Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-05-30
COURT ADJOURNS
IN TAOS COUNTY
Judge McFie Re-
turns After Busy
Week on Bench.
20 YEARS FOR GALLEG0S
Convicted of Unmentionable
Crime..Picuris Indian Child
Murder Case Not Tried.


Judge John X. McFie, OF the Flrst
Judicial District Court, who has been
presiding over the sessions OF the
May term of the court for Taos Coun-
ty, returned home yesterday afternoon
Although the docket was not large
one, the judge has had busy week
and succeeded In clearing the docket
pretty well. All civil and criminal
cases were called and while a number
of them were continued and others
were disposed of in other ways, sew
eral convictions resulted.
Concerning the term of court, Judge
McFie had the following to say when
seen last evening:
"Taken as a whole we had a very
successful term Of court. 1t closed
sooner than we expected on account
of a change OF venue having been
secured in the case of the Territory
VS.. Juan Manuel Romero, charged
with the murder OF Estevan Sanchez,
which was scheduled for this term OF
court. All the other business had
been disposed of and the case was
to have come up for trial Monday.
Both the counsel for the defendant and
the district attorney, however, appre-
ciated how difficult it would be to Sc
cure sufficient number of men IN
Taos County who could qualify as
Jurors, on account of the prominence
of the family OF the defendant and the
man whom he had killed. For this
reason a change Of venue was deemed
advisable and the case was sent to
Santa Fe County where 1t will be
tried at the regular fall term of dis.
trict court which convenes the first
week in September.
"The case of the Territory VS..
Manuel Bargas Santos Vialpando, was
another which was on the docket for
this term, but which on account OF the
absence of the defendant could not be
tried. vialpando is the Picuris Indian
who went away from home and upon
returning more than a year after,
found that a child had been born to
his wife. The mother had given the
child to another Indian family in the
Pueblo, but her husband learned of
the matter and securing the child
killed 1t. He was indicted by the
grand jury on the charge of murder.
His wife, however, claimed that the
child was dead at the time of birth
and an indictment was returned
against her also charging murder This
was done to secure conviction as 1t
is thought the Indian officials will com
pei her to tell the truth. Vialpando
is at present in Wyoming, but the
case will probably be tried at the next
term of court.
"The most important case which
came to trial was that OF the Terri
tory VS.. Vicente Gallegos, charged
with raping his own daughter, 10
years of age. In his case a convic-
tion was secured and l imposed
sentence of 20 years in the peniten.
tiary.
1--WE were fortunate in having the
best of juries composed Of intelligent
and conscientious men. The grand
jury could not have been improved up
on. They not only took up the matters
which necessarily came to their no
tice, but they raked up number of
old cases which have hitherto been ne
elected and returned Indictments
They took action against the saloon
proprietors who permitted slot ma.
chimes in their places and as result
all against whom charges were made
came into court, paid their fines and
took out the necessary licenses per-
mitting them to operate the machines.
William Adair, Lauriano Mares
and Jose Maria Valerie were appoint
ed jury commissioners and placed the
names of citizens In the jury boxes
from which they will be drawn before
the next regular term of court.
1--WE were cordially received at
Taos and during our stay there we
were most Hospitality treated. I have
nothing but praise for the people Of
Taos and have always enjoyed my
trips to that place. | never saw Taos
more beautiful than 1t is at present,
Crops are In splendid condition and
1t seems there Is water everywhere.
Streams run bank full from the
mountains, many of them twenty feet
wide, SO that agricuturists have no
difficulty whatever In securing ample
irrigation water. Farmers are raising
alfalfa, wheat, corn and oats as we'll
as many kinds of fruit.
Sheep raising Is also an important
industry in Taos County, and on ac.
count of the splendid pasturage the
animals are in the pink of condition.
Sheep raisers had an unusually sue
cessful lambing season and they are
pleased with the prospects for the
year.
I'm the northern part of the coun.
ty some work is being done on the
gold and silver mines In that vicinity.
OF course, mining will never be a good
paying proposition in that district un-
TIL the property owners have better
facilities for shipping their ores.
which believe will be in the near fu.
ture, as appearances are at present
that the st. Louis, Rocky Mountain &
Pacific Railroad will be extended to
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