El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-10-19
A FOUL MURDER.

AFOUL MURDER.
The Murderer Escaped to the Other
Side of the River.
A foul murder was committed last
uight on south Santa F'e street near
the river bridge. The murdered man
was named Cornelio Hidalgo and the
murderer was Andres Ortiz.
There was Mexican bale going on
in the house next to where Hloalgo
lived and all the participants in the
dance were more or less drunk. The
dance was at the house of woman
named Rumalda Malta, and Andres Or
t:z has been living with Rumalda's
daughter and was apparently very
drunk and had been following in front
of the house. He was young man
about twenty-five years old. Cornelio
Hldalgo was drinking and had been up
to the saloon just north OF the canal
bridge. He was returning to his home
when Ortiz met him in front OF his
door aud yelled. Hidalgo asked Ortiz
if he wanted to be his friend. Ortiz
simply answered mo, you s-of b.
and Immediately began stabbing Hi
dalgo with Bowie knife. He cut Hi
dalgo across the face, twice in the left
arm, and two deep stabs in the left
breast, one of which stabs penetrated
the heart. Hidalgo at last ran, and
staggered across the street, where he
fell, saying he had been killed.
Ortiz walked back to the house
woman with whom he was living pulled
him in the house and shut the door,
After remaining in the house about
ten minutes the man and woman came
out and walked across the bridge into
Mexico.
The officers arrested Romaldo Mata,
the owner of the house where the dance
was going on and locked her up over
night, but this morning she was turned
loose as there was no evidence connect
ing her with the crime. The woman g
daughter, who had been living with
Ortiz came over the river this morning
and was arrested and locked up by
George HerOld. She said she went
over the river with Ortiz because she
was ARA of him, but that when she
reached the Mexican end of the bridge
Ortiz tried to kill her, but she man
sged to escape and remained all night
at ''comadre's' house in Juarez. She
said she had not seen Ortiz since she
ran away from him at the Mexican end
of the Santa Fee street bridge. She did
not know why Ortiz had killed H1dal-
90, unless it was because Ortiz was
drunk. There was an inclination on
her part to shield Ortiz as much as
possible and she told several different
tales about him.
Cornelio Hidalgo had lived in Ell
Paso for long time and was at one
time an officer at the smelter. He MADE
a number of arrests of men who sold
liquor to the men out there and at one
time arrested Andres Ortiz who also
worked at the smelter, and the Next
cans believed that OrtiZ.killed HidalgC
| because of the arrest at the smelter.
| Hidalgo has family of five children
all girls, and this morning they were
| in terrible grief over the sudden end
| ing of their fathers life. He was a
man fifty five years old and has neat
| adobe home with several nice trees In
his front yard. All the people said he
was drinking some, but did not GO
about the dance, nor was he disturb
| ing any one at the time he was killed
Andres Ortiz was young, smooth
| faced Mexican from Aguas Callentes
He was q bad character and was often
drunk, and the neig b bOrhood was scar.
ed of him on account of his rows and
| threats. He is about six feet tall,
smooth faced and his right eye Is al
ways squinted. He lived at the smell
| ter awhile, and since then has worked
on a section on the Southern Pacific
| road. He is now supposed to be In
Juarez, but the Mexican authorities
cannot turn him over as he is supposed
| to be Mexican citizen.
The officers in Juarez arrested man
at noon supposed to be Andres Ortiz,
but up to the time of going to press he
had not been identified as Ortiz. How
ever if it is Ortiz he cannot be extra
died un ess he has taken out American
ci liZp n n nanarS.