of bringing criminals to punish
ment. However, Capt. Fort has been un-
tiring in his labors before the grand jury;
while his prosecution of those whom the
grand jury has arraigned has been moth.
ing short of mastery. For the five weeks
of court his labors have been incessant,
while his prosecutions have been directed
by wisdom and energy to which the
good results must be largely attributed.
The Optic congratulates Capt. Fort on
his success, and above all upon the work
which rendered success certain.