Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-10-02
CO[FAX COURT
Details Of the Trial Of Wm.
Mimms for The Murder Of
Marshall Jones
NEW TRIAL WAN TED
Case Of Mob Leaders; johnson
and Wcbbcr Who Ask for Cle-
NANCY Given Two Years
NO COURT IN MORA COUNTY.

In the district court for Colfax coun-
III. the following criminal cases were
disposed OF at the term just closed
by Chief Justice Mills.
In the case OF the Territory VS.. +. p.
Cantou. who was charged with selling
liquor to minors, the defendant plead
guilty and was fined In the sum OF
500 and costs
J. G. Carredo, a justice of the peace
In the Blossburg precinct. was indicted
for unlawfully carrying arms. The
court imposed a fine Of 500 and costs,
which was paid by the defendant.
In the case Of the Territory VS.. VIII
liam White, who was charged with
stealing various articles from rail
road car in the yards at Ration, the
defendant plead guilty and was senten-
ced to eighteen months In the terri
torial pcnitentiary. White claimed to
be from Tarrytown, N. ", and had
been To California and was returning
to his eastern home, by the boxcar
route.
Messrs. Johnson and Webber, the
two young men who appointed them.
selves as leader Of the mob and on
the night Of June 18th, last, visited
the county jail and court house In
search Of the negroes who, 1t was
claimed had killed NghtMarshalJones
appeared in court and plead guilty to
the charge Of unlawfully breaking into
the county jail and court house of Col
fax county. They asked for the elem
ency Of the court, stating that they
had both been drinking and were car,
rled away by the excitement Of the oc,
casion. Webber had been in Ration but
! three months, and Johnson but about
| -four months prior to this occurance
and had been employed In the rail
road shops. They were armed with
sledge hammers and cold.chisels and
with these implements broke In the
doors of the jail, and residence Of the
sheriff. and searched through the
buildings for the negroes accused Of
the killing. Sheriff Littrell, having
heard OF the formation OF the mob, had
removed the prisoners from the jail,
and later brought them to Las Vegas
for safe keeping There was but one
negro guilty Of murder as the evil
dence afterwards developed. and his
four companions were discharged
from custody. Had the mob not beer
| frustrated by Sheriff Littrell. but sc.
cured entrance into the jail. II would
without doubt have lynched four In,
nocent men, as the evidence after
ward proved. Judge Mills reviewed
the case at considerable length. and
FINELY imposed sentence OF two
years In the territorial penitentiary
upon the two defendants. While
Judge Mills was passing sentence upon
Johnson and Webber, the jury was
still ons endeayoring to find verdci
In the case OF the Territory ,s. vii
liam Mimms. who was the one charged
with the murder OF Marshal Jones.
The time Of the court was occupied
for four days In the trial Of the case
Of the Territory w. William Mimms.
charged with the murder Of John
Jones, night marshal Of Ration, on the
night Of June 10th last MImms was
ably defended by Il. " Long. and
Messrs. J. A. Hill and r. Pacheco Of
Ration. while the Territory was repre-
sented by District Attorney Leahy and
Edwin u. Franks Of Trinidad. Colo.
The evidence In the case developed q
different state of facts from those re.
ported Immediately after the killing.
MImms and Ave companions were por-
tcrs and walters on q dining car which
was delayed NJ Ration on June 10th by
reason OF washout between Ration
and Las Vegas. They visited the sa.
loon of Ellis Jones. brother. Of the
marshal who was killed, and spent
some time IN the saloon. playing on q
piano and singing and playing at var
ious games. Night Marshal Jones
drank with them on several occas-
ions, and finally took offense at the
action of one of tho negraea In t,v.