Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1901-05-28
RIO ARRIBA
'''' '' COUNTY COURT
A Very Satisfactory Session Of District
Court Was Held at TERRA Amarillo
During the Past Two Weeks.
CRIME is DECREASING In THE COUNTY

son and Judge N. B. Laughlin returned
home last evening from TERRA Amar-
lila, where twelve days session OF
district court was held. Judge McFie
and District Attorney E. c. Abbott are
especially satisfied and pleased with
the session.
No serious crime has been committed
in Rio Arrba county since the last
term of court while formerly, the whole
session was generally occupied with
murder cases. The grand jury, it is
true, found 33 indictments, but these
were mostly for the violation of the
liquor and gaming laws and resulted
in many licenses being paid and sub
stantial sum being added to the school
could be taken up was disposed Of.
There were only three convictions and
Sheriff Alexander Read will arrive to-
night or tomorrow evening with the
three convicted men to lodge them In
the penitentiary where each will serve
a sentence of one year and one day.
They are Juan Jose Aguilar and Man
uel Medina, founf guilty of assault
with intent to kill, the assault occurr-
ing during fight at dance; and Mic
olas Gallegos who pleaded guilty to the
charge of assault with intent to rape
and who owing to mitigating circum-
stances was let off easy.
The cases involving the Splain es-
tate, two being appeals, and one re-
plevin suit. were settled and dismissed,
being closed up by consent of the par
ties to the suits.
The cases of the Territory VS.. The
Delinquent Taxpayers of the County,
were by stipulation referred to District
Clerk A. M. Bergere as referee. This
includes only the more important
cases.
Gregorio Truiillo was found not
guilty of rape.
The case against Jose Dolores Sala-
zar for mayhem was postponed to de-
termine whether the crime was COM
mitted in Bernalillo or Rio Arriba
county The case is a peculiar one.
Salazar is accused of branding a nine
year old boy on the cheek, on his little
hands and his thighs with hot iron
used to brand sheep, disfiguring the
boy. The youngster was holding a
sheep to be branded but the animal
tore away, and Salazar, in his rage, it
is charged, branded the boy instead.
The whole session Of court cost the
county $2,9to, and the people of the
county express themselves greatly
pleased and satisfied with the session.
District Clerk A. M. Bergere was
partly indisposed during the session of
court but has now recovered from his
illness.
The court officials cannot speak too
highly of the hospitality of Hon. and
Mrs. T. D. Burns who entertained them
royalty.
Everyone seems to be prosperous In
Rio Arriba county, at least, that is the
impression that the court officials re-
ceived. The sheep industry Is -four
ishing. Cattle look sleek and thrifty,
and the range as well as the agricul-
tural land look green and fertile.
Court Interpreter J. D. Sena went d.
rect from TERRA Amarillo to Taos
where he will meet Mrs. Sena and
where they will remain for the session
of Taos court.
The following was the report of the
grand jury:
To the Honorable John r. McFie-
Sir: We, the grand jury of the county
of Rio Arriba, beg leave to make our
| final report.
We have been in session II days
have had before us forty-one witness.
es, have examined into forty-eight
cases, of which we have returned thir'
| ty-three indictments and in fifteen cas-
es no indictment has been found.
We beg to call your honor's attention
| to the fact that while SO indictment:
have been returned by us, we have no
| had time to return any indictment o.
a very serious nature.
| We find that large majority of thu
| matters brought to our attention hav'
been of very trivial nature, and have
grown out of personal difficulties, In
| toxication, ETC., arising at bailes.
| While we find number of cases o
| violation of the gaming and liquo
law, we desire to say the good ant
wholesome law passed by the last ses
sion of the Legislature through the ef
forts of our townsman, Thomas q
Burns, has had it's good effect, and W
/ Ioo n, n cha,,iff,, TIM
since the adjournment of the legisla
ture he has collected and turned int
the school fund Of this county the sur
of $4,000 which Is unprecedented In tn
history of this county and which wit
the amount collected from genera
sources will give this county in tn
neighborhood of $500 for school pur
poses which will exceed any other yea
by about $1,000.
We commend the county commission
ers and the sheriff of our county fo
their efforts and success in the cleanin
up and repairing of the court hous
and jail
We recommend that the different jus
tices of the peace in the county be in
structed by the court that 1t is nc
their duty to bind over to the gran
Jury witnesses in small and insignia
cant cases, because we find on invest
! cation that if such witnesses were ez
amined and paid that the court fund {
the county would be exhausted in tn
examination of such cases which W
, very seriously suspect of being institr
ted merely for the purpose of reveng
: and spite as the majority of them al
!, only cases of assault with words. Sue