The Socorro chieftain., 1906-08-04
CHARGES ARE FILED
Ry Attorney Elfego Baca Against
Several Of the Officials Of So
zorro County
BEFORE GOVERNOR HACEWMAN
Malfeasance in Office and Perver-
sion of Public Funds and Prop
erty are Charged

Attorney Elfego Baca has filed
charges with Governor Hager-
man against several Socorro
county officials. The opinion
generally expressed in Socorro is
that Mr.. Baca's action is due TO
motives of personal spite. The
Chieftain does not care to pass
upon the question of MIR. Baca's
motives. but the paper will try
to do a little investigating of its
own and give its readers the re-
suits, whatever they may be.
The countv'S financial affairs
we're never in better condition
than now; still if anything is go-
ing wrong that fact should be
made known. On the other
hand, if charges are made with
out foundation that fact, also,
should be made known.
The following concerning Mr..
Baca's charges is taken from
Wednesdays issue of the Santa
Fe New Mexican:
Attorney Elfego Baca arrived
this morning from Socorro in or
der To prosecute the charges he
filed some time ago with Govern
or Hagerman charging malfeaS-
ance in Office and perversion of
public funds and public property
against Leandro Baca, sheriff,
and Eduardo Jaramillo and AL
fredo Armijo, county commits
sionerS of Socorro county.
1t is alleged by Mr.. Baca that
Sheriff Baca purchased sundry
articles for the use of county
prisoners from Eduardo Jaramil-
10, chairman of the board, who
has a small store about eleven
miles south of Socorro, and that
these were not used for the pur-
pose for which they were pur-
chased. This, Mr.. Baca claims,
shows conspiracy between these
two county officials to do the
county" The bill in this case
amounted to S64
GOODS NOT USED FoR COUNTY
PURPOSES.
In another bill amounting to
$50, contracted by the sheriff
with Abran Abeyta, also a So
corro merchant, Mr. Baca alleges
that a similar state of affairs eX-
lists and that the goods were not
used for county purposes. He
also calls attention to the fact
that the sheriff received so cents
per diem for the feeding and
maintenance of prisoners and is
not allowed under the law to pur-
chase other supplies for their use
or the use of the Jail. 1t is al
legged by Attorney Baca that
Sheriff Baca has converted these
supplies to his own use and ben
eft. Attorney Baca has true
copies of bills in these cases,
which he has filed with the
charges. At the last meeting
of the Board of Socorro County
Commissioners, the board allow
ed the treasurer and eX-ofiicio
collector S71 for postage stamps,
alleged TO have been spent on
county business.
WARN ENOUGH TO DO wIToUI
WOOD.
Mr.. Baca claims that, as the
collector receives 4 per cent OF
all taxes collected, he should pay
for his own postage and that the
county should not pay for the
same. Another bill that is OBJ
iected to is one for coal and WOOD
amounting to S67 furnished dur
ing the summer and Attorney
Baca is of the opinion that il i,
plenty warm enough in the So
corro county Jail during the sum
mer months without the use o
coal and wood.
There are other serious char
ges and it is understood tina
District Attorney II. A. Wolforo
and Attorney Jas. G.. Fitch will
aid Attorney Baca in the prose
cution before the Governor
The date will be determined af
ter the arrival of Mr.. Fitch, VIII,
is now in the northwestern par
! of the Territory and is expecte,
: here Saturday or Sunday.
Two children of Mr.. and Mrs
Jos. Epple, Joseph Jr. and Mary
have been quite sick for severs
days with malarial fever, but al
now improving