Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-04-26
THE TUCKER HEARING
DR.. W. s. Harroun Testifes As to Cause Of
Vigil's Death-Anselmo Armijo, I'M
portant Witness for the Prosecu-
ton, Tells What He Saw,

The hearing of Thomas S. Tucker,
charged with the murder of Hipolito
Vigil on January 8, 1894, was begun this
morning in the court house, before Chief
Justice Mills, sitting as committing
magistrate. District Attorney Spiess
opened the case with brief statement
of what the territory expected to prove.
II. L. Warren, of Albuquerque, replied
with a brief outline of what the defense
expected to prove, the principal point
being that Hipolito Vigil was killed by
sheriff's posse while resisting arrest
under warrant charging him with the
murder of Frank Chavez. Solicitor Gener.
al Bartlett and District Attorney Spiess,
for the prosecution, acknowledged that
the homicide was committed by Sheriff
Cunningham and his deputies, but de.
MED that it was necessary to kill Vigil,
as he offered no resistance.
DR.. w. S. Harroun was the first wit
ness called He stated that he did not
remember whether he knew Hipolito
Vigil during his life or not, but knew
that he was dead as he saw him at a
house near the capitol grounds the
afternoon of January 9, 1894, and held
post-mortem examination of the body.
He could not tell the character of the
weapon that inflicted the wounds. He
found two or three wounds in the front
of the chest and one on the side. Death
resulted from the flooding of the chest
cavity with blood. He did not remem-
Der that there were other wounds, but
that all of those he mentioned were
fatal.
Ansemo Armiio was the second wit
ness called by the prosecution. The
substance of his testimony was: Ar
milo knew Vigil; knew that he was dead.
The death resulted from shots fired at
him ON January 8, 1894. Saw Vigil
when he died at the house belonging to
Louis Tafoya. About 8 or o'clock
in the afternoon of the day mentioned,
he saw hack containing three officers,
Sheriff Cunningham, Thomas Tucker
and Page B. Otero, and Juan Pacheco.
The officers were all armed, When the
officers first drove up in front OF
Tafoya's grocery store, they arrested
Francisco Gonzales y Borrego, hand
cuffed and placed him in the hack.
Tucker then went toward where Vigil
was standing, called halt, firing at the
same time The sheriff and other dep
uty stepped to the back of the hack and
from there fired, and Vigil dropped dead
in front of Tafoya's house. The hack
then went toward town. In answer to
questions, Armijo said that Vigil stood
on the front of the porch. 80 or 40 yards
from where the carriage stopped and
Armiio stood near the carriage. Tucker
was about 30 yards from Vigil when the
shots were hred. Vigil made no mo-
tions, standing erect with hands at his
side After the first shot, stepped be-
hind post of the porch and stood there
until six or seven shots were fired when
he drew pistol but did not fire. There
was no obstruction between Tucker and
Vigil when the first shot was fired; stood
behind the post to which he retreated
until he fell. Vigil was a policeman.
FCunningham.. Tucker and Otero were
armed, Tucker having a repeating rife.
After fuckers shots were fired, could
not tell how many more was fired as all
three were firing At the time there
were standing near Armijo, Benigno
Ortega, Bruno Romero and Cosme Ala
rid. Did not hear the officers say they
had warrant for the arrest of Francis
co Gonzales y Borrego and Hipolito vi
gil. After Vigil fell, the officers in pass
ing, pulled the body from the porch to
the ground. and some one Of them fired
another shot. The only time Armijo
hesitated while on the stand was In the
ross-examination by Judge Warren,
when asked why it was that the killing
occurred on January 9, 1894, he waited
until April 6, 1898, to swear to an informa-