, 1897-04-03
THE PENALTY.
THE NEW MEXICO MURDERERS
MEET DEATH UPON THE
GALLONS.
After One OF the Most Persistent and
Long Drawn Out Legal Battles in
the History OF the Territory-They
are Game to the Last and Meet
Death Bravely.

Santa Fe, N. NJ, April 2.-The final
act in the Chavez murder occurred this
morning at the old county Jail, in Santa
Fe, where Francisco Gonzales y Borrego,
Antonio Gonzales y BOrrego, Patrick
Valencia and Lauriano Alarid were exc
cuted, and one of the most bitterly
legarcontests in the criminal an
nails of the southwest was concluded.
On Thursday night, as a precautionary
10 special guards were worn
in and placed by the sheriff within the
Jail, and this morning a draft
Of 40 men was made on the
cavalry and infantry companies stations
ed at Santa Fe by the governor, with
instructions to act under orders OF Sher>
if Kinsell.
The scaffold was 12x21 feet, with a
six-toot drop through a. single trap six
feet long and three feet wide. The pris>
oners passed a restful night, the guards
saying that not one even turned in his
sleep. The death warrant was read to
them at 1880 this morning and was re-
ceived by the Borregos with some fas-
tidiousness. The vicar general was then
admitted and remained with the doomed
men until they were led to the scaffold,
administering the consolation Of their
religion. the men all being devout Catho>
lies.
At 9 o'clock the men were prepared for
the scaffold and at 9:05 emerged from
the cell in which they had been confined
since their last respite under the very
shadow of the gallows. They requested
permission OF the sheriff to walk alone
to the scaffold, which was granted. They
mounted the scaffold, attended by the
sheriff and three deputies, and the vicar
general of this diocese and disappeared
from the view of the limited number OF
spectators amitted to the Jail yeard,
within a tent with which the scaffold
was surrounded.
None of them showed the slightest
WCuhhCoo IL bh0 kkpoCASO Va oCNsh am
made no statement except to request the
sheriff not to fail to remove all traces o!
the cause OF death before their bodies
were turned over to their families. The
request was s%crupulously complied with.
The ropes and caps were adjusted and
at 900, just two and one-half minutes
after mounting the scaffold. the trap was
sprung and the four condemned assas-
sins paid the penalty Of their crime. The
necks Of all were broken. except that OF
Valencia, the lightest in weight, who
died from strangulation. His pulse, how
ever, ceased to beat in four minutes after
the drop fell, while the pulse of Alarid,
the heaviest Of the number, beat nine
and one-half minutes. Frank and An
tonic Borrego were pronounced dead at
the end OF six and one-half minutes.
Death was instantaneous in each case
the body Of Valencia being the only one
10 show the slightest culver. Al 9:3l
the men we're all pronounced dead by the
attending physician and at 9:35 the
bodies were cut down and placed in plain
black collins furnished by the county
The bodies Of the men showed no marks
except the usual discoloration attendant
on this mode Of death, except in the case
Of Alarid, owing to his weight and the
length Of the drop. the rope cut his neck
almost to the juglar. making a cut aboa,
three inches long. At 10 o'clock the
bodies were turned over to the families
and taken to their homes.
The funeral will take place Sunday
forenoon from the cathedral. and the
bodies Of The Borregos and Alarid. the
kinsman, will be buried by the side OF
their father, according to request. The
hanging was a perfect mechanical sue,
cess and the opinion was expressed gen.
orally by old inhabitants that IL was,the
smoothest execution ever performed in
the territory.