Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-03-29
STABBED AT PLAY.
Faustin Straw Killed by Ricardo Romero
Last Night Attributed to An
Accident.

Last night at $3.50, while playing on
the plaza In front of the Arcade, Ricar.
do Romero stabbed Faustin Straw, d 10,
year-old colored boy, with a pocket
knife.
The knife entered the boys left side
near the region of the heart, penetrat
Ing the lung and cutting an artery. Ro
nero, seeing his companion injured
placed his arm around young Straw
and assisted him to his home on Water
street.
Faustin Straw was u newsboy on the
| New MEXICAN, and was playing with
some companions after having sold his
papers. He lived in the Candelaria Mar.
tlnez house. Dr.. Massie was called,
and the wound, which looked insig-
nificant enough, was dressed. At 9
o'clock in the evening the boy died.
The coroner's jury, which was called
at $50 this morning, sat on the case un-
til II o'clock and returned the verdict:
Deceased came to his death from acct
dental causes" Justice Jose Maria
Garcia admonished young Romero to be
more careful in the future, to carry nc
arms and seek some profession that
would keep him out of mischief and
away from the possibility of such acct
dents.
O.Ricardo Romero is a young lad of II.
He has attended school considerably.
Interviewed, he said in substance:
skvTa Nrora ,,In xinr IN fhn riUhf ha ND
side OF the street in front of the Arcade,
and l had my knife in my hand. l said
to Faustin, do you want me to stick
this knife in you?' He then took his
knife out of his pocket, and mine was
aimed at him. He stumbled against my
knife, and fell with his face to the
ground.
"When he got up, he drew his shirt
aside and l saw blood on 1T. He said
Il an cut l took my handkerchief
out Of my pocket and put it up to thu
wound to stop the blood. Then l tool
him by the arm and went home will
him.
CATER 9 o'clock last night Juan lara
milo was sent after me by Faustin'
mother. He was dead and she asked M
how it happened"
Romero lives in ward No. l., opposite
H. B. Cartwright's house. He was yer.
much affected while reciting the story
His mother, apprehensive for the safet.
of her son, after hearing his story
burned the knife with which the deet
was committed.
He did not think his playmate woult
die, and made no attempt to escape. HI
declared he was not angry when he &C
%cidentally stabbed young Straw. A sin
gular birthmark carried by Romero, il
six fingers on one hand.
When informed that he was at liberty
the young mans Joy knew no bounds.
Eight witnesses were examined by tn,
jury. The verdict, as rendered, was a
follows:
"We the undersigned justice of thu
peace and jury, having investigated ant
inquired into the causes of the death o
Faustin Straw, found dead in precinc
No. IS, of the county of Santa Fe, tn
2sth day of March, 1898, and havin.
held an examination before the dea,
body on the goth day Of March, 1898
find that the said Faustin Straw came tt
his death from q wound in the left sid
Of the chest that penetrated not les
than one inch, and entered the lung ant
cut an artery; and that said wound wa
caused by q sharp instrument, accident
ally administered by Ricardo Romer
while playing with some other boys
And we the undersigned justice of tn
peace and jury find that the death 0
the said Faustin Straw was an IRE
sponsible accident.
Signed: Jose M. Garcia, justice o
peace; Addison Walker, Leandro Sena
Issac Harrison, Luciano Baca, David S
LowitZki, jurors.