Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-06-27
shows Screed of Latter to Acting Gov
ernor Reynolds in Trelford lnvestiga-
ton Baseless Fabrication Defense
Treated Courteously and Fairly---
Hundreds of Useless and Silly Ques-
tions Asked Witnesses to Mislead
and Conceal Facts.

The investigation into the charges
of brutality and savage cruelty to-
wards certain convlcts in the Territor.
ial penitentiary by the present super
intendent of the prison, Arthur Trel-
ford. which has for some time been
conducted by Attorney General George
w. Prichard in accordance with in
structions from Acting Governor J. w.
Reynolds has been summarily closed,
the defense not caring, or not desiring,
or not daring to introduce evidence in
his behalf.
The New Mexican is informed that
the defense's attorney offered to intro.
duce witnesses provided their evi.
dence would simply be heard orally
and not transcribed Attorney Cen
eral Prichard could not see the sense
nor the reason for such proceeding
nor the good that would come Of 1t.
In an investigation of this kind to be
of any value whatever, Attorney Cen
eral Prichard held evidence should be
reduced to writing. Then the attor-
ney offered to introduce affidavits to
which silly proposition the attorney
general, of course, would not listen.
Exparte affldavits on any proposition
can be had In numbers as there are
always people who will take afi1davits
for certain secret considerations.
and especially convicts in the prison
to curry favor with the management
or in fear of punishment II they refus-
ed. Then the defense became "huffy"
and threatened sundry and dire actions
that would not only imperil the Ter.
ritorial government of New Mexico,
but might even shake the National
government in Washington to its very
foundations. Nevertheless, the attor'
ney general was hard and obdurate;
he simply stated, although suavely,
quietly and firmly, that the investiga-
tion, conducted by him would have to
proceed in accordance with rules Of evil
dence and in a legal and orderly man.
ner. Thereupon, after considerable
more bluster and bravado, impertinent
talk and impudent insinuations, the de-
fense and it's attorney withdrew from
the Attorney Generals Office and the
defense was carried upon the streets,
on the street corners and into one or
two of the saloons where an awful and
fearful retrbution against the Acting
Governor against the attorney gen.
eral and against the Santa Fe New
Mexican, and in fact any and every
body not willing to concede that the
charges we're not proven and that
Trelford was absolutely innocent and
wore a halo around his head, was
prophesized and speedy punishment
decided upon.
Thereafter the attorney for the de-
fense addressed a long letter to the
Acting Governor in which he charged
Attorney General George W. Prichard
with sundry and divers misdemeanors
high crimes, malfeasance and mis-
feasance in office, injustice, BULLDOG
ing, unfairness, ignorance of law, sup
preston of testimony, bossism, etc.
This epistle as was expected, ap.
peared in this mornings issue Of the
Albuquerque Morning Coyote Journal,
the acknowledged organ Of slanderers
libellers, blackmailers and tax-dodg-
ers. 1t covered over column. The
New Mexican reproduces it simply to
show it's Stiffness and its presumption
and as a matter of record. The letter
reads:
The Hanna Letter.
Santa Fe, N. M, June rs, 1907.
Hon. J. w. Reynolds, Acting Cover.
nor of New Mexico.
Sir:--In the matter of the investiga-
ton of the charges against Superin-
tendent Trelford of the penitentiary,
beg to advise that when the case
against Superintendent Trelford was
closed on yesterday, Mr.. Shearon, the
official stenographer, informed me
that he had been advised by the attor-
ney general, Mr.. Prichard, that his
services would not longer be required
and that the defense would be under
the necessity Of furnishing it's own
stenographer. Mr.. Shearon kindly Of
fered to act as stenographer for the
defense, but at such compensation as
would entail a heavy and unwarranted
expense upon superintendent Trel
ford. approximately $40 day or more
after which advice by Mr.. Shearon
attempted to secure another stem
ographer competent to take the tes-
timony to be offered, but up to the
present time, have been unable to