The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1902-04-04

The following letter from Honorable
Jbtu r.. McTie, judge Of the'first judi
eial dietrict court, was received during
the absence Of this writer, otherwise il
would havo been published last week.
IL was written in response TO petition
forwarded to his honor requesting that
he spring term Of court be postponed.
.As will be seen by the date, the letter
wae written prior to the receipt Of the
petition, which, wo understand, was sent
from Farmington, requesting the hold
log OF the term, As we have seen moth
Jug 70 the contrary, the paper pre-
sumes the judges decision WIS final
and that there will be no court term
until fail.
We have no doubt that Judge McFie
would have been glad to hold the term
TO April had there been business to jus.
iify il, or had it seemed to him that anv
considerable number Of the people we're
desiroue OF the holding Of court at that
time He and the other court officials
are anxious to serve the people, and
they are at all times ready to make any
sacrifice to further tho ends Of justice
aud the best interests Of all. The only
agitation on the subject Of holding tho
court emanated from one Of the news
papers OF the county, aud as the major
iy Of the ranchmen appear 20 be glad
that the terms are to be held in the fall,
the subject may be considered closed.
Following is Judge Mcfie's letter:
Territory Of New Mexico, Uniteo
States District Court, First District,
Santa te, New Mexico, March y, lyO2.
-Messrs. l.. T.. Grove, Monroe Fields,
S b. KOontz, and associate petitioners,
Aztec. N. M.-Gent.emen: / am ia re-
ceipC OF your petition Of March q 1902,
signed by a number Of your county
officers, citizens aud taxpayers, request
ing that the Apr, term Of your court be
not beld this sprlLg, tor numerous rea-
sons, among which are that ali the prie-
oners in your Jail have recently escaped,
and therefore there are no criminal
causes on the doUaet for trial; that the
civil docket is very light, 50 that
tnis spring term would be a useless ex-
pense, aud tbe further reason, that it
would be more convenient for your far
mers and people generally to have court
meet in the fall hereafter, instead Of 10
the spring US IL 10 difficult for them to
attend court in April, but in October
the fail work is pretty we'll over by the
time court cOnvenes, 80 that citizens can
attend court without great inconveni-
euce. bave received several personal
D. 81 ella
and IN addition suggesting that itswas
the hope of your county authorities to
have the new court house which is now
being huilt, 10 condition to hold court
in. II the same does not meet until DC
tober Of Ibis year. 1 have considered
TINS matter, and have concluded to grant
Y5ur request and postpone the. April
term Of court this year. The reasOne
wuicn you assign are no douDt Vanu
reasons and worthy Of consideration.
learned recently that all the prisoners
in your Jail have escaped, which is a
very deplOrable condition Of affairs, and
/ regret these frequent escapes from
your jail exceedingly. The clerk informs
me that there are only about i've cases at
Issue upon your docket, and the entire
docket contains only about ten cases,
some Of which are divorce cases which
can be disposed Of here as 10 Aztec, and
others on your docket would probabl J
be disposed of here ALSO as all cases not
requiring jury may be disposed Of in
vacation and / am disposing Of such
cases here very frequently. In view OF
the escape Of thCee prisoners and the
email number Of cases on your docket,
agree with you that / would not be jus.
titled IN incurring the expense which d
term of court would entail. II 10 bstter
In my judgment, to hold the present
court fund intact for future use, 80 that
longer terms may be held when they are
heiu IN your county 1t seems that
neither your court fund nor your court
business requires more than one term OF
court year. at present, and it is much
better to hold that term in the fail when
your farmers have matured their cropn,
than in the spring when many OF them
are busy and II Is difficult for us to SO
cure either jurors or witnessea. IF the
change is made now, the term will be
held regularly in ths fall until such time
as IWO terms are needed or desired /
am pleased to learn that you have your
new court house IN process OF erection.
congratulate your county upon secur-
ing this much needed Improvement snd
u will be a great pleasure for US 20 meet
in your new court house at the fall term
OF court.
Personally it is immaterial to me when
the court is held l can hold one term
as easily as another, but the reasons for
pOstponement / feel sufficient to justify
a. al the present time, as there doubtless
have never been 90 few cases upon your
docket as at present authorize you
therefore to let il be- known through
your press throughout the couaty, that
the April term OF court will not be held
this year. Very repeatedly,
JOHN Is McFIE