Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-05-11
DAMAGING DISCLOSURES.
Chavez Murder Trial COntinued-Sen
sational Acknowledgment Eff
forts to Shield Defendants.
Witnesses for Territory Urged Not to
Testifv-Evidence of Lewis and
Sloan-Ike Nowell's Story

tAe CHaVeI MURDER Trial. SuRSestloHs
were numerous of how trials we're won or
lost in an olden time, which is not very
old either, and of the evident difficulty
and embarrassment which hedges round |
the practice of the law according TO the
ancient models. Twitching of facial
muscles and nervous working of hands
kept up steady play around the table
where criminal and prosecutor, client
and counsel, sat, and it is a question |!
whether client or counsel was most
moved. The morning came in quietly.
The first witness was not expected to set
the sea afre, though his ability to tell
straight believable story was soon dis
closed. Thereby it was virtually proved
that Hipolito Vigil was not the unensan-
guined, wing borne archangel of inno-
cence, which it has been the way of a
part of the world to intimate. But the
testimony speaks for itself. 1t needs no
commentator. The record of the fourth
day of the actual trial reads, in the rapid
ity of its stirring situations, like a page
ont of Denver Dan.
LEWIS TEsTIFIEs.
The testimony of James Anderson and
Abram Adams has already been reported.
The next witness was Nelson Lewis, the
telegraph operator. He remembered the
night Frank Chavez was killed. About
$3.50 or 1920 on that Sunday night he was
awakened by the filing of shots, went to
his window and saw pass on slow run,
about thirty-five feet, directly in front,
two men coming from the direction of
the Guadalupe church. They were going
Indian file.
"What sort of men were they as to
size?" asked Crist.
"My recollection is that one of them
was tall, probably six feet or near that. 1
should Judge the leader to be about six
feet tall"
This answer describes very accurately
the height of one of the prisoners at the
bar and brought tine eyes of the spectat-
ors upon him inquiringlY.
Cross-eXaminatlon ELECTED nothing but
the statement by Mr.. Lewis that he could
not recognize either of the travellers.
After taking issue with an abundantly
qualified U. s. Surveyor, who was not
present, as to the correctness of one of
the maps in use in the case, in an imma-
terial particular, the witness was excused
from the stand.
Signal Service Observer j. B. Sloan was
next called. His testimony was a con-
tinuation of the telegrapher's and brought
the two men mentioned further up the
street to the neighborhood of the Uni
versity. "Just south Of the corner of the
university building" he said, "they stop
ped minute in the road, looked back
toward the Guadalupe church and went
on again running"
MYSTERIOUS ACTIONS OF H1poL1To VIGIL.
A slight furry greeted the call of
Frederick Grace to the stand, an import
ant witness 80 far as concerns one of the
alleged conspirators, Hipolito Vigil, and
to verify the contention that a conspiracy
had been Matched. He said: 81 lived on
the 29th of May in the room Immediately
adjoining the room in which Polite
Vigil lived. In the early part of the
night on which Frank Chavez was killed
l saw him in his house. It was about 7
o'clock. He came there and changed his
Sunday clothes for his everyday clothes
and his half sister asked him to come
and get his supper. 4 have no time, he
replied, have business on hand. Some
other time will have supper I didn't
see him again until about 1890 that same
night, as he was coming to his room
Julian Vigil was with him. heard them
coming; l heard the noise and opened
the door. Julian was about six feet be.
hind Polite. Polite rushed in and shut
the door with great force. Julian came
behind him and went in and shut the
door. They came in as If they were run
ming and actually they we're running"
; estate whether or not you heard any
breathing before they went into the
ROOM"
"Yes."
"Describe it,"
"The same as when man runs and is
out of breath, this way" The witness
illustrated his meaning by three or foul
lusty vigorous puffings, hard breathings
II saw Polite the next morning. He
walked somewhat lame"
j
developed nothing new and did not alter
the original story at any point and the
witness stepped down and out.
IKE NOVEL; ON THE STAND.
Ike NOVEL;, ex-hack driver and ex-bag
gage smasher of the Santa Fe boulevards
with all possible stateliness and with ap
parent unconsciousness of his presen
Importance, took the stand. His entrance
was the signal for suppressed murmu
indicative of suspense. The prisoner
and their counsel eyed him with mingled
curiosity and trepidatior. Catron sur
rendered the chair of the inquisitor tt
Spiess. Why this was became paten
later on. As Mr.. Crist started to ask ,
question, Mr.. Catron broke in without 81
, much as "if your honor please" to say
"We wish to object to this witness testi
/ flying. want to ask him few ques
Z tions."
. "Proceed," said the court, and Mr.. Cat
tron proceeded to re-discover that TX
NOVEL; had just been pardoned out of tn
penitentiary.
{ Mr.. Catron renewed his objection, tn
court said "overruled" and the inquisi
tion began in earnest.
"Do you know Francisco Gonzales
Borrego!"
"Yes, SIR"
Ibid you have any conversation will
him about Frank Chavezw
Eyes, sir"
"Whereabouts did you have the CONVEX
satlon?"
"This side of the broad gauge depo
coming from the train"
"When did you have the conversation
about when!"
at was in March or April, 1892"
"What was your occupation at tina
timer"
81 was driving hack"
"How did you happen to have the con