Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-06-21

collector. were examined by Judge
Long and Il McDonagh IS to the facts
and circumstances connected with the
issuance OF four peddlers' licenses 70
the Mccormick Brothers who gave
their place OF business as Las Vegas
The matter came up upon the applica-
lion Of the probate clerk for the direc-
don Of the court as TO his duty. IL
appears from the evidence that on the
2Oth Of March last, Malaquias Baca, OF
Las Vegas, appeared In Puerto DC
Luna. He called upon the probate
clerk, accompanied by some others OF
Las Vegas. and represented to the
clerk that the Mccormick Bros. had
tried to get the licenses in Las Vegas
as OF the date OF the 10Th, but the ap-
plication being made 10 Las Vegas
after the 18th, and Licenses OF a later
date appearing on the records OF the
county OF San Miguel, the probate
clerk Of San Miguel county refused to
issue the licenses, hence became neces-
sary to find q county where the rec
ords were moi so full. Perfacto baca
knew nothing on the goth Of March OF
the change ia the license law BY the
passage Of the act Of the 18th OF March,
1897, and was told nothing Of It by
Malaquias Baca or his companions.
In good faith, then, not thinking he
was doing anything against the law
or was enabling the commission o. .
fraud. P~erfecto Baca consented 10
issue the licenses and went 70 bis ONCE
for that purpose. Malaquias Bacs hlied
out the license forms as PeIfecto baca
was slightly unwell and Perfecso Baca
signed them. No application had been
made to the assessor and no written
application Whatever was on file. al
though the law requires this preiim.
mary to be gone through. Perfecto
Baca then issued the licences and de-
livered them to the collector for COL
lection. after holding them q few days
for the purpose Of enabling Malaquias
Baca to comply with his promises to
forward the money from Bado de Juan
Pals. The money, $72. came about
three weeks after by way OF a check
signed by the Mccormick Brothers,
which check was handed overt to the
collector.
The collector. PlAcido Baca y Baca.
testified that be did not remember the
exact time he had received the check
from the probate clerk, but thought IL
was some days after the latter had
placed the licenses In his hands for
collection. He testified that It was his
usual practice to enter licenses 10 his
book OF license-tsxes In the order and
ON the date Of their payment although
a license issued and paid for on the 1st
of April, this year, was entered upon
the book immediately prior to the en-
tries OF the Mccormick Bros.' licenses
which purported TO have been issued
ON the 10Th of March. The entry I'M
mediately after bore the date oh OF
April. All four Of the licenses were IS
sued for the period Of one year.
Under the new law they would cost
the Motor mick Bros. $1,000 for the
bunch 10 duadalans coanty and the
further sum of 81 200 for each and
every county In the Territory. Under
the old law, SIXTY dollars and clerks
fees were suficed TO owe every county
IN the TerrItory,so that the little irreg.
ularity. II undiscovered would save
the peddlers . great many stores and
| dollars. The chief justice recommend
| ed that the attention Of the grand jury
be called to the matter, and on the fol-
loving day four indictments for ped
ding without Q license we're returned
against the Mccormick Brothers.
The county commissioners were In
session with reference to the repairs
and fgrnjshipg for the court house. the
! court room OF which 10 nov about as
neatly furnished as any court house In
the Territory. !.
A iury was impanelsd 10 the case OF
Epimenio Garcia, charged with horse
| stealing, the case took up all Thursday
and tiil after III O'Clock at night, finish
ip0 only AT 4 p. m. on Friday. when
The case was given TO the jury. The
Jury returned . verdict OF not guilty.
IMr. e. veeder defended. The court
said il was glad that only at this late
dsy. the last day Of the term, . jury
was found to return such q verdict
upon spcb EVIDENCE as was before il,
Tor it would pot haze permitted the
members Of it to SIT upon any other
Jury, and ordered the prisoner and the
Jury to be discharged forthwith.
Friday forenoon. the grand jury re.
ported finding seven additional indict-
ments, and the foreman, Posey h
Page, handed In bio report, cal linP
attention 10 the peaceabIe condition Of
the county, 80 far as the most serious
forms OF crime were concerned. not
w~ithstapding that the defendants in
civil and criminal easeh had, owing &c
the delay IN holding pourt, been 10 the
habit Of taking appeals aud hanging ur
the cases indefinitely, and seemed 70
have begun to think that court would
never some. The grand Jury OK.
ahmed, ninety Aye witnesses and re
turned thirty-six indictments. Thu
pppditiop Of affairs in Anton Chict
was eontrasted With that Of the othel
centers ~ population ip tho county
and the Judge was respectfully recon-
mended to call all the parties con
cerned up before him and give them |
severe lecture on the folly Of thei'
conduct.
A high compliment was paid 4
Judge Smith for his attention TO %
Improvement ID the court house, Q
which the grand jury were row justl
- 49,. 80 NJ rANnrta "a the ar