Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1907-08-07
JUDGE MANN CENSURES
WILLARD vENlREMEN
Defendant Watches Jury Closely
and Court Room Is Always
Filled With Curious Audi
enCe---Startling De-
tails of Killing.


ciaD domingo Wales is on trial for
the assassination of Col. ]. Francisco
Chaves.
The crime was committed on the
evening of November 20, 1904, and
was one of the most dramatic trag
edies recorded in the criminal annals
of New Mexico. The victim was one
of the leading public spirits of the
territory and martyr to the cause
of good government 1t Is believed
that he was killed by an enemy
whose vocation had been unlawful
and who had suffered from lawful
prosecution invoked through the eff
forts of Colonel Chaves.
Following clues which would have
been prompted by such a motive, the
territory believes that it has wound a
net of cimcumstantial evidence
around Domingo Wales that will
bring him severe punishment.
Court Room Scene.
Judge Edward A. Mann is presd-
ing. The session is being held be-
tween four adobe walls, 40x25 feet.
These walls are covered by a loft,
which I'm turn is shaded by a cone
roof of pine boards. Exposed pine
rafters, supporting the loft, are but
three feet above the courts head.
The judges bench is a rostrum of
pine boards twelve inches above the
floor. Judge Mann's desk has a
surface about equal to the top of a
sewing machine. The bench occupies
the west end of the room and faces
east. The jury box has two rows of
straight back chairs of various shapes
and sizes on the right hand of the
court. The court reporter leans over
table about the size of the judges
desk, covered with white oil cloth,
placed directly in front of the jury
box.
Al. A..
and the defense sit at an oblong
table toward the east side of the
room. The defendant sits beside his
attorney, o. A. Larrazolo. The bulky
form of Captain Fred Fornoff, of the
territorial mounted police, occupies a
CONSPICUOUS position at the east end
of this table, close to the prosecuting
| attorney, f. w. Clancy, and near Mr..
Fornoff, is George w. Armijo, a
grandson of Col. Chaves, who is TAX
| ing an active interest in the prosecu-
ton of the case. The clerk of the
court occupies a high stool at a desk
| placed along the north wall of the
| court room. The remainder of the
court room is filled with chairs and
improvised seats made of nail kegs
and kerosene cans, and every avail
| able space is filled with curious
eager spectators. A. number of wo-
men are present at every session
Two open doors, one at each end OF
the buildings and two deep set win
and one in the north wall of the
building, shed an uncertain light over
\ the scene.
The Jur=.
The securing of a jury began Mon.
| day morning, at the close of the jar
| Clark case, but not until 10 O'Clock
| Tuesday morning after a day and a
| srfe 1, Tor, %
| two special jury Venires, was the pan
! el completed. But one English speak
| ing person was retained on the jury
| though many were summoned anC
| qualified. 1t was apparent through
| the entire selection of the jury tina
the attorney for the defense, Hon. o
| A. LarraZolo, hopes to win at leas
a lenient verdict from the jury
through race prejudice. Fully tel
| English speaking merchants and far
| mers of the valley, many of then
| having come from the states since th'
| assassination Of Colonel Chaves. wer'
excused by the attorney for the de
fense. The territory exercised all o
its challenges early and from tina
time on the defense had easy sailing
The jury is as follows:
Benito Garcia, Nicolas Baca, Pedrt
Jose Torres, Santiago Archuleta
Bonifacio Bachicha, Entmio Garcia
! NlcOldS MdillneZ, n. AlueFete, feiCl
ano Chayes, Camilo Aragon, Al Flick
ner, David Sanches.
Tho Assassination.
| Colonel Chaves was shot I'm a mos
| cowardly manner i'm the house o
Juan de Dias Salas at Pinos Wells
near Progresso. The latter is a small
| station on the Santa Fe Central rail
| road in Torrance county He ha,
gone % the house Of Salas' on tn,
| philantrophic mission Of deliVerinl
| to the bread maker of the famil,
| some pension money, which he ma,
been active I'm securing from the gov
| ernment. He had arrived at the Sala
home late. The early dusk of a Dleal
| November day settled as supper wa
announced. Colonel Chaves had bee
given a preferred seat at the .suppe
table. The table was showed agalns
| the wall beneath a low window
/ which extended past the left side o
the table so far that the ColOne
| leaned his left arm on the sill. Tn
| assassin slipped up to this windOy
and fired through the glass. The bul
let, a 3S-caliber, entered Colone
! Chaves' breast just I'm front OF the lef
| arm, penetrating the heart. He eX
pired instantly. Wales was arreste,
| for the crime on the Tuesday follow
ing by Richard Huber. then a GFput
sheriff of Santa Fe county.
Huber had been active seven year
previous with Colonel Chaves n
| breaking up a gang of sheep thieve
| that had infested the Estancla valley