Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-02-26

tory Purdy had been drinking heav-
lily previous to the day of the murder,
and on that morning was under the in.
fuence of liquor. James Redding, too,
as the evidence showed, appeared in
toXicated. Conley was also a drink
ing man, but on the day Of the mur.
der, both before and after the deed,
was sober.
The three men started from Questa
for the Placers, and upon arrival
, there prepared meal and ate it, At
ter the meal, Conley said, Let us go
to work Both Redding and Purdy
refused TO go to work and told Con-
ley to leave the Placers. Conley turn.
ed toward his horse when, so Conley
claims, Purdy threw heavy steel
| skillet at him, which was found after
ward in the snow. Conley lodged it
and continued toward his horse. Purdy
and Redding each seized an axe and
Conley shot down Redding in his
tracks firing two shots, each suffi-
cient to cause death. He fired one
shot at Purdy who retreated to the
tent Conley followed and fred a sec
ond shot into Purdy, killing him in.
stantly. Both men were found with
the axes at their sides. Conley then
tied the flaps Of the tent and rode
into Questa and from there to Red
River, where he gave himself up the
following morning before daylight.
The Trial.
Upon his trial, Conley's plea was
"self Defense" while the prosecution
convinced the jury that Conley's deed
had been murder In the first degree
the trial being for the murder OF
James Redding.
The jury went out after supper and
returned it's verdict about 8 o'clock in
the morning. One juryman reported
that at first the poll stood seven for
! a verdict of first degree and five for
verdicts Of second and third degree.
| A motion for new trial was over
ruled. An appeal to the Territorial
Supreme Court was granted, but Con.
ley not having the means to pay for
transcript of the evidence, the Su,
preme Court could not review this and
could do naught but confirm the YER
dict and set the execution for Febru-
airy 16. In the meanwhile, the court
stenographer and district clerk fur
nished transcript of the testimony
free of charge, but efforts to reopen
the case proved futile, Governor Ha-
german refusing to grant reprievo of
thirty days for that purpose. A petit
jion for a writ Of habeas corpus, rails
ing constitutional questions, was de-
MED by Judge Ira A. Abbott of the
Second Judicial District. A day before
the first day set for the execution
representations being made to Cover
nor Hagerman that Conley had be-
come violently insane, reprieve of
ten days was granted, but the report
of Conley's insanity was unfounded
and therefore the hanging took place
today.
conIeys Statement.
Conley, after giving up all hope for
reprieve or Communication Of SEN
tence, made statement to q repre-
sentative of the Daily New Mexican
reviewing briefly the events that
brought him to the galows. 1t was
his request that it be considered his
dying statement and not to be publish.
ed until after the execution. 1t is as
follows:
"On the morning of January l6,
1905, I arose at o'clock. On my way
to the hotel of q. s. Redding, about
half way, | met his son, James Red
ding, who asked me whether was
going to work. answered that was
and asked him. Where are you 60.
ing? He said that he was looking
for horse and would go to work with
me, although he had been up all
night at wake, drinking and drunk,
but that he would be all right.
when I got to the hotel, I took off
my overcoat and left 1t in the office
and then went to get Charles Purdy
out of bed. saw that he was drunk
and laid on the bed with his coat and
vest on. When I called him, he rolled
over, reached under his pillow and Of
fered me whiskey bottle, saying:
Have a drink? | refused. He said
it was good whiskey and insisted up.
on my taking drink, but would not
do it. He took a drink and then sat
the bottle on the floor.
Il went to the barn, fed my horse
and returned to the hotel office, but
just on the outside met e. s. Red
ding. I bid him good morning and
told him that I had met his son up
the road. He replied: Yes, we were
up all night with him, he was sick
| told him that his son had been up
all night at wake, drunk.
''I made another effort to persuade
Purdy to get out Of bed. told him
that breakfast would soon be ready
CONTINUED on Page Eight.)