Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-05-13
THE CRESP|N HANGING.
Concluded from page one.)

hung a bandera handkerchief and d.
rectly in front of the barrel, on the
floor, was a white sombrero, both be-
ing identified as belonging to the dead
ma :. The shoes of the cad man and
his pantaloons. up to the knees, were
wet and muddy, indicating that he had
been doing some irrigating a few hours
before the discovery of the dead body.
investigating further, 1t was found
that some one had taken particular
pains. in a most careful manner, to OBJ
literate any evidence of footprints in
the cellar, especially at the foot of the
steps, and around the barrel. An old
broom had been used ct was lying
zeal by. and 1t did its work well, for
if Crespin was the victim of foul play
and several were implicated they had
up their tracks in a scientific
manner or, on the other hand, if Cres-
pin took his own life he went at 1t in
a most deliberate name and also left
no footprints behind to indicate that
he was the only one to participate in
his sudden destruction.
After these Investigations the party
repaired to the house. in the same IN
closure and about fifty yards away,
where Mrs. Cornelia Armijo Crespin.
said to he the wife OF the dead man,
was interviewed. She stated that he
got up about 4 o'clock yesterday morn
ing to do some irrigating in the or
chard back of the house. After he got
up. she went to sleep again and did
not awake until near Z o'clock, when
she arose and prepared breakfast.
Crespin did not appear for breakfast,
and she, with another hired hand, Ig-
nacio Selva, who had just reported for
work, went to search for him. The dead
man had spoken of going to Albuquer-
que on some business, and thinking
that he had gone down the road, she
and Silva started down the road for a
nearby store. Not finding Crespin they
returned to the house and on noticing
the door to the wine cellar unlocked
(both claim they saw the paddock on
the ground) they peered inside and
found Crespin hanging as described
above. The alarm was then given, and
an effort made to find the justice of
the peace of the precinct, but he had
gone to the Rio PuercO country. The
woman stated that she and Crespin
heard noise, as If several were talking,
around the house the night previous,
but IN getting up to investigate could
found no one. She also stated that
Crespin had some difficulty on Sunday
with certain neighbors, but she did
not, in her conversation, say anything
that would connect them with Cres-
pins death. The woman, on being
questioned as to whether they had
quarreled, stated that they lived hap
PLY together and it was his usual GUS
tom to get up quite early and go to
work, especially when irrigation had to
be done.
II was her opinion that Crespin had
been followed, foully dealt with, and
his body carried to the wine cellar and
placed in the position as found, to give
out the idea that it was suicide.
Ignacio Selva, who was with the wo-
mar in her search for Crespin. was
next seen, and he confirmed the theory
advanced by the woman that the man
was the victim of foul play. Selva
stated that the rope used in the hang
ing did not belong to the premises, as
all the rope belonging to Mr.. Miera
was in the barn as left the night be-
fore.
After these interviews, Sheriff Hub.
bell telephoned to District Attorney
Clancy. telling him that no justice OF
the peace had shown up and asking
his advice in the matter. Mr.. Otero
also again telephoned to Mr.. Clancy,
and word was received to cut down the
body, in the presence of witnesses, and
examine remains.
At 5:15 p. m, the body was cut
down, the witnesses being Maxine
Chaves, ~Ignacio Gutierrez, Francisco
Gonzales and Carlos Martinez, and
carried from the celler into the house,
Here the clothing vas stripped from
the body, but no marks of violence
were found. There were a few skin
abrasions on both legs, just below the
knees. showing that these limbs had
come in contact with the barrel, but
no other marks, of any consequence,
were discovered. However, 1t vas the
generally accepted opinion by those
who examined the body that the man
had been sa~ndbagged, in fact killed,
and then his body carried to the wine
cellar, the paddock being hammered of
with one stroke, and then hung.
After this examination. Justice OF
the Peace Mondragon, from the Berna
lilo precinct, appeared, and held al