Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-11-10
JUAN GARCIA
WAS INSANE
When He Killed His
Brother Floren-
clio Garcia.
-
TWO BULLETS IN BODY
Puzzles Officers-.-Witnesse
at Hearing Know Little
Homicide to Asylum.

--Homicide to Asylum.
That Juan Garcia is insane or was
mentally unbalanced when he killed
his brother is the opinion of the au.
thorlties who have investigated the
murder, Not much stock is taken in
the assertion that he shot his broth.
er because Of alleged affection for
his wife en- account of the advanced
ages Of the principals. At the pre-
liminary hearing yesterday afternoon
the self-confessed murderer was
bound over 10 await the action of the
next grand jury. A post mortem ey.
animation was held this morning ov-
er the remains of Florencio Garcia.
The funeral of the victim will take
place tomorrow.
Juan Garcia was arraigned before
Justice OF the Peace Jose Mr., Garcia
as stated in yesterdays New Mexican.
The little court room was crowded
almost to suffocation when the pre-
lmlnary hearing was called and
standing room was at a premium.
Most OF the spectators were drawn
out of morbid curiosity and doubtless
expected to hear sensational testi-
mony. The prisoner did not testify
in his own behalf and did not appear
to be much interested in the proceed
ngs. No attorney was there to act
as counsel for him.
Assistant District Attorney Charles
c. Catron was present at the prelmi-
nary hearing and piled the witnesses
with questions with the aid of an in.
terpreter. Fortino Ortiz, Magdalino
Casadoz, Nicolas Casadoz, Filiberto
Blea, Santiago Quintana and Manuel
Lujan y Romero, the young men who
discovered the body of Florencio
Garcia early yesterday morning lying
in front of the house of Juan Garcia,
We're the first witnesses examined.
They simply recited the circumstances
of finding the body while on their
way home from a "baile."
Mrs. Garcia Says There Was No
Quarrel Over Her.
Mrs. Rosario MaIril de Garcia, the
wife Of Juan Garcia, who it is alleged
was the indirect cause Of the tragedy,
was probably the most important wit
ness examined. However, her testi-
mony threw no light on the affair,
which has several peculiar features.
She said bhat her husband and his
brother had always been on friendly
terms and when she retired on the
fatal night they were chatting to-
gether good naturedly. She stated
that she went to bed before her hus-
band did and was asleep when he
retired. Earlier in the day she was
credited with saying that she heard
a pistol shot fired during the night
but she denied any such statement
while on the witness stand She
declared that the two men had never
quarreled over her to her knowledge.
SiXto Garcia, a nephew of the vic
tim and murderer, was the next wit
ness examined. According to his
testimony the brothers were in the
best of spirits when he last saw them
on the evening of the tragedy. He
said that he and his wife with their
children had called to spend the
evening at the home of Juan Garcia
and later in the evening Florencio
Garcia joined the little family gath
ering. He went home sooner than he
had intended, he informed the court
because his wife complained of be-
ing sick. His story was corrob-
grated by his wife when she was
called upon.
One Woman Heard Fatal Shot Fired.
Mrs. Emela X. de Garcia daugh.
ter-in-law of the defendant, who has
been making her home with him, tes-
tiied to having heard a shot fired
during the night, but she did not pay
any attention to it as she supposed
some of the dancers were shooting.
She did not know that a murder had
been committed until an officer
had knocked at her door and informed
her of the finding of the body out
side She stated that she had never
known of any trouble between the two
brothers, and knew of no reason why
they should have quarreled. Deputy
Sheriff Felipe Ortiz who placed the
defendant under arrest was the last
witness called He merely related
what happened upon his arrival at
the house and told of the defendant
making a voluntary confession.
After hearing the testimony Justice
Garcia bound the prisoner over to the
grand jury and fixed bail at $4,000.
District Attorney R. G. Gortner this
morning ordered that bail be revoked
however, pending an investigation as
to the mental condition of the defend
ant. Doctors J. A. Massie and David
Knapp have been given Instructions
to make a daily examination of the
prisoner in his cell for a week or two.
The district attorney Is practically
convinced that the murderer is in
sane. He does not place any credence
in the statement that the tragedy
was the sequel of difficulty between
the two men on account of the de-
fendant's WIFE, This theory on the
face of 1t Is ridiculous on account of
the ages of those concerned. The de-