Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-04-07
Dies in Soil
tude After Long
Tramp Toward
Home.
FELL INTO BLAZING CAMP
FIRE.
Receiving Severe Injuries.
Wolves and Birds of Prey
Feed on Body =-- For
merly Lived Here.

The partly decomposed body OF Pla-
edo Ortega, twenty-seven years old.
which showed evidence of exposure to
birds and beasts Of prey was found In
Arroyo Hondo eight miles south of this
city by Manuel Rodriguez y Jiron who
lives in precinct No. II, yesterday af.
ternoOn. Jiron was walking through
the arroyo when he accidentally found
the. body. Just in front of where the
body lay, there were traces Of a fire
which fact leads the officers to believe
that while warming himself Ortega
had an epileptical attack and fell face
forward into the blaze. death probably
being caused in this way. The body and
clothing Of the man showed that they
had been burned and this strengthens
the theory.
After finding the remains, Jiron
came to Santa Fe and notified Sheriff
Antonio ]. Ortiz, who sent Deputy
Sheriff r. L. Baca to Investigate. Dep.
uty Baca was accompanied to Arroyo
Hondo by Undertaken Charles Wagner
The facts were found to be as stated
by Jiron, when the officer arrived at
the arroyo, and they removed the body
to the city.
The remains were taken to the un-
dertaking establishment of Charles
Wagner and prepared for burial, after
which they were removed to the home
of Mrs. Francisco Ortega, the mother
of the deceased who now lives on
Canon Road. An inquest was held
yesterday afternoon and the following
verdict returned
Territory of New Mexico, County of
Santa Fe:
"We, the undersigned, justice of the
peace and jurors, who were sum.
moned to investigate the death of
man, who was found dead in Arroyo
Hondo, eight miles south of Santa Fe
city, precinct No 4, find that the
death of the deceased was caused by
an epileptic attack, the only cause
known by the justice of the peace and
jurors. The man was recognized by
the witnesses sworn and they gave his
name as Placido Ortega. precinct No
g, county of Santa Fe.
"And we, justice of the peace and
jurors, who investigated the above
cause, have therefor found that the
deceased Placido Ortega came to his
death by am epileptic attack and prob.
ably fell in a fire, previous to the ac-
cldent. Signed, Jose Ma. Garcia, JUS
tice of the peace, Henry G. Mckenzie.
Sam Cienfuegos, Vicente Garcia, Jose
Lovato, Robert Montoya. John Laud.
vogh, jurors.
The following witnesses were sworn:
Manuel Rodriguez Jiron, Seferino vi
gil, Miguel Trujillo, Atanacio Vigil.
Melton Vigil, Simon Vigil, Luis Sena.
Thomas w. Hanna and P D. Johnson.
The unanimous opinion was that the
body was that of Placldo Ortega, sew
eral Of them being able to recognize
his clothing.
Ortega died while making his way
from Albuquerque to this city. Early
last January he, with his mother, went
to Albuquerque to live, another son
of Mrs. Ortega having secured en-
ployment in that city. Ortega went
against his will and few days after
they arrived in Albuquerque, on Janu-
larry 6, he disappeared, and had not
been seen nor heard of until the find
ing of his body yesterday afternoon. A
search was made but 1t proved futile
1t was at first thought that he had
gone to some of the ranches near
Torrance.
1t has been conclusively decided
that while on his way back to Santa
Fe had started fire by which to
warm himself and suffering an epllep-
tic attack to which he Is subject, fell
into the fire and perished.