Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-09-28
TODAY'S SESSION
DISTRICT COURT
Case of Romero Sanchez to Jury-Sen.
sational Testimony to the
Last.

County reconvened this morning at
O'Clock, Judge John X. McFie, presid
Ing. A. M. Bergere was at his pos
as clerk The Territory was repre-
sented By f A. Fiske, of this city
j. b. Lusk Of Taos. and julius Staab
Of Albuquerque. .....
A special session of court was held
last night from 1880 10 S:30 O'Clock
in order that all Of the testimony might
be finished yesterday in the case of the
Territory VS.. Juan Manuel Romero
charged with the murder of Estevar
sanchez. When court convened this
morning the attorneys began their
arguments before the jury, Judge Me
| fie having decided to allow each side
two and one-half hours in which to
talk.
Julius Staab opened the arguments
for the prosecution, followed by Chas
G. Catron for the defense, who in turn
was followed by j B. lnsk for the
prosecution. Wnen Mr.. Lusk conclud-
ed his address TO the jury, the noon
hour had arrived and court adjourned
until o'clock. Thomas b. Catron for
the defense and Il, A. iske for the
prosecution. continued the arguments
this afternoon, each having an hour
in which to speak and thresh over
the testimony that had been submit.
ted. When they had finished and the
case was ready for the jury the Judge
gave his instructions and the jurors
retired to consider the verdict.
Manuel Romero, went on the wit
ness stand yesterday afternoon and
testified that Estevan Sanchez made
u statement against his daughters
character when he went to the San
chez home and demanded a return of
the letter which caused the killing.
The statement is unprintable. Ro-
nero also asserted that as Sanchez
made this remark he jumped out of
bed and sprang toward the bureau
standing in corner nearby. He stat
ed that at this juncture he began
firing, thinking Sanchez was in the
act of going for a pistol.
Romero was forced to submit to a
rigid cross ss-eXamination and nearly
two hours were consumed in the TAX
ing of his testimony After his daugh.
ter had received the letter from San
chez Withdrawing the latter's offer of
marriage he said he went to the post
office to intercept the letter of ac-
ceptance that had been sent by Miss
Romero, He said Ramon Sanchez,
father of Estevan Sanchez, who is
postmaster at Penasco, had told him
the letter was already delivered. On
the afternoon of the following day he
went to Estevan Sanchez, according
to statements he made while on the
witness stand, and requested that his
daughters letter be turned over to
him. Romero said that he was anxious
to recover the mssive because he be-
leved Sanchez would show it around
to humiliate his daughter. When San.
chez informed him that the letter had
been sent he went back early the
next morning convinced that Sanchez
still had the letter intact and once
more demanded that it be given up.
Romero then declared the alleged
statement quoted above was made and
Sanchez leaped off of the cot on which
he was lying in the direction of the
mirror, wnereupon he shot in self de-
tense and at the same time to avenge
his daughters honor.
Romero denied emphatically that
he had talked with any of the guards
at the time of his arrest as to the
manner of the shooting which they
claimed he had done when on the
stand for the prosecution. He also
made denial of having discussed the
affair with any of the other witnesses
who had been produced. When he
left the stand the defense rested its
case, and the court took recess pre-
paratory to the night session.
EusebiO Sandoval, who had been
prevailed upon to accompany Romero
as a witness and was in Sanchez's
room when the shooting took place
told substantially the same story as
that which was later related by. Ro-
nero. Sandoval recited the conversa-
tion which he claimed the two men
had INDUCED in, and swore that the
deceased had made the assertion con-
strued to mean seduction. With this
remark he said Sanchez sprang toward
the bureau and Romero began firing
Mrs. Romero, wife of the defendant,
and Gregorio Griego son-in-law, were
the only other witnesses examined by
the defense. Their testimony was In
brief general denial of the conver
sation which the members Of the
posse said occurred when Romero was
arrested. Mrs. Romero admitted on
cross-examination however, that she
was not in tine room where her hus-
Ddtlu dllu JU6 OIutIS were dll lUS JllUt
as she had gone out to the kitchen
to prepare breakfast. While she was
in the room though she was positive
her husband had made no statement
whatever concerning the shooting.
Gregorio Griego claimed to have been
in the room when the arrest was made
and he said he was certain that the
defendant had not talked with the
guards as to the manner of the shoot
ing.
In the rebuttal during the night ses-
sion, the prosecution introduced one
new witness and recalled two others,
making total of twenty that were ex-
amined altogether for the Territory.
Miss Fileberta Vigil and Ramon San
chez, the two witnesses who were re-
called, told of the location of the bul
let holes. They said one bullet pass
ed through the top of chair which
was standing in another corner of the
NH oh,