Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1899-11-09
MURDER MYSTERY MAY Bx SOLVED

-
The Alleged Confession of a Dying Muir
derer.
The man who murdered Pei ro Do.
balde at La Mesilla six years RgO. con.
fessed To the crime on nts dsRth bed
about six months ago In Dtla tAA sud
implicated another mau WIN / uOw liy.
ing In Mesilla unmolested by the ell jers
OF the law"
Such was the atarlliug sal sensational
statement made to the III Paso Times,
correspondent at Las Cruces. The story
a. told says that the party who mad the
confession was a Mexican OF the poorer
Glass residing In the little town OF ons
Ana. He said that the motive OF the
murder was robbery. a. was universally
believed al the time. lie named rs his
accomplish another Mexican now resi-
dent in Mesills. The correspondent was
unable to learn the name OF either OF the
two men at this writing, bat the infor-
nation came from what Is to be believed
to be d thoroughly reliable source.
The officers at Las Cruces,if they know
anything Of the alleged confession, have
20 far as known, made no attempt TO
use II, and the nan implicated by 1t Is
said to bs In the full enjoyment Of his
liberty.
The crime was committed six years
ago. Duhslde was an old, eccentric
Frenchmsn living In Mesilla. He had
resided in Dons Ana county for about
forty years. and was reputed to be very
wealthy. and WAS known to be- possessed
OF consider able property at the time Of
his death.
Duhslde wa u bachelor aud lived
alone In q house in Mesills. He did not
Del ievei in banks and kept his mons! con.
cealed around the house. He was warned
several times TO be careful a. he Was H.
able TO be murdered some night for its
possession. lie always laughed al these
fears and said he was not afraid. As ~
generally expected this am to pass, and
one morning when his hou ekeeper came
to get his breakfast, she found him dead
In his bed, with signs Of violence plainly
visible. Marks on his throat Indicated
that he had been stranglcd. IL le not
known what the murdarprs secured.
Martin Lohmsn WAS then sheriff OF
bona Ana county, and responded at once
to the call but the murderers we're never
apprehended. The crime created u
great sensation in the community at the
time, but as months passed away and
heightened into years without anything
happening to clear up the mystery II
gradually became forgotten, and was reg.
ulsted to the list OF the many uni no Sn
murderes that darken the pages Of his.
tory.
II Is believed that the confession OF the
dying man was hushed up by relatives,
and efforts made to prevent IL becoming
publicly known, which may account for
the failure OF the officers TO make any
arrests.
Sheriff Garrett was In HI Paso from
Las Cruces on Sunday. ATimei reporter
called at his hotel last night TO inquire
II he could throw any light upon the
above statements, but he had retired
early and nothing could be obtained from
him In reference to the matter.
An III Pasosn formerly resident In Las
Cruces, when shown the above special.
'sid: IL knew Duhalde we'll during the
70's. He then kept a store at Mesil'a
and vas ~well.known throughout the
%cOuntry. have heard that at one time
ne vas working in the interest OF the
heirs OF al estate In Nav Mexico who
we're then Ia France. He used TO always
; write TO them from another address and
have his letters mailed from a different
postoilice from where he resided and
I kept from them the knowledge OF his
real whereabouts, Eventually. l under
stand, he got the estate himself. He was
an extraordinary old man. | remember
once going into his store to buy some
cloth. He showed me all he had which
: was a very small quantity. | asked him
how much he wanted for II all and hi
said: 'Ah, | wouldn't want to sell II all
because then | wouldn't have any for my
I other CUSTOMERS"