Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-09-22
ON TRIAL FOR HIS LIFE.
John ConIey Faces a Jury on Indict-
ment for the Murder of Chas.
Purdy and Jas. Redding.

This forenoon, the case OF the Ter
ritory VS.. John Conley, of Red River,
Taos County, but formerly of Denver,
was called. The charge is murder and
he case is being tried on a change
of venue from Taos County. The trial
is one of dramatic interest. The pros
ecution depends upon circumstantial
evidence to make out it's case as there
we're no eye witnesses to the deed,
while the defense will set up the plea
of self defense. On the morning of
January 16, 1905, John Conley,
Charles Purdy and James Redding, all
three unmarried, left Questa on horse
back for placer claim, four miles
down the Red River from Questa, up
on w.iich Conley was to do the assess
mont work for the owner living at Min
neapolis. Purdy, aged 70 years, and
adding, aged 81, years, son of E. s.
Redding, the hotel keeper at Questa.
had been hired by Conley to work for
him. Shortly after their arrival at
the placers, about a. M, two boys
herding sheep in the vicinity, heard
revolver shots and going to the camp
they found Redding in the tent, shot
in the forehead and throat, and Pur-
dy about 25 yards from the tent, with
bullet holes in the throat and in the
EYE. Both were dead and each had
an axe lying near him. The boys saw
Conley leave the camp on horseback.
Conley rode to Questa and there pur-
chased box of cartridges from Hen
ry j. Young, the storekeeper, remark
ing incidentally that he had been
shooting deer. From Questa, Conley
rode to Red River Upon the news
of the murder reaching Questa, dep
uty sheriff went to Red River, where
a posse of citizens was organized. Con-
ley's house was surrounded, and some
time during the night he surrendered
to Joseph Phipps. He was held with
out bail and lodged in Jail. He was
later granted change of venue.
| COnley maintains that in quarrel
with Redding and Purdy over money
matters, the latter two attacked him
with their axes and threatened his life.
He drew revolver in self defense
and being a dead shot, he killed botn
men before they could harm him. Con-
ley is between fifty and sixty years OF
age and a Civil War veteran. His at.
torneys are Judge Oliver B. Liddell,
of Denver, an old friend, j. B. Lusk
of Taos Conley having been formerly
a client of District Attorney E. G.
Abbott, of Santa Fe, the prosecution
fell to District Attorney Alexander
Read of Rio Arriba and San Juan
Counties. He is assisted by R. H
Hanna and G. H. Spencer of the law
firm of Hanna and Spencer.
The trial now going on is upon one
indictment, viz, the one charging Con
ley with the murder of Redding.
| 1t is believed that the trial will take
several days and today was spent in
securing jury. At four o'clock thi!
afternoon the prosecution and the de
| fense had passed all the jurors fo,
cause, but the prosecution had made
one peremptory challenge and the de
fense four such challenges.
1t was II o'clock when Conley was
brought into court. He is a stockily
built, broad shouldered man, and wei
preserved for his age. He has regu
lar features, a somewhat florid com
plexion, bleached by his confinement
, in jail. His hair is sparse, darl
| brown and was carefully combed ant
parted. He has large bald spot OF
the back of his head. The defendan
was clad in dark gray-blue trousers
dark blue coat and vest, light blu'
J.. shirt with lay down collar and darl
tie From the upper side pocket o
his coat protruded a carefully folde,
}. white handkerchief. He seemed CON
t posed and self confident, except 70
n frequently twirling his brown, a
|. most sandy moustache, as he took hi
8 seat between his attorneys and facin
|, the jury box.
q He chatted and laughed with hi
attorneys, although talking with ther