Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-01-12
TELL THE TRUTH.
Some Gross Measurements Touching
the Arrest Of the Alleged
AssasSins of EX- Sheriff
Chavez.
Ex-Gov. Princes Interviews in the AL
buquerque Professionalism
That Are Due to the Good
People Of Santa Fe

In the Albuquerque Democrat of the
10th, there is an interview with Ex-Gov.
Prince in which he is reported as saying
that Deputy Sheriff Tucker shot Hipolito
Vigil while the warrant was being read to
him and before Vigil had made any
resistance. This is a.serious charge-all
the more serious because made by man
of reputation, who should be more guard
ed in his statements with reference to the
acts of public officials in the performance
of their duties on account of the credence
that will be given to his utterances.
This statement is absolutely false.
There is not the slightest evidence to JUS
tify it; and it is doubtful if the ex-gov-
ernor made such statement, as he had
been told before he left Santa Fe, that
"the deputy fred after Vigil had drawn
his pistol" The physical facts prove the
truth of this. The sheriff's party were in
the street south of Vigil and when he was
ordered to surrender he jumped behind a
post. On the side of that post there is
still left the powder mark from his pistol,
and in the floor of the portal, six feet
south of the post behind which he was
standing, the impress Of the bullet fred
from his pistol is still to be seen, and it
could have been fred by no one else, as
he was standing alone.
In the Albuquerque Citizen of the 18th
is another interview in which cx-Goy.
Prince says:
"What has created great feeling in
Santa Fe is the fact that the sheriff has
had as deputies, strangers, understood to
be professional killers from Texas,
brought there solely for the purpose of
intimidation and quick shooting. One
of these had to leave after assaulting Ell
tor Crist, insulting Judge Sluss, and be-
ing grossly insulting, but the one who is
reported to have just fired on Vigil has
been understood to be Of similar charac-
ter. have never seen him myself, but
know that there has been great indigna-
ton in the county that strangers of this
kind should be brought there as officials"
This statement is equally false and mis-
leading, and has no facts to substantate
| it, except that when Sheriff Cunningham
was appointed he had for time deputy
who got drunk and used some insulting
| language to one or two parties, for which
he was Immediately discharged. No such
charge can be made against any of the
| present deputies.
If Gov. Prince will refresh his memory
little, he will remember that only a
short time ago Santa Fe had sheriff who
associated and consorted with criminals
of known bad character, who had for his
friends and companions the men whom
the community then knew were the as
sassins of the late Frank Chavez, and who
are now in Jail accused with the commits
sion of this crime-one of whom shot
down Silvestre Gallegos, and was prompt
ly bailed out of Jail by this sheriff. The
same party, with two others, assassinated
Pablo Dominguez, and was committed to
Jail without bail, but was permitted to
visit circus, attend the plaza concerts
and generally to walk the streets of Santa
Fe without let or hindrance. Punishment
of crime in this county was impossible.
Aided by the sheriff and his gang the
most atrocious criminals were freed.
Things had reached such point that
honest men walked the streets with fear
and trembling; the lawless element abso-
lutely terrorized the community. Good
men, regardless of party utilization, rec
ognized the sad condition of affairs, and
earnestly desired q change. The present
administration determined to make this
change. Heroic treatment was demanded.
The work was dangerous, but necessary,
and none but brave men would undertake
it. The first thing to be done was to re-
move the sheriff, SO that he could not
| longer "pack" juries to prevent criminals
from being convicted, and, when they
we're convicted and placed in his hands,
turn them loose upon the streets, upon
their promises to vote his party ticket.
The next thing was to get the proper
| person as his successor. 1t was thought
best that the sheriff and his deputies
should be parties unconnected by blood,
friendship or party utilization with any
one in Santa Fe; that they should have no
local influences to hinder them in the
performance of their official duties; that
they should be men of known courage,
fearless and determined, who would not
be hasty to shoot, and not afraid to do
so when the demand became necessary,
Such men we're found and appointed, and
all good people in the community, regard
less of political feeling, commend their
appointment and rejoice at the efficient
work performed by them.
Does any sane man believe that the
gang suspected of the assassination of
Frank Chavez would now be in jail but
for this change, or that but for it crimi-
nails would not still be running in crowds
around the streets of Santa Fe, terror
izing the people?
1t is not true, as stated, that their ap-
pointment has ''created great feeling in
Santa Fe," except a feeling of rejoicing
among good people, and of fear and
trembling among the assassins' gang,
their friends and apologists. Gov. Prince
can not show that Deputy Sheriff Tucker
has the reputation of being "profes-
sional killer" or that he ever shot man,
or was engaged in any difficulty, except
when hunting thieves or murderers and
in the performance of his official duty in
arresting them. He is man of exem-
plary habits, never drinks, uses an oath
or associates with bad men. For man
occupying the position of Gov. Prince to
make so serious charge against an Off
cial who was in the discharge of his duty,
without substantial foundation, is a
crime against the community and de-
serves the condemnation of all lovers of
law and order. The other charge that
these deputies were "with revolvers in
hand and had endeavored to obtain forced
statements from unarmed and helpless
men placed in the Jail, had caused the
public to place little confidence in the ac-
cusation," is not true because no such
occurrence ever took place. The only
pretense for such statement is based
upon the fact that one of the offenders
had turned states evidence, and this,