Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-11-14
TWO DOOMED MURDERERS
Yialpand0 and Chavez, Sentenced to
Die on Tuesday, Have An Inter-
view with the Governor.
KINDLY BUT FIRMLY REFUSED PARDON
Description of the Unhappy Men Both
Young and Both Have Families
Chavez will Tell His Story
on the Gallews.

Jesus Vialpando and Feliciano Chavez,
convicted of numbering ana afterwards
burning the body of young Tomas Mar
tinez in southeastern Santa Fe on Jan
nary 20, 1896, and sentenced by the SUI
preme court to be hanged on next Tues
day between the hours of 6 and 10 O'Clock
in the morning, have exhausted every
possible effort to induce Governor Thorn
ton to commute their sentence to imprison-
ment for life without success. First they
made earnest and pathetic appeals to the
governor by means of letters, setting
forth their deep repentance for their
crime, pledging good behavior in the
future, and the suffering that their deaths
on the gallows would entail upon their in
nocent wives and children, and following
these letters the wives of the doomed men
went personally to the governor with
fearful appeals for the lives of their I'M
fortunate husbands. But the governor
kindly yet firmly replied that, however
much sympathy no might feel for the un-
happy wives and children and however
much he might personally feel disposed
to exercise executive clemency, he could
not justifably interfere with the orderly
administration of Justice by the courts In
a case 80 clear and fragrant as that under
consideration.
WANTED TO SEE THE GOVERNOR.
Then the doomed men sent repeated
and urgent appeals to the governor to
visit them in their cell at the county jail
as they had something particular to say
personally to him. Realizing that the
visit would probably be both painful and
fruitless, Gov. Thornton finally concluded
to visit the men at the Jail, and, accom-
panied by competent interpreter and
NEW MEXICAN scribe, he went to see them
about 10 o'clock this morning.
The men were found securely locked in
clean and comfortable cell with no re-
stfaint upon their m movements except long
chains attached to the floor and to one
each o. their ankles. The men were both
neatly clothed and looked as if they had
recently been bathed.
| They are medium sized men, Vialpan-
do being the taller of the two; rather
spare in flesh but we'll muscled; their
faces, especially their liquid black eyes,
have pathetically anxious expression,
and their slight black mustaches, close
cut, glossy hair, and small feet and hands
give them more boyish appearance than
their years warrant. The bold, hardened
desperate bearing that they maintained
throughout their trial in the district court
has almost wholly disappeared and now
one would hardly suppose them capable
of the awful crime of which they were
convicted by jury of their peers. Even
Vialpando has ceased laughing and talk
ing lightly of his situation and seems
about as much cast down and troubled as
Chavez. During the interview that en-
sued he sat on his bed most of the time
with his face in his hands and said very
little. Both spoke in low tones.
INTERVIEW WITH THE GOVERNOR.
The governor began the conversation
by saying that he had come there at the
request of the men and was prepared tc
hear whatever they might have to say.
! Chavez, acting as spokesman, said that
they understood their situation; that they
knew the governor was the only power
that could save their lives, and earnestly
begged him to pardon them, without pre-.
tending to give any reason why he should
| do so.
The governor replied that, while he
was very sorry for them, he could not
grant their prayer; that they had virtu.
ally confessed their guilt of the heinous
crime of which they had been convicted
that the law must be vindicated and the
crime of taking human life stamped out
in this territory. He urged them to tell a
| truthful story of their crime that il
might serve as a warning to others
against the commission of such dreadful
deeds.
Chavez responded that he had simply
been unfortunate in coming up by chance
to the place where the killing occurred
and thus had been involved in it. When
he went to the place he had no intention
of committing any crime never suspected
what was going to he done. He had al.
ways been Woodworking man and could
prove that before this deed his behavior
had been good.
The governor asked him what made
him aid in shooting and burning young
Martinez, who had done him no harm
and whom he did not know.
Chavez reiterated what he had said be.
fore, adding that he was unfortunately
an ignorant man and could neither read
nor write.
THE EXECUTIVE FIRM.
The governor said that he would be
glad to pardon them, but could not do &C
without being recreant to duty, and could
only advise them to make full confes
sion, if not to the public, at least to their
religious confessor. He was very sorry
for their wives and children and would
be glad to do all in his power to anchor.
ate their condition both now and here
after. He also assured the prisoners
that he would gladly do whatever he could
to contribute to their comfort while liv-
ing and invited them to make their wants
known.
Chavez replied that he had asked the
sheriff for the privilege of making a
final statement on the scaffold; that the
request had been granted; that 1t was his
intention to satisfy the public at that
time; that he had already relieved his
conscience by what he had said to his
confessor; that he would endeavor to en-
dure with patience and fortitude what
waa in store for him