Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-09-03
New Mexican's Record.

MEx1oAN's regular court report:
"The territorial district court convened
at 8 O'Clock this morning with both
Judges Laughlin and Hamilton on the
bench. Soon after Sheriff Cunningham
and two deputies escorted Francisco Con.
zales Borrego, Antonio Gonzales Bor-
rego, Chino Alarid and Patricio Valencia,
indicted for the murder of Francisco
Chavez, and Susano Ortiz, twice convict
ed of sheep stealing, into the court room.
The handouts were removed by the sher-
if at the entrance of the court room.
Judge Laughlin promptly called Su-
sano Ortiz to the bar and asked him If he
knew of any reason why sentence should
not be passed upon him. The convicted
man knew of none. Thereupon the Judge
sentenced him to three years in the peni-
tentiary and to pay fine of 900 under
the first conviction and to the same I'M
prisonment and fine under the second
conviction. the first sentence to begin at
once and the latter at the expiration of
the first.
Judge Downs made motion for an
appeal to the supreme court, which was
granted, and the bond was fixed at $4,000,
to be approved by the court. The pris-
oner was then returned to the custody of
the sheriff.
"Judge Laughlin then announced that
Judge Hamilton had kindly left his home
and business IN another district to come
here for the purpose of relieving him
Uaughlln) of the embarrassment Incl
dent to his having appeared as one of the
counsel at the preliminary hearing of the
pending murder case and would preside
during the trial.
"District Attorney Crist asked if the de-
PENDANTS would waive objection to Judge
Laughlin's remaining in the district dur
ing the trial. Mr.. Catron responded that
he understood that the defendants could
not waive any objection in case of this
kind, but, 40 far as he was concerned, he
was perfectly willing to waive the objec-
tion suggested and have the fact entered
of record. 1t was 30 entered.
"Judge Laughlin thereupon left the
bench and the four defendants named at
the beginning of this report we're ar
raigned for the murder of Francisco
Chavez, May 20, 1892, before Judge Ham
ilton. They all pleaded not guilty.
"The prisoners we're all neatly dressed,
with hair trimmed, and
appeared as if they had just come out of
a bath. Their excellent appearance, after
being continuously confined in jail for
about fifteen months, occasioned CON-
ment among the large crowd of specta-
tors"
The reporter, who penned the forego-
ing, is still an employe of the NEW MEx1-
CAN and is prepared to make oath that
the report he then made of the arraign-
ment of Francisco Gonzales y Borrego ct
al, was correct in every particular. District
Attorney Crist, Judge Laughlin and many
others also declare that they know of
their own knowledge that the four de-
fendants were duly arraigned before their
trial began.
In this connection it is significant that
the record of the district court during the
month of April, 1895, is all in the hand
writing of Harry s. Clancy, who was for
years employed in confidential capacity
by Mr.. Catron, was afterward clerk of
The supreme court under the last Repub-
lican administration, and is now and has
been for months the private secretary of
Delegate Oatron.
1t is also worthy of note that the record
in the case of The Territory vs.. Francisco
Gonzales y Borrego ct al, which was sent
up to the supreme court for review, was
not prepared from the stenographic notes
Of A. B. Renehan, official stenographer of
The district court, but was made up from
the notes of R. O. Gortner, Mr.. Catron's
'tenographer and present law partner. If
Mr.. Renehan's official notes had been
lsed, the fact of the arraignment would
nave appeared at the very beginning of
;he record.
The fact that the absence of so essential
. part of the record was not discovered
ong before seems almost incredible, but
fortunately Mr.. Catron discovered it and
pointed it out in time to enable the ter
.itorial prosecuting officers and the court
10 make an adequate correction.