Arizona weekly citizen., 1894-06-02
SORIILLI0N ON TRIAL. For Mu rdering a Babe and Bury 3 ing it Alive. Wern. tho Mother of the Buried Babe, Fails to Remember the
 Evidence in the Former
 Trial.

Several months ago the CITIZEN tolC
 of the finding of the bones of babe | near Yuma in corroboration of claim | by the witness that the child haC
 been buried alive by Jose Sortillon, 6
 Mexican of Yuma. The Republican says the following as to his trial:
 The second trial of Sortillon, for mur- der, tegan yesterday in district court. The interpenter: Yuma Bill, who has delayed the proceedings two days, was brought in and if he had not appeared yesterday morning the accused would probably have been a free man last night
 The crime with which Sortillon is charged :s said to have been committed at a Mohave reservation on the river several miles above Yuma in November of 1892.
 The prisoner was living with Yuma woman. Vera, who gave birth to babe which was immediately murdered, by being buried alive. 1t is charged that the deed WIS performed by Jose, a 5rotber of Vera, at the instigatlon of Sortlllon, who sand it was not his but that his father was an American. Jose was tried and convicted at Yuma for the crime and was sentenced to the pen itentiary.
 Sortiilon denies any complicity in the burial of the babe, but on the contrary says he interceded to save It's hie. He was present at its birth and when Ma hs, the mother of Vera, was severing tee umbilical cord in such a manner ss to insure the death of the child, he interfered and thus prevented murder at that time. He was unable to save it further or prevent its burial by Ma-ha and Jose.
 Sortillon at his trial is represented by Messrs. Kibbey & Israel. The pris- oner was seated by his sister, very handsome young lady, and seemed to take only passing and rot well-sus- tained interest in the proceedings. At tlme,, he was amused and at other time appeared to be worn with ennui. At any rate he offered no appearance of any strong personal interest in the issue of the trial.
 The first witness on the stand was the mother of the murdered babe. Her story set forth the incidents of the mur- der as are briefly described above. Her manner was animated and expressive of strong feeling against SOrtillon.
 Tke witness broke up badly under the long and rigid cross examination by the Judge Israel upon one point, that relating to a conversation with Mrs. Muzzy, dressmaker at Yuma, to whom is alleged she had said: "I am going to Phoenix to testify against Chimilee (the Indian name for SOrtillon) and send him to the penitentiary for twenty years; he had Jose sent there and he called my family dog"
 At the other trial she denied the con- versation but said she had brought a ready made dress of Mrs. Muzzy. Yes terday she denied the testimony at the former trial; said she had not bought a re ady made dress dress but bought the stuff and made it up herself. The ques- tions and answers from the steno- graz hers notes on this point were read to her and she denied that such ques- tioDs and been asked her and that sine had so answered.
 The result of the examination shows the entire unreliabili,y of a MOhgve or Apache on the witness stand when swayeG by revenge or prejudice. No other witnesses than Vera were ex- amined yesterday.