Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-04-02
Francisco Gonzales Y BOrregO, AntO-
ni0 Gonzales Y BOrregO, LaurianO
Alarid and Patricio Valencia
Hanged This Morning.
FINAL ACT In The CBAVEz TRAGEDY
In the Old Jail Yard, Guarded by Uni
formed Sentries, the Four Men Con-
victed of the Murder of Frank
Chavez Paid the Penalty of
Their Crime.


o'clock this morning, under bleak April
sky surrounded by party of shivering
witnesses, and uniformed sentries, they
paid the penalty of the crime OF which
they were con nyicted, upon the scaffold.
Those fond Of drawing condolences
may find touch of the bitter sarcasm OF
fate in the fact, that had Frank Chavez
been alive, he would today have celebrat.
ed the 46th anniversary of his birth. So
in the ceremony attending the taking of
of his murderers, the practical mind may
see something of the eternal fitness OF
things, and the adjustment of events in
an even balance, ordered perhaps by some
power even higher than the law of the land
The men died we'll
Long familiarity with the shadow of
the hand of doom, over which at divers
times has fitted hope in the form of re.
spites, had steeled them to the terrible
ordeal, and they went to their death with
firm step. Three times before, date for
their death had been fixed by law, and once
before they were on their way to the same
scaffold, through which they dropped to.
day to eternity; but as many times the
hand of Justice was stayed, and the
leniency of the law used to lengthen the
span of lives demanded by the comm on
wealth in retribution.
The details of the execution we're well
arranged, and carried out with prompt
ness that reflects great credit upon Sheriff
Kinsell and his assistants. Not single
hitch occurred to unnecessarily prolong
the crewsome business. 1t was Sheriff
Kinsells first affair of the kind, and under
similar circumstances, good nervy men
have been known to get exclted and do
all sorts of clumsy things. Il was evi.
dent enough that he had little liking for
the work (some men have) but he went
through with the disagreeable task speed.
lily and we'll.
The scaffold, in dimensions 12x21 feet
with a six-foot trap and a drop of the
same height, was covered with canvass
above the platform, for the very laudable
purpose of excluding the final scene in
this tragedy, from the view of root
climbers, who surrounded the Jail yard
perched high upon adjacent buildings.
The Jail was guarded by detail OF 4i
national guardsmen from troop E and
com pany B respectively, the former de-
tail under command Of Major Gable and
the latter under Lieutenant King, tht
whole composing guard for the execu
tion, OF which Lieutenant Colonel Strov.
er had charge.
The condemned men slept fairly well
last night, and ate with their usual appe
tite of a breakfast which was served tc
them about O'Clock. At 7:30 Sheriff
Kinsell entered the cell and read the
death warrant, which was received
without comment, further than remark
from Frank Borrego, addressed to Sheriff
Kinsell, in which he expressed a desire
that the officers should see "that he was
good and dead"
Father Fourchegu, vicar general, came
soon after and was occupied with the
prisoners until everything was ready fol
the drop, in administering the consola
tions of religion. :,
At exactly 9 O'Clock, Sheriff Kinsell
with several assistants again entered the
cell. and announced that the time was up
The men said that they we're ready, ant
at 9:O7 the procession emerged from tn
cell door led by the heriff, who es
corted Alarid. Father Fourchegu brough
up the rear and walked onto the soaffolt
with the condemned men, where he re
mained until everything had been mad
ready for the drop signal. .
The men mounted the scaffold will
firm step and we're assigned to position
on the trap. Valencia occupied the ives
end Of the trap. Alarid came next il
line, then Antonio Borrego, while tn
fourth man, Frank Borrego, stood on tn
eastarlv and of the fatal door.
W.M.Hegan of the penitentlary officia
ted on the scaffold. The men were bount
with ankle and elbow ropes, the halter
adjusted and the black caps drawn on
They remained silent while thi
preparation was going on, with the ex
ception of Frank Borrego, who asked
simply that former request to the sher
if regarding his body after death shoul
be complied with. At 900 O'Clock th
trap bolt was drawn, and the four bodie
shot through six feet of space to death.
With the exception of Valencia, theil
necks were broken by the fall, and th'
bodies hung limp and motionless, barrin
slight svayinR movement as result o
the descent. Valencia died hard. Fo
three or four minutes after the drop fel
there was convulsive twitching of tn
limbs, such as usually accompanie
strangulation. Notwithstanding the fac
that his neck was not broken, b
was the first to expire, and at exactl
four minutes after the drop fell, the al
tending physician announced that hi
pulse had ceased TO beat. Alarid live
nine and one-half minutes, Antonio Bol
rego, six and one half minutes, and Fran
Borrego, seven minutes. At 81 minute
after 8 the physicians, in answer to
question from the sheriff, announced th
men dead, and the officers immediatel
set about cutting them down.
Frank Borrego was cut down drst.
WAS impossible to loosen the rope on hi
neck, and a knife was called into requis
tion, with which the obstinate knot va
quickly severed. HIS face was slight
discolored, but the. features were not ba'
ly distorted.
Antonio Borrego was next attended :,
His face was only slightly discolore,
Then Alafid Was cut down. His fac
was horribly distorted, and the force
the fall had out wide cash under Il
chin.
Valencia looked as natural as In lif
The rope left scarcely mark on his nec
aud there was only slight swelling al
der the right ear. His eyes we're ops
and not even bloodshot.
On the whole there Was nothing in b
appearance to show that be had met
violent death. Az fast a. the men We
taken down, they we're placed In coffin
at the foot Of the sca6old, there TO ava
the orders Of their respective families.
At 10 O'Clock their friends and relativ
were admitted 10 the jail yard, and
them the coflnsd bodies were turnt
over by the officers OF the Law.