Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-08-13
A STORY OF THE WEST
QUEER MOVES ON LIES CHECK
ER-BOARD IN NEW MEXICO.
'GilIy" OterO, sans Peur ct sans RE-
Chair-BOstwick Forgotten by His
tOry-Judge Pierce ON the Irony Of
Fate.

Judge W. L. Pierce, now in the city,
telly story of events in New Mexico, his
former home, that savors strongly of the
irony of fate-the success of men who
may be cast down in encouragement for
q time by other men in authority, whose
political oblivion, at least, comes in the
short span of a decade, says the San
Diego Union. 1t is story typical of the
west, in it's strange turning of characters
on the checker. board of life.
81 had left northern Wisconsin, where
the rigorous climate had made deep In
roads on my health" said Judge Pierce,
land had gone to New Mexico. That
was in 1888. One day while en- route
from Santa Fe to Las Vegas, became
acquainted with party of gentlemen in
whom was much interested from the
start. The party comprised M. A. Otero,
Familiarity known as Gilly Otero, then
cashier of the San Miguel National bank,
young lawyer from Illinois named W.
A. Vincent, man of more mature years
named R. W. Webb, and another who
looked wise and said nothing until one
fatal day when he opened his mouth and
spoke, and was never more heard of in
history. His name was Bostwick.
"On the cars they drank ioe-cold beer
from the chest Of the Pullman, and be-
tween drinks they told me that they had
just been liberated from the county jail
at Santa Fe. That astonished me very
much, for I was a tenderfoot and could
scarcely believe that such bright und in
telligent men could have been behind the
bars.
SIT seems that Otero and Webb were
part owners of mine in New Mexico,
and had law suit pending in the district
court at Santa Fe, sometimes presided
over by that eminent jurist, Judge s. B.
Axtell, chief justice of the First judicial
district. On advice of their attorneys,
Otero and Webb refused to obey some
order of the court requiring them affirma
lively to perform certain things in the
order contained. Upon their refusal to
comply, they were cited for contempt and
asked if their attorneys, Bostwick and
Vincent, had advised them to disobey the
order. They refused to say what their
advice had been. Vincent was placed on
the stand, but refused to say what advice
he had given to his clients, and the court
was no more successful in getting any in
formation from Bostwick.
"The result was that in anger Judge
Axtell sent the whole posse to jail for 60
days for contempt of his august court, or
until they were ready to purge themselves
by answering the questions propounded.
The men lived high in Jail, flowers and
delicacies being taken to them daily, and
instead of incarceration, the term in jail
was one continuous levee. The 60 days
passed merrily, and at the expiration of
the term I met them. As tell this story,
so it was told me.
Gas result of the imprisonment of
these men, a combined effort was made
not long afterward by the people of New
Mexico to obtain the removal of Axtell
from the bench. It was finally accom-
plished, when 10! and behold, w. A. Vim
cent was appointed by President Cleve-
land to the position of chief justice of
the territory Of New Mexico, R. W. Webb
was appointed clerk of the Supreme court
of New Mexico, relieving one Phillips,
who was son in law of Axtell. Bost-
wick, as l have said, never made any
further mark in history. Judge Axtell is
dead. And now Gilly Otero has been made
governor of the proud domain, and as he
raises to his lips the foaming glass, he
may with thankful heart, sans peur ct
sans reproche, drink deep to FREUD and
foe alike, for he rules in undisputed sway.
Governor Otero is of pure Castilian
descent. His father was Migul A. Otero,
who was prominent citizen of New Mex
leo and represented the territory in con-
gress. The present governor is one of
the youngest men that ever occupied an
executive chair, but is bright and crisp es
a radish, and smooth as Said oil. He is
married to one of the most beautiful girls
ever saw, the daughter of former
judge Of the Supreme court of Minnesota,
whose name has escaped me.
81 am sure that the executive office Of
New Mexico will be administered with
dignity and true Castilian courtesy, while
the beautiful wife of the governor will
take her place as the first lady of that
historic territory, with precedence for
beauty and grace gladly recognized by
the entire society OF New Mexico"