Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-11-17
CAME TO VOTE
WENT TO JAIL
James Pate Wanted
for Murder Easily
Caught.
COVERED WITH OWN GUN
Sergent r. w. Lewis Plays
Role of Politician With
Good Results.

want my nelp! sure, III vote for
YOU"
These words were addressed to
Sergeant r. w. Lewis of the New
Mexico Police on election lay by
James Pate as the latter rode up on
horseback to the polling pace at Mo.
gollon. Pate dismounted after TAX
ing the pro-offered ballot, and walked
up to the booth to 'depos'. his vote
into the box. AS he did Sc he laid
the rife he was carrying down on a
table, and the officer lost no sine in
picking up the gun. When Pate turn.
ed around he found himself looking
into the muzzle of his own Winches.
ter.
Thought it Damned Funny When Ar
rested.
81 thought it dam funny, that
you wanted to see me, and came
prepared to fool you!" Pate ex-
claimed when the officer informed him
that he was under arrest. William
Boswell, ranchman living in the
Mogollon Mountains in tine western
part of Socorro County, was found
dead with a bullet hole in his body
about three years ago, and it was on
a warrant charging him with being
the murderer that Pate was taken
into custody. Pate has since been
occupying the ranch and the authori-
ties believe they can prove mis- guilt
when the case comes to trial.
The victim of the murder was
commonly known under the sobriquet
OF Jimmy the Duck" He lived alone
on his ranch and so far as known has
no living relatives. He disappeared
from his ranch and nothing was
known Of his whereabouts until about
week later his dead body was
found. Pate was suspected of being
the murderer but nothing tangible
to connect him with the crime was
learned until several weeks ago. The
information was furnished to the Of
ficers by John Clark, a young man
who at one time was keeping COM
pany with Pate's daughter.
Clark is quoted as saying that Pate
wanted him as an accomplice, and he
fed into Arizona when the latter
threatened him with violence for re-
fusing.
Alleged He Tried to Kill Sweetheart
Of Daughter.
According to the story told by
Sergeant Lewis, who reported the cir.
cumstances in person yesterday to
Captain Fred Fornoff, Clark returned
to Socorro County few months ago
and went to work at Cooney. Clark
claimed to have been shot at from
ambush several times while on his
way home, and came to the conclu-
sion that Pate was trying to put
him out of the way He notified the
authorities of his suspicious and a
warrant was placed in the hands of
Sergeant Lewis. The officer went to
the Pate ranch to make the arrest
but Pate was not at home at the
time. "Tell jim I'm out campaigning
and want to see him." the make be-
lieve candidate said he told Mrs.
Pate.
The officer stated that the prisoner
had been in the habit of carrying a
gun with him constantly and he had
to employ a ruse to catch mis- man
unawares. Pate was arraigned before
the justice of the peace at Mogollon
and bound over to await the action
OF the next frand jury in the sum of
$4,000.
Lewis Tells Of Earthquake Damage
in soeorro.
Sergeant Lewis left last night fol-
Socorro. He was at his home there
at the time of the earthquake two
days ago. He said that while 1t was
the worst shake of all the amount oi
damage reported in the press dis
patches was greatly exaggerated. The
Masonic building was partially
wrecked, one corner falling out from
the second story up, and leaving a
hole about fourteen feet across. II
is an old twostory adobe building
and had been weakened by previous
tremblers. The only damage done tc
the court house was the shaking down
of several chimneys. One of the
chimneys at his home was twisted
around by the earthquake but he
belieaes that 1t can ebe shifted back
in place without any difficulty.