Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-09-26
TAKING EVIDENCE
IN MURDER CASE
Henry Romero Is Allowed to Testify
in Trial Of Benito Chaves and
Raimundo Ronquilo.

territorial district court FOR santa
Fe county reconvened this morning at
9 O'Clock, Judge John r. McFie pre-
siding and Clerk Francis G. Wilson,
at his desk. The territory was repre-,
sented by 0. A. Larrazolo as special
counsel.
Jose G. Griego was substituted yes.
terday afternoon on the regular panel
Of the petit jury to fill the vacancy
caused by the sudden illness of Poll.
carpio Valencia, which interrupted the
trial Of the murder case of the terri
tory versus Benito Chaves and Raj.
mundo Ronqulllo. The jury sitting In
this case which was re-sworn yester-
day afternoon consists of Allen Archu.
leta, Margarito Chaves, Bernardo Cha
YES, Teofllo Lopez, Encarnacion Sala-
zar, Vidal Trujillo, Chas. Wheeler, Jr
Luis Moya, Secundino Griego, Doreteo
Sais Pasquel Sais, and Jose G. Grego.
Considerable time was taken up to.
day relative to the introduction of
testimony by Henry Romero who is
one Of the principal witnesses for the
prosecution, and Is now serving
term of life Imprisonment in the terri
torial penitentiary for murder com.
mitted In Rio Arriba county Romero
was present at the time Rufus O.
Tucker was killed in this city on the
night of June 10, 1906 and whom the
defendants in this case are charged
with having murdered.
Attorney T. B. Catron who is coun-
sci for the defendants objected to per.
mitting Romero to give testimony on
the ground that being a convict the
latter's evidence was invalidated. He
maintained that the law enacted by
the recent legislature allowing con.
victs to testify did not affect Romero.
However, the court allowed Romero
to 60 on the stand and Mr.. Catron
could attack the creditability of the
witness.
ROmero's examination consumed an
hour or more. He related the circum.
stances connected with the tragedy
which occurred at "bailie." Chaves,
he said, struck Tucker blow with
his fist which knocked Tucker down
and then Chaves and Ronquillo kick.
ed the PROSTATE man repeatedly. Up
on cross examination, witness said
that the dead man was intoxicated at
the time and was elected from the
dance hall, but returned almost i'm.
mediately.
Romero was called upon by the
counsel for the prosecution to de-
scribe In detail the manner in which
Tucker was lying when it is alleged
he was kicked and beaten to death
by Chaves and Ronquillo. William
Tucker, a brother of the deceased vol
unteered as a subject in showing to
the jury the position in which his
brother was lying after being knocked
down.
Vicente Escudero, who had testi-
fled yesterday morning before Juror
Valencia became sick and had to be
excused was recalled yesterday after
noon after the jury had been REIN.
panneled and told again what he
knew of the tragedy. He was pres
enr at the dance and saw the fatal
affair. He claimed to have seen Tuck.
er knocked down and kicked. flor.
! entina Lobato who was examined
this morning before Romero told a
story which practically corroborated
that Of Escudero. She said she saw
Chaves kicking at Tucker while the
latter was lying down but did not
know If he actually kicked Tucker.
DR.. David Knapp who held a post
mortem examination over the re.
mains Of Tucker on the witness stand
this afternoon said that in his opin
ion fuckers death was caused by an
internal hemorrhage in the left plural
cavity, which was found during the
autopsy to be filled with blood. Two
Of the ribs on the left, side he said
were fractured and there were bruis-
es on the body.
| At $3.50 o'clock this afternoon the
| prosecution rested its case and the
examining of witnesses for the de.
fense was begun.