Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-20
CONVICTED OF
HORSE STEALING
MARTINEZ MAY GET HEAVY
SENTENCE
Mexican Who Is Accused Of Cattle
Rustlng Tried and Found
Guilty in Record Break
ing Time

In one of the shortest trials In the
history Of the local courts Joseph Mar
tinez, said to be the leader of a des-
perate band of cattle thieves of FL
Monte valley, was tried on charge
of grand larceny before a jury in
Judge Smiths department of the su-
perior court yesterday and found
guilty.
It required just one hour for the
selection of the jury, the examination
and REORGANIZATION of witnesses,
the instruction of the jury and the
finding of the verdict. The jury was
out less than three minutes.
When the case was called nearly
two hundred ranchers from El Monte
and Covina were in attendance and
the trial was turned into a sort of
Christmas holiday for the visitors.
Tall, slim Mexicans with wide SOM
breros lounged in the corridors of the
court house, smoking strong cigarettes
of the lowered wall paper variety.
Many of them wore scarfs, gaudy in
the red, white and green of Mexico,
while others were content with a spris
of holly or bunch of orange blos-
SONS.
Enters Court With Sheer
Martinez, according to the allegations
against him, has been the chief worker
in securing n return of the old cattle
stealing days and nearly all the thefts
of lei Monte neighborhoOd for the past
two years have been charged to him.
When the accused entered the court
room yesterday there was a general
murmur among the spectators. but he
looked at them with his head held high
and a sneer on his lip. The old man,
for such he is. then seated himself be-
side his counsel and buried his face
in his hands. His appearance was to
a great extent against him. He Is
slightly over medium height and of
slender build. His skin is SO wrinkled
that various patterns for carpet and
wall paper designs might be secured
from the corrugated cutcle. He was
unshaven yesterday and his long,
greasy hair and hang-dog expression
made his appearance tally in every re-
spect to the description given by wit
nesses who claimed to have seen the
theft of some of the cattle.
Martinez, according to the testimony
yesterday, enjoyed some degree of safe
ty because of the fear in which he was
held by other ranchmen.
May Get Long Sentence
Nearly dozen witnesses testified
that the old mans actions were most
suspicious, while many had seen him
hanging about near the corrals from
winch some OF the horses had been
taken.
The case before the court was that
of the theft of a fine black mare from
the ranch of w. S. Sawyer at FL Mon
te. According to the evidence the mare
was valued at $780, but was sold to j.
E. Munsey of East Main street for $25
Munsey was later arrested on charge
of receiving stolen property, but was
released. He testified at the trial yes
terday.
Several similar charges are pending
against Martinez and Monday he was
identified as the perpetrator of a horse
theft from Ell Casino ranch near Co
vina. If he is found guilty on the
other charges, the evidence in which is
nearly Identical with that produced
yesterday, his final sentence may
amount to about two hundred years.
The other members of the Martinez
gang have been arrested by Deputy
Sheriffs Joe Sepulveda and Bert Frank
lin and are now awaiting trial.