Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-04-18
SANTA RITA KILLINGS.

county. The particulars are told In the
following article taken from the Silver
City Independent:
Santa Rita, n. NJ, April 12.-This
camp was a scene OF a double killing
last evening. In which two men, Fran.
cisco Portillo and Guadalupe Mendoza.
met their deaths at the hands OF II. r.
Muse, deputy sheriff The men were
shot while resisting arrest, and the cor.
/ opers jury returned a verdict exoner.
ating the officer from all blame.
The tragedy was the direct result OF
the drunken conduct OF the victims.
Portillo and Mendoza, with two com.
panions. Manuel Roblero and Pillar
Gonzales. had been drinking pretty
freely, and during the day. in order TO
add to tneir so called pleasure, secured
team and spent several hours driving
about the country tributary to Santa
Rita The wagon and harness they
borrowed from Mariana Islas and the
horses from Julian EsquiDal In the
afternoon they went to Hanover and
Flerro and while n. these places were
very boisterous In their behavior, dis.
charging guns on more than one occa-
sion during the course of their ride.
When they returned to Santa Rita, Mr..
lslas learning of their doings and the
rough treatment which they had been
giving his outfit, went before Justice
Of the Peace =. J. Howe and swore out
warrant for their arrest. About
the time this was done the men were
seen driving abont the camp and Judge
Howe asked Deputy Sheriff Muse to go
with him and make the arrest. When
the officers found the men they were
inhitchlnk the horses near the home of
Mr.. Islas and here they had been very
profane in their talk towards some
ladies who we're nearby.
Some conversation took place at this
point, the substance of which was that
the men were to consider themselves
i under arrest and to be present at the
justice Of me peace court In the morn.
ing for trial. Portlllo and Mendoza
were ugly In their behavior and we're
ordered taken to Jail. Deputy Muse
| then started of with the prisoners, a
brother OF Portillo accompanying them.
| After proceeding n short distance. the
two prisoners refused to go any furth.
er and parley ensued. during which Mr..
Howe reioined them. Portillo especi.
ally was disposed TO give trouble, and
Howe and the brother attempted to
pacify him and have him go along with
the officer. While this was taking
place Mendoza had gotten around on
the other side OF Muse as II to get pos.
session OF his gun, and the latter had
anticipated the action by drawing II
himself With a profane utterance
Portillo broke away from those who
were trying to hold him and went for
Muse. and at the same time Mendoza
came at him from the other side. Real.
lzing the danger of his position, Mr..
Muse fired two shots-one at Portillo
and the other at Mendoza.
His aim was terribly true. Portillo
fell back with bullet In his heart and
died instantly. Mendoza, who had also
been shot through the heart, staggered
step or two and dropped dead The
whole thing had taken place SO quickly
that even those who were there did not
for second realize that two lives had
been forfeited AS soon as 1t was
known that the men were beyond
earthly aid their bodies were picked up
and delivered , friends.
A coroner's ,ry was empanelled
and after hearing the evidence. re-
turned a verdict OF death at the hands
OF Deputy Muse and stated that the
killing was justlfiable. Muse testified
that he believed his life to be in danger
when he fired, and his testimony was
corroborated by those present. The OF.
icer will be given a preliminary ex.
animation Tuesday and there Is every
reason to believe that he will be exon.
GRATED at that hearing. Muse was per.
fectly cool and collected during the
trouble. He says that the men were
attacking him and he acted In self de.
Tense. At the time. he was under the
impression that Portillo's brother was
a third aggressor. but 1t seems that his
presence was due to desire to keep
his brother out OF trouble and he made
no move against the officer.
Portillo and Mendoza were buried to.
day, the former at Pinos Altos. his for
mer home. and the latter here.
Portlllo was about 20 years OF age.
and has been resident of Grant coun-
ty since boy. He lived in Pinos Altos.
but has recently been at Santa Rita,
where he was In the employ OF the
Santa Rita Mining company. He was
a large sized man. and physically
much superior to Muse He was mar.
ried. but was not living with his wife.
his wife.
Mendoza was about SO ears old and
was employed on one OF the leases. He
was unmarried and had not been in the
country long. having come here from
Old Mexico.
The killing occurred just above the
concentration plant on the main road.
Public opinion In the camp Is with
the officer. There Is some feeling
among the Mexican people over the