Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-11-19
AWFUL SEQUEL TO AN AWFUL CRIME.
Vial pando and Chavez Executed.
Law and Justice indicated.
Paid the Dreadful Penalty.

Paid the Dreadful Penalty.
In compliance with the decree of the
district court, affirmed by the territorial
supreme court, and in obedience to the
command of the death warrant duly
signed by the governor, Sheriff Cunning
ham this morning hanged Jesus Vialpan-
do and Feliciano Chavez by the neck, until
they were dead, for the brutal murder of
Tomas Martinez, on Saturday, the Goth
day of January, 1895.
Deputy Sheriff Tucker stayed with the
condemned men at the county jail last
night as deathwatch, and reports that
Vialpando slept one hour and Chavez
slept about three hours. Both were ex-
ceedingly nervous, but quiet. Neither
would taste any breakfast this morning.
Vialpando begged the sheriff for whiskey
but this petition was firmly refused.
Neither of the men was given drop of
stimulating liquor either last night or
this morning.
About o'clock this morning Sheriff
Cunningham with a sufficient force of
deputies, Sheriffs Hubbell and Romero,
of Bernalillo and San Miguel counties,
Father Antonio Fourchegu, and a num-
Der of others went to the jail. The
scene there was pathetic when the
doomed men handed to Sheriff Romero
packages containing about 1925 each,
the money having been given to them in
nickels by visitors to the Jail, and re-
quested him to give the same to their
respective families. They also returned
the prayer books that had kindly been
loaned to them and both kissed the
crucifix.
v1ALPANDo TAKEN FIRST.
Vialpando was led to a carriage in
waiting and quickly transported to the
scaffold in the arroyo north of the gas
works and about half mile north of the
plaza. There large crowd of people,
estimated at from 1000 to 1900, had
already assembled.
Vialpando assembled to the platform of
bingham and Hubbell and followed by
Sheriff Romero, Pedro Delgado, A. p.
Hill, Antonio Borrego, Pablo Martinez
(brother OF the murdered mani, Officer
Carson, of Albuquerque, and Antonio
Cajal, of Las Vegas. He looked pale
and frightened, but was able to walk and
to stand erect on the death trap. He did
not utter an audible word The moose
was swiftly placed around his neck, his
arms and legs we're securely pinioned and
the black cap placed over his head.
At $3.50 Sheriff Cunningham pulled the
lever and the drop fell. By the time the
quickest observer caught glimpse Of
the suspended body, with It's feet only
about six inches from the ground, life
was practically extinct. The cervica
vertebra was dislocated by the fall ant
death followed without struggle or con
tortion. DR.. Diaz, who held the pulse o
the hanging unfortunate, says that thu
man lost consciousness in thirty seconds
and that quicker or more merciful deatl
could hardly ha, Q been inflicted. During
the first minute the pulse beats we're 65
during the second AZ, during the third 20
und during the fourth they were hardl,
recognizable. The body was cut dowr
by Deputy Sheriff Tucker in thirteen min
utes, the boots we're removed, and it was
Immediately placed in coffin and carried
to Undertaken Cables wagon.
RETURNED FOR FEL1o1ANo CHAVEZ.
The sheriff and his assistants promptly
returned to the jail for Feliciano Chavez
Chavez reached the place of execution al
7:40 and he at once assembled to the fate
full platform accompanied by the same
persons who had so recently stood there
with Vialpando. Chavez appeared to
face the ordeal with stronger nerve than
his predecessor. He made rambling
talk of eighteen minutes to the crowd in
Spanish, Messrs. Hill, Caja and Delgado
taking turns as interpreter. He admitted
and then virtually denied that he part,ci.
pated in the killing of young Martinez
laid the burden of responsibility for the
crime upon Vlalpando; implicated Zeno.
bio Trujillo as one of the principals in
the horrible affair; protested that he en-.
deavored to prevent the deed; thanked
Sherffs Romero and Cunningham for
their kindness to him; pathetically re.
ferred to his wife and little children
warned all his hearers to beware of the
evil associations that had been his de.
struction; said that he was resigned to
his fate anG ready to meet his God, and
concluded by bidding all good bye.
He was then led to the trap and pre-
pared for execution in the same manner
as was vialpando. After the black cap
was over his head he exclaimed, "Adios
todos." Just at o'clock the sheriff
pulled the lever, the trap fell and Fell.
ciano Chavez was hurled into eternity
His neck was broken and it is probable
that foot more of fall would have
severed his head from his body. After
he dropped slight tremor passed over
him, but otherwise he died without 9
struggle. The doctors say he lost con
sciousness instantly. During the first
minute his pulse beats could not be felt
during the second they were IS, during
the third ~ and during the fourth 20
He was cut down in fourteen minutes, his
body was placed in coffin and then ir
the undertaker's wagon by the side O.
Vialpando.
BODIES GO TO RoMERovILLE.
In compliance with request the bodies
were turned over to Sheriff Romero BY
Sheriff Cunningham. They we're taken te
the depot at 500 this morning, and vii
tonight be shipped to Romeroville, Sar
Miguel county, where the families of thu
deceased reside. Vialpando and Chavez
we're each about 80 years old. The for
mer leaves widow and two children ant
the latter widow and five children.