Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-04-12
TUESDAY, APRIL ~.
Strict and Even Handed Justice.

torial under the caption of ''Strict JUS
tice." 1t purports to connect the Grim
inal prosecutions had against the MUIR
derers of Frank Chavez, an ex-sheriff OF
this county some time ago, with the IN
yestigations now going on into the
mystery surrounding the awful assassin
alton of Albert j. Fountain and his lnno-
cent 12-year-old son, which it is alleged
took place on February l. 1896. The
writer of the article in question Is be-
lieved to be a certain Albuquerque at
torney now appearing for the defense
in the cases of the men charged with
being the Fountain murderers.
The article, from commencement to
end, is intended to deceive and its writer
acts like a proverbial cutie fish by en-
~deavoring to throw Il Shiny, poisonous,
venomous and pestilent fluid, composed
of falsehoods, equivocations and insinua-
tions into the eyes of the people OF the
territory to hide the main issue in the
case.
The main issue is the detection and
punishment Of the murderers OF Albert
j. Fountain and son, be they who they
may and where they may. The main
issue is to see strict and impartial justice
done in this case as we'll as in all other
cases wherein men are accused OF crime
and to harm no hair on the head OF an
innocent man. The main issue is that a
Democrat. Pat Garrett, sheriff of Dona
Ana county, swore to the informations
upon which the warrants against Lee
ct al. were issued, and that this self
same officer in the performances of his
duty, after a careful and full investlga-
ton, thought it best to wait until he
had what he considered necessary evil
dence in the case and until there was a
district attorney in Dona Ana county
who could be relied upon to do his duty.
The main issue in the case is that the
said sheriff, who for two long years and
more has been investigating this bloody
deed, thought it best, for the cause OF
Justice and for the best interests of the
commonwealth, to wait until there was
u firm, impartial and just judge on the
bench. These points constitute the main
issue and they can not be swept away
by sophistries, or by lies, or by insinua-
lions, nor by seeking to arouse sympathy
for political reasons or to give the case
a political aspect. The people of the
territory are too intelligent, although
the willy and cunning mind that guided
the hand that penned the article referred
to above does not think so.
The article, appearing in a paper,
owned and controlled by Mr.. A. A.
Grant, who is supposed to be a law abid-
ing citizen, is a disgrace to journalism.
1t e%ndeavors, no more and no less, to
make the investigations in the Fountain
murder cases appear as a political per-
~secution and as being instituted for po-
litical effect. IT. in~sinuates, intimates
and suggests, that the justices of the
territorial supreme court, Judge Frank
W.. Parker of the third district and
Judge John r. McFie in this district.
acted improperly in issuing bench war
anus lor inc arrest Vi iIee' "'''''ahu'
McNew and Carr In the Fountain cases
and for Thomas S. Tucker in the Vigil
asa
Ine artlcie takes TWO ieems' one irohi
the New MEXICAN and one a special
d,snatch and nnts them topether in this
,,
..c..,o. ,,a ~;,s.;oo for
the men accused of the murder of Al
bert j. Fountain and IL year old son, no
more and no less" says the NEW Mex
SAs, anu Ia, eyeiy none' nan no M""
exnressed'
atom Tucker was arrested today by
Sheriff Kinsell OF Santa Fe, and at once
.ahei W Ine .rain en- rou.e lo1 pan.a 70,
sneciaI from Las Cruces
''To the uninitiated these two items
will appear to have no connection, but
W enose VINO nave les'ueu ~ 'ne teIi !
once bring to mind the famous Frank