Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1898-08-20
THE FOUNTAIN MURDER.
Bitter Denuneiailon Of the Las Cruces
Democrat, Which Favors Criminals.
sHERITF GARRETT FULLY SUSTAINED
Editors Citizen

" aa@
Cruces, Of August nth, has an article
from which the following Is clipped t.
show the tenor OF the piece and the high
grade citizenship Of the periodical above
referred to:
II the s0-calied Flaw and order" rarty
At La Cruces is 50 anxious for peace and
TO uphold the maj sty Of the courts, II
can be- done very easily and quickly. "
the county commissioners Will appoint
W. ". FiecK, Coal Railston. Martin Lob
man or j. ID ~lsaaeks, % hll barrett's m
expired term, the white wings OF psace
will hover over our land
Lee says he will surrender to a square
man, stand his trial Rnd prove his limo
cence. Why not give him an OppOrtu-
nityp Lee seems 90 doubt that Garrett
IL a square man, and il confirmed in that
belief since the aght at wildly we'll.
IL Lee, Gilliland aud McNew are not 20
expect justice la a case where neither
has been indicted, what are they TO dOP
ALI of them " property and pay taxes
Ia DDnA Ana county, where they wish TO
live, and TO make good citizens. N oniy
permitted 90 d. 80. But very bad citizens
can be made Of all OF them II they are
bounded TO death.
When Col Fountain. the special prose
cutting attorney Of DJaa Ana county, aud
his little son disappeared about Feb. /,
1896; when Subsequent searcl revealed
their tracks and pools Of blood and empty
cartridge shells; when the fact Of sus.
Dicious characters having followed the
buggy containing the colonel aud his son
became knOwD-men who had u motive
Tor murder la their bearts-when these
aud other bad circumstances came before
the public, the inevitable conclusion was
reached that a foul murder had been
committed, having two features Of un.
usual deprayity aud guilty, namely: the
killing Of a public officer because of his
diligence In prosecuting thieves and muir
ierers, aud the killing OF an innocent
little boy-the former fact betraying a
spirit Of utter lawlessness In the mur
derers, and the latter u spirit OF cruelty
and heartlessness rarely known outside
OF savage warfare.
These circumstances came before the
public, aud the press but echoed the sen.
timents Of all good citizsns when II de-
manded. regardless OF political and
personal feeling, the investigation OF the
matter and the arrest and punishment OF
the guilty parties. The fair name OF
New Mexico had been blaokened, the
sense OF decency and honor OF It's citizens
outraged, and the security Of its officials
threatened In the discharge Of duties.
which bring the II into contact with the
lawless element.
All the papers In the territory, | say,
without regard to political affiliations,
loudly demanded that the perpetrators OF
the Infamous deed be punished.
In due time circumstances became
Known, through the efforts OF Sheriff
Garrett and his deputies, which set the
machinery OF the courts In motion, and
wa rants we're issued for four men.
The judicial investigation showed such
suspicious circumstances to exist that
ons Of the two men who were arrested
wa held without bail and was denied
bail under subsequent habeas corpus
proceedings.
The other two, who are still nj large,
caught the cue from the fate OF their
companion, above referred TO, and
avoided arrest. They subsequently
showed their willingness 10 come Into
court and established their much wanted
Injured innocence by killing the sheriff's
chief deputy and firing upon the sheriff
himself and his entire posse, when called
upon TO surrender.
The sheriff has endeayoFed In every
way Ia his power TO get these men into
court for trial and IL still making every
endeayOr TO secure that end.
II ia not the purpose OF this article TO
prejudice the case Of the men accused Of
the double murder, nor 10 assert that
they are guilty, but rather TO call the at
tention OF the press OF the territory and
the good citizens thereof to the position
Of the Independent Democrat. which de
mands the resignation Of one Of the best
officers OF the southwest, one whose rec
ord is 80 we'll and iayorAbly known In
connection with the downfall of bad
gangs in this country, and which further
suggests the appointment Ia his stead OF
some men in sympathy with the persons
accused OF the murder of Col. Fountain
and his son, least, is IL says, very bad
citizens be made Of them II they be
bounded to death" Articles written by
one Of the accused men have appeared in
that paper aud its columns are open, II
seems, to iugitiyes from justice who seek
to influence public opinion against the
affairs Of the court
When poor Vigil and his posse gave
Johnson and BrOncho Bill a chance for
their lives Ia the attempt to arrest them,
and were rewarded by instant death, the
officers were labeled fools by the general
public. Had they simply shot thu outlaws
on discovering them, they would have
just as promptly been labeled murderers.
Aud there you have ia position OF a public
peace officer and a sample Of the appre-
citation Of his hard and dangerous work
in the interest OF all Of you who repOse
in security In your homes aad whose
very security there rests 80 largely upon
the very officer 30 often unkindly critic
ICED.
Such thOughtlessness may be excused
In a citizen who may not have reflected
upon such questions, and who may not
have realized the obligation society owes
To support the honest actions OF those
who are intrusted with the enforcement
OF our laws, but when a newspaper, a
public newspaper. takes the side OF out
laws and demands the resignation of
those who honestly endeayOr TO enforce
the laws, when II a be 70 influenced