Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-10
SAYS FATAL SHOT
WAS AN ACCIDENT
ASCENSION VELA TELLS OF
C0RRALLE'S DEATH
Prominent Member Of Mexican Colon,
at chatsworth Park Testifes In
Own BehaIf-oirl Denies
His Statement

Charged with the murder of his
friend and companion, Ascension vela,
prominent member of the Mexican
colony at Chatsworth park will TODAY
learn whether he is to be held guilty
Of the charge or whether his story of
accident will be accepted.
The young man took the stand ves-
terday In Judge Smiths department of
the superior court in his own behalf,
and with tears in his eyes told of the
desperate battle in the dark with an
unknown adversary and Of the shoot
ing which resulted in the killing of his
friend, Jesus Coralles, on the night of
August 5.
Vela was the chief witness produced
by the defense. He is a slender. we'll
formed Mexican, with clear cut fea-
lures and voice as soft and musical
as that of a native Castilian.
AS he spoke he twirled his small
black mustache with his we'll shaped
fingers and the color came and went
In his face. Time and time again. as
he narrated the story of the shooting,
he leaned toward the iurymen, the
muscles of his face working with sup
pressed emotion and his hands waving
with the expressive gestures of the
southland.
"At half past six on the evening of
August 5 l left my work at the camp
and went home with Senor Morales
my friend" said the defendant. in
Spanish. An interpreter quickly trans
lated and the accused man continued.
Began to Drink
"I spent a few moments at the house
and then went to a store with Senior
Morales where he cashed check.
That started it, and we went to the
Chatsworth hotel, where he ordered a
bottle of beer. 1 was his guest, so 1
did not pay for the beer, and then
Senor Castillo and Senor Coralles came
in, and they ordered more beer, which
they paid for. We had several bottles
of beer, and when we started home we
were all drunk.
Morales was in a bad condition and
Castillo and Coralles helped him along,
while l staggered after them as best I
could When we reached the school
house l was so sick that l could go no
further, and L fell down in the road and
went to sleep. How long l stayed there
l do not know, but when l awoke 1 re-
membered that l had received a note
that day from Senorita Dolores Miriam
da, my sweetheart, in which she asked
me to come and see her. 1 had had
some trouble with the girls mother.
and I wanted to fix it up, so l went to
their house and knocked at the door
" 'Holloa,' said Senorta Dolores.
It's me- 1 answered. and she opened
the door. DO not come in she said
for my mother returns from the fruit
picking tomorrow and | wish to see
you tonight. Come down to the tent
II went to the tent with her and we
sat for while and 1 said, We'll. what
do you WANT? and she answered, L
wanted to see you, for this Is the last
time l shall ever see you. My mother
forbids you the house. We stayed there
some time and then 1 heard footsteps
approaching and she said, Quick,
crawl under this cot, and I did so. and
then Castillo entered l thought there
was some one with him but could not
tell.
Says Girl Ran Away
"He spoke to the girl in English and
said, Who is here?' and she said, NO
one and then she ran out of the place.
He lit a match and as he did so he
stumbled over my feet Come out
from there, and let me kill you, you
- he said, and at that |
became angry and L said Here |
come
HE seized me and threw me over
the bed and choked me, and when | |
felt that l was about to die from the |
choking l drew my revolver. He was
lying across me and / could feel his
heart DedtlnS, ana l. could not lind 1t |
in my heart to kill him. So I held the
gun to one side and fired in the air |
Then he jumped up and we went out
side the tent and he caught me by the
throat and threw me to the ground, |
and started to choke me and again | |
could have i7::....yt..- him, but I clubbed |
him over the head and he let me go. |
and ! went home. The next day L was |
sick. and that afternoon l was ar
rested.
Il did not know that the stray shot
that / fired when protecting myself |
from Ramon Castillo had hit Jesus
Morales. my friend, in the head and
killed him, until 1 was arraigned before
the justice at Fernando.
Then Miss Dolores Miranda, daugh-
ter Of Donna Margarita Miranda, a
wealthy property owner of Chats
worth, was called. The young woman
positively denied that she had ever
seen her lover on the night of the
killing of Coralles, denied that she had
spoken to him that day, branded him
as liar and step by step undermined
his testimony.
Argument will be heard today and the
case will go to the jury.
II believe" says a Billville philos-
opher, that if we finally reach Para
disc we'll worry about having to fly
too higb a,o5 Stpo too oFto,,