Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-05-04
JIM HARRIS CONVICTED.
Charge of Attempting to Liberate
Murderers Sustained - story of
Harris Ofiense-His Letters
to Max Won Walden.


TO NaN Won Walden.
The trial of the cause entitled the Ter
ritory of New Mexico against James Har-
ris, wherein the defendant was under in
dictment for attempting to liberate An
tonic aud Francisco Gonzales y Borrego
from the county jail last July, was con.
cluded and given to the jury at late
hour on Saturday night. About O'Clock
yesterday morning the jury returned a
verdict of guilty as charged in the indict.
ment and commended the defendant to
the mercy of the court. 1t is understood
that the jury stood eleven for uncondi.
tional conviction at the start and that the
recommendation was conceded by way
of compromise to the one man who stood
out. Under the law the sentence of the
court may be four years or less. District
Attorney Crist prosecuted and Charles A.
Spiess defended.
CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE CASE.
The circumstances surrounding this
case are of more than ordinary interest.
During last July Francisco Gonzales Y
Borrego and Antonio Gonzales Borrego
were confined in the county jail under
death sentence for the murder of ex-
Sheriff Francisco Chavez. In the early
part of the month Max Won Walden, I'M
der arrest for minor territorial offense
was placed in the cell occupied by the
Gonzales Borrego brothers. At the
same time James Harris and Jose Con
zales y Borrego, youngest brother of the
murderers, were confined In the city de-.
partment of the jail for violating city
ordinances.
One morning, while these persons were
all in the Jail, Walden observed Jim Har-
ris stealthily pass two small files and a
small saw to the Borrego brothers and
soon discovered that they were quietly and
deftly engaged in cutting the chains that
bound them to the cell. These facts he
reported to the sheriff and his deputies
and thereafter the unsuspeoting murder
ers were more closely watched by the
guards than before.
Finally, on the morning of July II, the
officers concluded that the time for &C.
ton had arrived, and went into the cell
for the purpose of examining the shack les
of the convicts and taking possession OF
their working tools.
1t was found that the Borregos had so
cleyerly cut their chains that. while they
we're nearly severed, close examination
was required to discover the cuts. Much
to the establishment and disgust of the
industrious iron workers, the old and
worthless shackles were then replaced by
new and perfect ones, and the files and
saw were hunted up and removed from
the cell
JIM HARRIS RE-ARRESTED.
The following morning, having served
his city sentence for drunkenness, jim
Harris was released from custody and i'm
mediately re-arrested and locked up on ,
warrant based on the appended affidavit
! TERRITORY OF New MEXICO, J
City and County of Santa Fe.
Max Won Walden, being duly sworn
makes complaint, on oath, and says tina,
James Harris did, on or about the 1st day
of July, 1895, at the city and county OF
Santa Fe, in the territory of New Mexico
unawfully convey into the county Jail oil
the said county of Santa Fe, certain in.
struments or tools, to-wit: two files and
one saw, adapted or useful to aid certain
prisoners, to.wit: Francisco Gonzales Y
Borrego and Antonio Gonzales Borrego
then and there committed to and con,
fined in said county Jail for a capital Of
Tense, to-wit the crime of murder, tc
make their escape from said county Jail
and with intent to facilitate and aid in
the escape of said prisoners from said
jail, lawfully committed and detained, as
aforesaid, against the form of the statute
in such case made and provided, and
against the peace and dignity of the ter
ritory of New Mexico.
Wherefore, affiant prays that the said
James Harris may be arrested and dealt
with as the law directs.
(Signed) MAX Won WALDEN.
Subscribed and sworn to before me
this 18th day of July, 1895.
ANTONIO BoRREGo,
Justice of the Peace.
The preliminary hearing of Harris
well known as an active partisan of the
murderers of Francisco Chavez, one of the
witnesses and one of the "gang" in ap.
parent good standing, soon. after took
place before Justice Antonio Borrego
the defendant waived examination, and
in default of the required bond has since
been confined in the county jail awaiting
trial.
In addition to the other evidence
brought out at the trial, the following I'M
dersigned letters, which Harris admitted
he wrote to Max Won Walden, were intro
duced:
JIM HARRIS TO MAX Won WALDEN.
Well, Dutch, at last I got that long
looked for letter. Yes, think also that
the window is played out and will go
further. Don't you trust anybody any
more. l think Patriotic would give it
away also if he gets a chance, because one
of the boys told me last night that he got
mad at me yesterday at something he
heard me say, but what said did not
intend in any harm to him. He only
misunderstood me. Well, il we are going
to have term of court, all the better.
We will get over it all the quicker. If /
am to go to the penitentiary, why the
sooner get through with it the better.
Yes, as Marcos told you, that is the plan.
Little Jose is to take the blame on him
self, because the law takes it for granted
ne will help liberate his brothers. Now,
the plan is this, that it was understood
by US all that if anything was found to
say 1t was me, SO to take the blame off of
Joe; but on the trial he will go on the
stand as one of my witnesses and say that
it was him that gave you the tools and
not me. So that if they should try to do
anything to him they would not have time
before the change of administration. But
never fear, Dutch, we will find out and
post you in time for conrt, for am going