Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-08-26
CHILD SAW
MURDER DONE
Horrible Crime Committed at
lordsburg and Slayer Jailed
at Silver City.
HEAD NEARLY SEVERED
Aurelio Martinez Uses Razor In His
Bloody Work and Victim Almost
Beheaded.
Special to New Mexican.

Special to New Mexican.
Lordsburg, N. NJ, Aug. ga little
boy while playing in the vicinity OF
the cabin of Crespin Martinez looked
in the window and saw Aurelio Mar
sinez cut the sleeping Crispin's throat.
The authorities were notified and they,
On entering the house, found the MUIR
x.ered man lying in a pool of blood and
life was apparently extinct. Medical
aid was at once summoned but the
man was dead before they could reach
the scene. The head was almost COM
pletely severed from the trunk and
razor was the instrument used in COM
hitting the horrible crime. The MUIR
slerer has been arrested and has been
committed to Jail in Silver City to
await trial.
Crespin Martinez and Aurelio Mar
tinez, while of the same name, are IN
no way related. They were apparent
ly good friends, however They were
together on the streets OF the town
last Thursday afternoon and both
were drinking. During the course OF
the spree they became involved IN
quarrel which lead to blows, but they
were soon separated, and to all ap-
pearances were afterwards as friendly
as ever. About o'clock Crespin Mar
xinez was seen to cross the railroad
tracks towards his home. Aurelio
Martinez followed in the course OF a
short time.
Nothing further was seen OF the
men until some little Mexican children
who were playing about the house OF
Crespin Martinez, gave the alarm that
a man was being killed inside. mo-
ment or so later another Mexican
rho waI neatly saw Aurelio Martinez
come out OF the back door of the
house occupied by Crespin and go to
his home. He carried his hands be-
hind his back as il trying to conceal
something. The authorities were NO.
rified and several went at once to the
place.
Deputy Sheriff McGrath went at
once to the house of Aurelio Martinez,
whom he found undressed in bed and
making an effort to appear that he
was sleeping soundly. He was pulled
out and told to dress. Martinez then
tried to get clean clothes out OF a
trunk and refused to tell where his
oil ones were hidden. A search found
them put away in small cupboard.
They were saturated with his victims
blood. Underneath the bedclothing
was found the razor with which the
deed was committed. The blade was
covered with blood and hair when it
was passed around the back OF the
neck OF the murdered man. There
was considerable excitement when the
arrest was made and Martinez would
probably have been roughly handled
IL his countrymen could have gotten
At him.
Justice of the Peace NJ G.. McGrath
empanelled coroner's jury and heard
the evidence in the case, resulting In
a verdict of murder at the hands OF
Anrelio Martinez. One Of the children
who was about the house at the time
OF the tragedy was before the jury
but was SO frightened that he could
not be induced to tell what he knew
1t developed, however, that he had
told his mother that he had looked In
to the window and seen the murderer
In the act of cutting the sleeping
mans throat. Other conclusive testi
mony was presented. At prelimi
nary examination Martinez admitte.
that he was guilty OF the crime ant
the only extenuation that he claimet
was that he had had good reason fol
doing what he did. When asked wha
such reasons were, he told conflicting
stories
The murderer has been in Lords
burg for two or three years. He wa
only recently released from jail In Sill
yer City after serving sentence TO
making a gun play