El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-28
GARCIA'S
GOOD NERVE
Left Him Quickly When He
Was Locked In the
Condemned Cell
BROKE DOWN COMPLETELY

The Young Woman Who Sat Beside
the Prisoner In the Court Room
Was Overcome With Grief When
the Death Penalty Was Pro-
| nounCed
A scene was enacted in the district
court room yesterday afternoon so full
of pathos til at even the heart of the
most callOus spectator was moved.
The jury found Edelberto Garcia,
the youthful slayer of Edward O'Con-
nor, guilty of murder in the first de-
gree and fixed his punishment at death
by hanging. That body retired to de-
liberate at II minutes past O'Clock
and at 4:3O filed back into the court
room and announced q decision had
| been reached.
Ike Alderete took the written ver-
| dict from the hand of Edward KueezsIl,
foreman, and read it to the court and
to the boy with the bold, black eyes,
who covered in corner and whose
face had assumed an ashy hue.
I'VE the jury find Edelberto Garcia
guilty of murder in the first degree
and assess his punishment at DEATH"
read the clerk. "GentIemen of the
jury, is this your verdict?" and each
OF the twelve bowed his head fn as
sent.
Garcia was apparently unaffected by
the ominous words. The air of bravado
and sang froid maintained by him
since the beginning of the trial never
left him. Not muscle of his face
twitchei. BE cleared his throat and
spat uponthe floor. Then he reached in
his pocket for q paper and tobacco and
calmly rolled a cigarette. Lighting
1t, he puffed cloud of white smoke
into the air and watched it drift and
fade away.
PATHETIC SPECTACLE.
That was not the pathetic eide
OF the incident. During the
closing hours OF the trial q young Mex
lean girl of more than ordinary beauty.
with young infant clssped in her
arms, had occupied chair beside the
prisoner. Carols bad arranged to
marry this girl when he went to Jail
charged with murder. She had loved
him with an intense devotion not vice.
ly, but too we'll, and when he went to
tions to him and each day could be
seen lowering in the vicinity of the
grated prison door, bringing him food
or delicacies.
The girliwith the infant eat beside
the prisoner and gazed at the jury with
an appealing expression in her large
dark eyes. When the death penalty
was announced her department was in
contrast to that of the prison
er. AS the word ''death' smote upon
her. like the sound of the clod that
strikes a coffin, she broke down. A
look Of intense anguish swept across
her face. Her lips quivered violently
and to avoid g flood of tears in the pres
ence of the judge, the jury and the
spectators she rose quickly, and clasp
ing her babe tightly to her breast,
hurried from the courtroom She
paced the long corridor without. weep
Ing bitterly.
PRISONER ROKE DOWN.
Gsrcia's air of defiance was all as
sumed. He was led back to jail by Ed.
Bryant and ]. A. Comstock and locked
ln the condemned cell on the second
floor. While passing to the jail the
prisoners relatives walked at his
close beside him still carrying her in
fant. The heavy Jail door swung open
with creak and closed with q clang,
and shut out Edelbsrto Garcia from
liberty perhaps for ever. Some day,
not far distant, he may be brought out
again, corpse, with the imprint of
the hangman's moose about his throat.
<Ao VIC PIASOuOE cutcrSu tu0 Cim
corridor he cast one longing look be-
hind, and when Tim Lyons led the
way to the condemned cell Gsrcia's
nerve completely failed him and he
burst into tears and wept violently
The parting between the girl and
boy was an affecting sight. He en-
braced her affectfOnately and disap-
peared within. She, with the pris-
oner's mother and father, then left
the building.
Garcia was carefully searched by
The jailer. A watch and chain, lock
Of hair, q photograph and small
mirror were taken from his person.
TRIAL ENDED.
District Attorney Dean finished
speaking at a quarter of four yester-
lay afternoon. His speech was one of
he best ever made by him and it was
listened to with close stten tion by the
ury and many spectators.
Persons who have heard him speak
,ften before say that he was at his best
t was evident that his argument great
y impressed the jury.
Judge Walthall's charge was per-
ectly comprehensible and eminently
air. It'was handed to the jury at 10
past O'Clock and that body
etired to deliberate, rendering a YER
l1ct In about twenty minutes.
Dallie Bennett, we'll known in Ell
'aso aud New Mexico, who has for some
ears been in business In the City of
Mexico. has recantlv ,decided tn settle