Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1903-10-07
EXPERIENCE IF
 AN OFFICIAL IN
EXtraditiOn of a Prison
 CT From Mexico.
Sheriff Roberts Relates Something of the TOrtuOuS Methods Which
 Are in Vogue.

Sheriff Roberts failed temporarily in accomplishing the object of his visit to Mexico and returned without his prisoner. His failure was not caused by any inactivity or negligence on his part however, but was the nat ural result of the slow motion of the Mexican government in cases of this kind, and Chono Rios, the red handed murderer of fellow Mexican at Con- gress may yet be returned to this county to be tried for his crime, as unprovOked a murder as was ever com mitted in the county, if the records of the case on file in the office of the clerk of the court tells true story of the killing.
 Some time since Sheriff Roberts re- ceived a telegram from an officer in Douglas. wanting to know if Chono was still wanted in Yavapai county Supposing that be had him under sur veillance in Arizona, Douglas being in this territory, the sheriff replied, "arrest and hold Chono until my ar rival. The next he heard was that he had been arrested in Agua Prit ta, a small Mexican town just across the line from Douglas, and was being de- tained in jail there. In order to get him across the line Sheriff Roberts had to secure extradition papers. and armed with these he left about three weeks ago for Hermosillo, where his papers were presented to the governor of Sonora. That official referred him to the secretary, and the first thing the latter wanted was to have the papers translated. This, done they were re- ferred to the judge at Nogales and back MT. Roberts came to Nogales. The judge referred the case to the jus tice of the peace, or inferior judge, al Agua Prieta for investigation of the case, as that was the place the prisoner was being held. Over to Douglas and Agua Prieta the sheriff went with the papers and the official there was al lowed twenty days for his examination five days more to transit them to the superior judge at Nogales, who is al lowed three days to look them over and three more to digest them and de- eide his course of action. The case then goes back to the capital at Her mOsiilo for action by the secretary and governor. Mir. Roberts says that under favorable conditions the extra dition papers should get through the gauntlet they have to run and the va rious processes of law will have been finished by October 16 to 70, when he will ascertain the fate of the pris- Oner. He feels quite certain that in the final action in the case the Mexi- can authorities wilt turn him over to the territory for trial.
 In the meantime Rios is incarcer- ated in so caffed jail at Agua Prieta. The jail consists of hole 6NS feet, and six feet deep dug in the ground, and covered with trap door, A guard stands over the place all the time to prevent hIs escape.
 Sheriff Roberts talked with Rios who admitted he killing of the Mexi- can, but claimed self defense. Of course he did not bank very much on this pretense at the time of the kill ing, from the celerity be exercised in getting away from the scene or the homicide and across the Mexican line wheTt be thought himself safe.
 The crime of which be is charged is the murder of a Mexican at Congress in June, 1902. According to testi- mony taken at the inquest he and his victim were engaged in playing bill lards or pool, when a quarrel arose, in which Rios was hit with a cue. He walked out of the saloon and was gone from half to three quarters of an hour when he returned to the back door. His victim was at the bar with two friends, when Rios called to the latter to jump out of the way. lie then fired three shots into his victim and immediately fled the country.