Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1904-03-19
DETAILS OF CASE
Facts IN the Trial Of Mrs.
Sarah ]. Smith at Los
LuRaS.
she WAS ACQUITTED


special Correspondence
Los Lunas. a. NJ. Wednesday. Mch
la-The court carly on Tuesday took
10 the case % the territory against
Sarah ,. Smith. charged with arson
The oncnso is alleged 90 have been
committed on the 29th day OF Octv.
Der. 1890, la lho Metropolitan hotel
elhuQucrquo. which was then bo.As
conducted 5y tho defendant The case
as made by the territory was 20 the
effect that about 6 o'clock ln the morn.
ing Of said day some ten distinct hrc
we're discovered ret in different room
~ iho building. ranging from a flIr
rirod blaze ln one u. thu rooms tl
mere scorchinsa in several othorf
The character of the asca indicates
that the person who started them be-
heved In kerosene rs c0mbugtlble.
a. Oh wa found ln each room. in sew
crul the nres having been started up.
On the bods The usual result. how.
ever. was not Chtalnod a. Ca nearly
ovcry case the fires were Intellectual
or go closely nlppod In the bud by the
pnciCnt hre department. under the 90.
roction OF Chief Ruppe. that they did
not more than get started The wit
neasoa FOR the prosecution were o s..
harron. who testified that be was the
hrut on the scene. having been down
to meet the early train thar morning.
Chief Ruppo. r. u. Kent George =
Brewer aud several others who testi.
hed 30 having smelled and tasted of
the kerosene. and OF many damaging
facts against the defendant Henry
Marcus. who rocmod there testified Go
having left his room that morning az
or 30 60 go 10 his restaurant near
~. and that when he returned during
the excitement OF the are found ovid.
enco OF a Gre having been started lh
hla room. Tho territory also proved
that not less than ave kerosene lamps
we're discovered empty and wet with
ou aud with the burners not screwed
Ca The defendant denied that there
sas not more than one lamp lu tho
building. and that she had no oil 90
the promises. No attempt was made
by the defendant To explain how the
hres wore started. the defense being
mat Mrs smith knew no more abou:
the nres than anyone else. and that
her husband on getting up az hiH usual
time that mornlng placed bis hand on
the wall and discovered that Il was
hOt and az once called TO bis wife the
defendant. that the house was on IRE
when be- rushed out 90 give the alarm
The defendant testified that she had
Col0rud porter twhO died suddenly
short time after the nrel. who had
charge OF the place after . y m.. an.
rather Inferred that he might be the
guilty party. she also testified 10 othC.
strangers in the house that nigh,
trace OF whom was lost The motive
attempted 10 be shown was the hnHn.
cial gain to- the defendant the terrific
~ showing by Bieckmann aud Brewer
that The defendant had taken out ten
policies aggregating several thousand
dollars over che real value uf The lE.
surod property in the building The
defendant had q very plausible explain
alton FOR taking out the two policies
saying that Mr. pieckmanu had trans.
ferrod hls policy which she carried
ia tao Roosevelt house ana having
brought lt 10 her unsolicited already
executed. and that Calvin Whltlng
who WAS an insurance agent and also
agent for the building which was own.
ca hy the Cooperative building aud
Loan association. agreed 10 have a
rear stairway built n she would give
him a policy. and that whom he hal
the stairs built she kept her word and
gave him a policy be knowing ot the
Dicckmunn policy % appeared on the
evidence that the companies adjusted
the loss boy which Mrs Smith received
SOME $40 aud A, Vlylaua $50 The
case was submitted 90 the jury at 10
o'clock on Tuesday nlght and the jury
in about half an hour returned a yer
diet OF not guilty Col Dobson repre-
sented the defendant and Mr. clancy
the territory The verdict was some
what 0f a surprise. though the ovld-
onco upon whicr u was sought 20 tie
the crime 10 tho defendant was purely
clrcumslantIal
The court today tried the case 9i
the Territory against Antonio Estra.
da and the Jury returned verdict nf
gullty in few minutes The defoni.
ant was convicted or a criminal a.
ault upon a young girl In her homo