Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-04-12
SOLEMN SCENES IN COURT.
Judge Laughlin Sentences Three
Murderers to Die OH the
GallOws.
Mendragon and Rivera Sentenced to
Long Terms in the Peni-
Tertiary.

Truly this was field day in the terri
torial district court. In the presence of
hundreds of intensely excited yet orderly
people, at about IL O'Clock this morning,
Judge Laughlin solemnly sentenced Jesus
Vialpando and Feliciano Chaves, con-
victed of the murder and burning of
Tomas Martinez, in southwestern Santa
Fe county, on January IS, and Robert
Friday, convicted of the murder of Zenon
Baca, at Cerrillos, on October IA, 1898, to
be hanged by the neck until dead, on the
9th day of May, between the hours of 6
and 10 in the morning, the sentences to
be executed by the high sheriff of Santa
Fe county at such convenient place as he
might select.
OTHER SENTENCES.
The awful silence and solemnity fol-
lowing these death sentences was broken
by the calling of Narciso Mondragon,
convicted of embezzlement, and Gil Ri
vera, convicted of horse stealing, to the
bar to receive their sentences. The for
mer was then sentenced to five years and
the latter to seven years at hard labor in
the penitentiary.
HOW THE SENTENCES WERE RECEIVED.
i The brutal murderers of poor Tomas
Martinez fully sustained their true char,
acters by the stolid ana almost savage in
difference they manifested when sentence
was passed upon them. Indeed, Vial
pando thanked the court, saying "grac
las" Friday looked scared and nervous
as if he family realized the enormity OF
his crime and the awfulness of the pun
ishment in store for him. Mondragon
looked haggard and distressed. He trem'
bled like leaf and the set smile upon
his face added ghastlfhess to his express
sion. Rivera appeared Indifferent and
thanked the Judge in imitation of Vial
pando.
GENERALLY APPROVED.
The details of the several crimes COM
mitted by the five men sentenced to-
day have so recently been printed In
these columns that repetition of them
at this time would weary the reader
Nothing more need be added than that
they were accorded fair trials before i'm
partial juries of their peers, that they
were faithfully defended by vigilant and
able counsel, and that the verdicts and
the sentences are generally approved by
all friends of human life and human
rights in the community.
Prior to delivering the sentences Judge
| Lauphlin patiently and attentively lis
tened to motions for new trials made by
untiring counsel, all of which he denied
for reasons which seemed sufficient to
DIsINrEREsTED SPECTATORS.
Judge Laughlin manifested an earnest
desire to be perfectly fair throughout the
protracted trials, but never for one mo-
ment did he permit the sentimentalism
SO often invoked in behalf of criminals,
particularly murderers, to modify or
color his rulings. His manner when de-
| livering the sentence was calm and COM
posed and the earnest and timely words
he uttered on the sacredness of human
| life and the vital Importance of preserv-
ing law and order were listened to with
the deepest interest. The fact that he
omitted the stereotyped and meaningless
phrases invoking divine mercy for the
souls of those sentenced to die, and fixed
Monday, rather than Friday, as the day
for their execution, as if he did not wish
to stay the righteous hand of justice an
hour longer than necessary, we're noted
with lore than ordinary satisfaction.