Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-12-27
xSx~xx xxxxx = $

Developments in the case of Davit
M. White who was recently appointed
assessor of this county by the board
|of county commissioners to replace
Marcelino A. Ortiz who was elected ir
November, 1906. to the Office and ex
ercised its duties up to date, are be
coming rather interesting Mr.. Ortiz
declines to recognize the right of the
county commissioners to create Q
vacancy SO he today informed rep
resentative Of the New Mexican. This
morning he went to the office of the
assessor in the court house and found
It locked. He could not open the dool
with his key and hence broke oper
the lock of the door and entered
the office room. He appoint
ed Page B. Otero as deputy assessor
and claims to have complete charge
of the Office and records with the ex
ception Of two books which had dis
appeared during his absence He
tnAde the following statement:
Statement BY Mr.. Ortiz.
II claim to be assessor of this coun
ty by election and by having properl.
entered upon my duties. l do not rec
ognize the action of the board of coun
ty commissioners In my case as lega
and while admit that the board has
a right to fill vacancy it has not the
power to create such. II the boards
appointee has any legal claims to my
Office he must establish them In the
courts. I have not resigned and dc
not propose to resign. Should the
court decide that l am ousted l shall
abide by its decision and vacate
promptly and peaceably. | am law
abiding citizen and seek no Trouble
David M. White who holds under
the appointment of the board wa also
seen by a representative of this pa
per. He stated that he did not desire
to make the least trouble and would
not engage in unseemly strife or dis
turbance, that he was Of the opinion
that he was the legally appointed ant
qualified assessor of the county, and
therefore would institute proceedings
to establish his rights to he Office and
to perform its duties as soon as his
attorneys, T. B. Catron and A. B. Rem
chap return to this city.
Mr.. Catron is now in Arizona ant
Mr.. Renehan at Las Cruces
Mr.. White had no remarks tc
make upon the action of Mr.
Ortiz in forcibly entering the
Office, except that he believed 1t was
unlawful and uncalled for. This mat
ter he said would be settled in the
proper court.
Whether the county has two assess
ors or only one will be decided II
is expected when proceedings are
brought on behalf of Mr.. White. In the
meantime Mr.. Ortiz has actual posses
sion of the office.
Chairman Sparks of the board OF
county commissioners gave the New
Mexican the following interview with
reference to the case:
Chairman Sparks Explains Action
"The board of county commissioners
that is two Of the members, Mr.. Roi
bal and myself, (Mr. Madril voting
No, looked upon the matter as sim
pie, plain duty in the interest Of the
tax payers and citizens Of Santa Fe
county, duty that every business
principle, as we'll as the principle Of
right and wrong, demanded Of them
1T will be remembered that Mr.. Or
tiz, because Of his unfortunate illness
has been unable to give any attention
to the duties Of his Office since early
in June. In fact at the June meeting
when the county commissioners met
for the purpose of reviewing the work
of the assessor, Mr.. Ortiz's unfortun
ate illness rendered him wholly incap
able of performing any duty at that
meeting or rendering the board any
assistance in the work.
"The tax payers, where raises had
been made BY the assessor over the
returns made by the property owners
should have been notified by the as
SCISSOR Of his action In the matter
which would have given them the
right accorded BY law to appear be