Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-05-21
Redoubled Efforts to Break Down the
Testimony of Francisco Rivera
Catrons Law Partner and Sec
retarY on the Stand-Photo-
graphic Views.

CHlND On IBE STAND
Chino Alarid occupied the stand for the
latter portion of Saturday afternoon and
the first portion of yesterday morning.
1t is useless to review his testimony for
the reason that his story as touching
himself is identical with the story related
by many others as to his doings and
whereabouts on the important days. He
made the same statement as made by An
tonic Alarid that he felt no especial in
terest in the death of Chavez, not
enough at any rate TO inquire how he
came to his end and where and by whom,
nor to step into the house where he was
to be seen, cold and lifeless, to look upon
his corpse, though passing at many times
during the day right in the immediate
vicinity.
CHARLEY sPIEss AND GUS o'BRIEN.
Mr.. Chas. A. Spiess, of Catron & Spiess,
attorneys for the defendants, was put up
on the witness rack by his partner, Mr..
Catron, and attempted to controvert the
testimony of Domingo Apodaca, wherein
she said that no one was present when he
had q talk with her at Las Vegas with
reference to her evidence in the trial, us
also her statement that he had agreed to
help her with money. He also testified
that Ike NOVEL; told him at the peniten-
tiary that he knew nothing that would
connect the defendants with the death of
Chavez. He also denied that Luiz Con
zales had been offered $40 to 'swear to
something" against the defendants and
that the check was actually made out.
Gus O'Brien followed. There is a
variance between the evidence of the
former witness and the present one.
alone part of the time of the interview.
O'Brien says he was in attendance from
the beginning as interpreter. O'Brien's
evidence would Indicate in degree that
he was keeping cases on tine district at
torney's Office. He was so bold and
liberal in his answers that the court
found it necessary to administer repri-
mand and to promise the witness punish
ment if he persisted in answering outside
of the questions asked.
ALLEGED KEYSTONE OF THE CONSPIRACY.
Francisco Gonzales Borrego, con-
sdered by many as the keystone of the
conspiracy alleged, came next. His evil
dence was literal repetition of the testi
mony of his brother, Antonio, on all ma
terial issues and need not be reiterated
now. He denied connection with the
murder of Chavez; denied that he lived
with Domingo Apodaca; that he had any
such conversation with her as she related;
denied that portion of Nowell's testi
mony which referred to conversation
between himself and the hack driver, in
which it had been said that Chavez could
not live after abusing him as he did
while the defendant was in Jail. His
testimony can be summed up as blank
denial and whtewash of all eliminating
references made in the trial as regarding
himself. He claimed, however, to have
received a letter from Domingo Apodaca,
sneaked into the jail by fellow prisoner
who had been brought from Las Vegas.
The letter was dated Santa Fe. At the
time this letter was alleged to have been
written here, February, 1894, Domingo
Apodaca, the alleged correspondent, was
In Las Vegas.
TESTIMONY THIS FORENOON.
Az buC VI COuIus UAlo
R. G. Gortner, private stenographer for
Mr.. Catron both at the preliminary ex-
animation before Judge Seeds and at the
pc nding trial before Judge Hamilton, was
called to the witness stand for the pur-
pose of showing that in certain particu-
lars Francisco Rivera's testimony on the
two occasions was essentially con-
With parts of his stenogra-
phic notes in his hands, and typewriter
copies thereof in the hands of Mr.. Catron
The witness recollected and answered |
such questions rs were put to him; but
when it came to cross examination his
full notes we're conveniently absent, he
was unable to produce them and did not
know where they were. Touching the
much talked of affidavit of Francisco
Rivera, wherein afiiant is supposed know
ngly to have disavowed his evidence
against defendants, the witness testified
that in January, 1894, he was present in
Catron's Office when such affidavit was
written and sworn to. He said that Cat.
ron, Rivera and himself were present
when the affidavit was first written, that
Rivera gave the substance of the
affidavit in Spanish, that Mr.. Catron in
serpreted it to him (witness) in English
that he might type-write it, that he wit I
ness)
UNDERSTOOD SPANISH
enough to know that Mr.. Catron inter
preted the affidavit cof1sctly; that when
Rivera came into Catron's Office to make
The affidavit he (Rivera) remarked: ~
want to make an affidavit against those
B. of b-s," referring to Cunning
ham and others. Continuing, witness said |
that after the affidavit was prepared Ma
nuel Valdez and Mr.. Morrison were sent
for and young Charley Conklin came IN
and affidavit was translated to and signed |
and sworn to by Rivera. He stated posi-
lively that Francisco Gonzales Borrego |
was not in the room when affidavit was
written and signed.
On cross-examination he did not re-
who first translated the affidavit
TO Rivera, but recollected that Charley !
Conklin translated it the second time.
He supposed that it was oil translated to
Rivera, but did not hear it translated in
detail. Valdez and Morrison witnessed |
the signing and swearing to affidavit, but
witness did not know whether they heard
it translated. In answering questie ns of
the district attorney respecting the testi-
mony taken before Judge Seeds the wit
ness did not remember "exactly" or
but thought that Francisco
Rivera did swear before Judge Seeds that
he signed the affidavit because he was
afraid they would kill him." Generally,
however, not having all his notes, he was