Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-11-30

Additional details of the murder ol
A. J. DeMeules, the turquoise miner, al
his camp in eastern Dona Aua county
are obtainable today. His murderer
was one Jacob Flores, Mexican who
had been In the employ of the deceased
most Of the timefor the past two years;
aged about % years, and believed to be
a native Of Las Cruces. The murderer
Is not known to have committed any
similar crime, though he was generally
regarded as a surly and dangerous man.
DeMsules was native of northern
New York, though Of French Canadian
parentage, and was 20 years Of age.
He was single, but leaves some rela-
tives living at or near Binghampton,
New Yo.k.
DeMeules had pal d off his men day
or two prior to the killing. when Flores
claimed there was 500 more due him
than he had received. This the en-
ployer denied and refused to pay the
extra sum claimed. Monday morning,
while DeMeules was eating his break
fast In the dining room. the Mexican
entered and taking a standing position
before his sitting victim again demand
ed the 500. DeMeules again denied
owing him the money and refused to
pay it, whereupon Flores placed large
pistol close to the side of his victims
head and fired, the ball entering just be-
low one ear and coming out under the
other, and passed out through the wall
of the dining room.
DeMeules wheeled In his seat and
pitched forward dead, his forehead
striking on step and being somewhat
disfgured. The ball is believed to have
broken the neck and ruptured the base
of the brain. But the one shot was
fired, and DeMeulss fell. The murderer
took to bis heels and started for the
hills. Other Mexican, employees of the
deceased grabbed up some Winchester
rifles and gave pursuit.
They soon surrounded the murderer
and he was compelled to surrender,
though he did so reluctantly, and then
only when be realized that it would be
certain death to further resist. The
prisoners hands were securely tied with
a rope and he was kept under strong
guard until the arrival Of Constable
Tom Rodgers, who took him in charge.
Justice Sears, of Alamogordo, arrived
at the turquoise camp with the cousta-
BILE and held an inquest on the muir
dered man, eliciting substantially the
facts as given above.
The prisoner was taken via FL Paso
to Las Cruces, the county seat. The
body of DeMeules was taken to El Paso,
where the burial probably occurred this
afternoon. Fl. ID. Bowman, who claims
to be attorney for deceased and viii
have the handling of his immense es-
tate, valued at about 100000, has gone
from Las Cruces to Ell Paso. The
murderer's statement is as follows:
"De Meules owed me 500, which l
wanted to take to Las Cruces to my
brothers. Two days ago asked him
for this money, but he would not give
it to me for fear that l would go away
and not work for him any longer. So to-
day when went into his kitchen where
he was eating and asked him for the
money again. De Meules became very
angry and began to scold me and throw
things about, and this frightened me
and l thought might get hurt, and SO
1 pulled out my pistol and shot him.
De Meules had no gun, but 1 always
carry one; still | did not go in there to
shoot him, but determined to get my
money as my brothers are hungry
The Albuquerque Citizen, in speak
ing of the case, says: "De Meules was
barber by trade and came to Las
Cruces from Santa Fe ten years ago.
He was very hard up at timesp The
Citizen is mistaken; it evidently has
De Meules mixed up with one Zum-
walt, former Santa Fe barber who is
prospecting in the Alamogordo region.
It may be added here that the Citizens
Las Cruces correspondent seems to dis
play much feeling against De Meules.
1t would be interesting to know just
what concern the Citizen correspondent
has in belittIeing the memory of this
dead miner--a man of growing wealth,
Was De Meules put out of the way in
order that somebody might have OPP
portunity to administer upon bis es-