Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-01-10
THE MILLS
OF GOD!
They Grind Slowly, But Ex-
ceedingly SMALL Five
Suspected Assassins
in Jail.
Another Chapter Growing
Out Of the Murder Of
Ex-Sherif Frank
Chavez.
Hipolito Vigil Invites Death by
Firing Upon the Posse and is
Promptly Killed.
Strong Evidence Unearthed
Against Several Parties
Charged with a Bru-
tai Crime.
Sheriff Cunningham and Deputies
Give Themselves Up-A Cor
rection-Arraigned in
Court.

About 10 o'clock on the night of May
20, 1892, Francisco Chavez, ex-sheriff OF
Santa Fe county, was brutally assassin.
ated on the bridge near Guadalupe
church. His body was pierced by five
bullets, and that fact, together with many
other circumstances, indicated that he
was the victim of conspiracy in which a
number of people were implicated.
On the following Thursday night, about
8 o'clock, Juan Pablo Dominguez, who
served as jailer under Sheriff Chavez, was
shot in front of the archbishop's resi-
dence. Three bullets passed through his
body. Francisco Gonzales y Borlego
Antonio Gonzalez y Borrego and Chino
Alarid we're arrested for this crime, and
confessed that they had killed Domin.
guez, but we're acquitted by jury on the
plea that they killed in self defense.
SPORTING THE AssAss1Ns.
Since those bloody events friends oil
law and order, regardless of politics, have
been quietly but earnestly engaged in ar
effort definitely to spot and convict the
cowardly assassins of Frank Chavez
Those who confessed guilt in the Do.
minguez killing were naturally suspected
of being parties to the first murder, but
evidence was not easily obtainable.
When William P. Cunningham assumed
the duties of sheriff in July as the ap-
pointee of Gov. Thornton, he instantly
decided that his first and most important
duty was to discover and bring to justice
the murderers of ex-Sheriff Chavez. He
has since been working to that end night
and day. He has met with many difficult
ties and acknowledgements. At times it
has looked dark, but he has never aban-
doned the chase.
SHERIFF oUNN1NGHAM's STATEMENT.
After relating the circumstances given
above Sheriff Cunningham makes the
following statement: "Finally I sue
ceeded, through the assistance of Page
B. Otero, in securing from Mexican an
affidavit giving full statement of the
facts connected with the murder of
Frank Chavez. Afterwards l procured
two other affidavits fully substantiating
the first, besides the strong conirmatory
verbal statements, of various individuals.
The information thus received, which
is undoubtedly correct, laid before
Judge Seeds, with my affidavit attached,
and
ASKED FOR 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
notified my deputies, Messrs.
7. H. Tucker, Page B. Otero, Juan Pa
checo and Juan Delgado, that needed
their services in serving the same and
making the arrests contemplated. They
all promptly responded.
"We 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.
luented the house of Antonio Ortiz y Sa-
azar, We continued our quest to that
place. I met Francisco Borrego at the
1oor, arrested and disarmed him. He had
lpon his person a regulation size As
,aliber Colts revolver and his pockets
we're filled with 45 caliber cartridges.
"The next man we found was Hipolito
Vigil, then acting on the police
orce, coming toward us on the sidewalk,
bout seventy-five yards from the house
# Antonio Ortiz y Salazar, nearly oppo-
lite the capitol. Deputy Sheriff Tucker
md myself advanced toward him, and,
vhen about forty yards from him, I or
Tered him to
HOLD UP HIS HANDS 4
IS had a warrant for his arrest. At the
anne moment Deputy Tucker, in clear
one of voice, gave the same order. This
rider was repeated at least three times,
ut was disregarded.
"Vigil instantly drew his 45 caliber
evolver, jumped behind an electric light
post and fred at us. My impression is,
rom the position he took, that he aimed |
t me. We returned the fire, but kept
IN ordering him to throw up his hands
nd surrender, which he refused to do,
,ersisting in his efforts to fire more !
hots.
CLrNGING TO HIS GUN.
"When vigil fell dead he held his As
aliber pistol at full cock in his hand. |
We left him where he fell, in the hands OF
lie friends, and proceeded to make the
ther arrests. At p. m. had all the
'arties called for by the warrants in Jail
xcept che dead man."
Deputy Otero adds that, when Sheriff
and himself went to the
ouse of Antonio Gonzales BorreRo,
we we're told that he was not there, but
'e saw him through window, with a
Winchester in his hands, struggling with
lot of women, and plainly heard him
,aking threats. After parley of about
hirty minutes, and with the assurance