Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-06-17
SENTENCED TO BE HANGED.
Such Was the Judgment Pronounced
Against the Murderers of
Francisco Chavez.
Motions for New Trial and Arrest OF
Judgment Denied Scenes Attend
ing the Sentence.

In the matter of the Territory against
Francisco Gonzales Borrego, Antonio
Gonzales y Borrego, Laureano Alarld and
Patricio Valencia, convicted of murder
ing ex-Sheriff Francisco Chavez, on May
80, 1892, Judge Hamilton denied both the
motion for new trial and for an arrest of
judgment, and soon after supper, on Sat
urday evening, sentenced the four con-
victed persons to be hanged by the neck
until dead. on Wednesday, July 10, 1895,
the sentences to be executed by the sher
if of Santa Fe county at such suitable
place as he might select.
AS previously reported in these col
umns both of the motions above mem
toned were deliberately argued in the
affirmative by Messrs. Spiess and Knae-
bel and they were strongly resisted by
District Attorney Crist.
Mr.. Knaebel particularly insisted that
the motion for arrest of Judgment should
be granted on the grounds that, first, the
indictment was fatally defective, and, sec
ond that the special term of court at
which the case Was tried was illegal for
the reason that 1t contiicted with regular
terms elsewhere in the district. Mr.. Crist
earnestly controverted both of these
propositions, and, in denying the motion,
the court fully sustained the positions
taken by the district attorney.
At the hour of s o'clock, on Saturday
evening, when Judge Hamilton ordered
the four prisoners to arise that he might
pass sentence upon them, the court room
was crowded with breatlless spectators
and the space within the railing was filled
with professional men and officials. 1t
was moment of sensational seriousness
and solemnity and everyone present
seemed to be deeply impressed thereby.
After the prisoners had arisen the
Judge asked each one if he had anything
to say why sentence should not be passed
upon him, and, receiving no response in
the negative, he proceeded without hest
tation but with becoming judicial gravity
to the discharge of the burdensome duty
imposed upon him by the law. After
generally describing the awfulness of the
crime of taking human life and the pecul-
iArly atrocious and cowardly character of
the crime for which the men before him had
been convicted by a jury of their peers
after an exhaustive trial, he sentenced
each one separately to die, beginning
with Francisco Gonzales y Borrego, rs
above set forth. The prisoners looked
serious enough while standing up, but,
after being apparently cheered up by
their counsel, they made feeble effort to
appear nonchalant, Francisco and Laure-
ano attempting cheerfulness to the extent
of smiling, but the effort was too evil
IDENTIFY forced to look pleasant.
In compliance with the order of the
court, the prisoners we're then taken from
the court room by Sheriff Cunningham
and his deputies and returned to close
confinement in the county Jail.
The defendants have one year to take
the case up to the supreme court either
by an appeal or on writ of error, and,
if they avail themselves of either of these
methods of delay Gas is expected) before
July 10, it will serve as a stay of execu-
tion until the supreme court passes upon
the questions raised. Thus the execu-
ton of the sentences may 60 over until
after the meeting of the supreme court in
July, 1896.