Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-01-07
MORE TESTIMONY
MORRIS CASE
Stories OF Witnesses to Shooting of
Catalina Lobat, at Lary--Con.
tinued to tuesday

Taking of testimony was resumed
at O'Clock this afternoon before
Judge John r. McFie in the prelimi-
nary hearing of John M. Morris, the
express messenger charged with the
murder of Catalina Lobato,
Jacobo Valdez was the first witness
called to the stand this afternoon. He
testified that he had entered the lunch
room in which the shooting took place
Immediately after the deceased and
sought safety behind the lunch coun-
ter when he saw Morris draw his gun
and begin firing. He stated that Ca
talino Lobato did not have his pistol
in his hand at the time he entered the
lunch room and was carrying a Ian
tern in his right hand. When Morris
began shooting he said the deceased
drew his revolver but that he did not
discharge it.
Ramon l.obato, the brother of the
dead man, was the next witness eX-
amined. He said that he was with
his brother and Valdez at the time
but that he did not go inside He
said that he stopped at the window
and looked into the lunch ROOM He
said he saw Morris pull his revolver
and Morris fred three shots in rapid
succession He started for the door
then to see where his brother was
and Morris fired fourth shot at him
which missed.
Sheriff Charles c. Closson, who ar
rested the slayer after the shooting,
was called upon 10 identify the pis-
tol with which the fatal shooting was
done. The pistol was presented in
evidence as having been the one found
lying near Lobatos side and he rec
ognized it as the one given to him
! by Morris.
At the preliminary hearing by
agreement all reference to the alleged
mob and the assault upon Ramon I.o-
| bato previous to the shooting was
omitted.
At the conclusion Of the testimony
today Judge McFie gave the defense
until 10 O'Clock tomorrow to decide
whether or not it would introduce
witnesses at this hearing.
The following additional evidence
was adduced at the preliminary near
ing on Saturday:
Mrs. Charles +. Peaper the hotel
managers wife, was in the lunch
room at the time of the tragedy, but
she was SO badly frightened she
could not give positive details She
said she was reading a newspaper
when the first shot was fired and
| glanced in the direction of the door
in which the natives had entered. She
testified that she thought that thu
first shot was fired from this door
Asked what led her to believe thai
the shot had come from that direc
ton she stated that she judged sc
by the sound and upon looking
towards the door she saw some
smoke. She did not know how man,
shots had been fired in all. She sale
that two of the three men who hat
entered by this door had guns il
their hands. She said that she was
sitting on the opposite side of tht
lunch counter from Miss Carrie eli
thero, the waitress who was the sec
ond witness called to the stand Sat
urday and whose story of the shoot
ing was published at that time
George Bath, George Keisinger ant
Fred Hammer, three train men whit
were eating in the lunch room wheI
the shooting took place, told sub
stantially the same story They SAT-
that they were sitting side by sid'
at the time. Both testified that HI
was sitting at the far end of th'
lunch counter near the kitchen whel
he saw three men enter the doc
from the railroad platform and th'
one who was killed few seconds
later had a revolver in his hand HI
did not know whether any word
were spoken or not. He stated tina
he saw Morris begin shooting bu
was not sure as to how many shot
were fired.
Keisinger, who was sitting next t.
Bath, corroborated the latter's test
mony in regard to the actual shoot
ing. He said he heard Morris shout
stop there!" Upon looking aroun
he saw three natives enter the lunc
room through the main entrance an
one of them was carrying a revolver
He stated that Morris shoute
another warning and he saw Morri
begin shooting, He said that the ns
tive who was holding the gun stoo
fired and then moved rapidly towar
the Office door. He said that Morri
fired three shots at the man after h
was irving to get out. He declare
that the natives did not fire an
,, shots.
Hammer was seated next to Keisir
ger. Hammer testified to havin
seen the three men come into tn
lunch room and told OF the shootln
that followed. However his test
mony was different from his compar
ions in one particular. He said tina
, 1.-THE man who was killed was carry
ing lantern on his right arm and h
did not see any pistol. He testifie
that he saw Morris shooting at tn
native who was killed after he wa
apparently trying to escape.
Eliseo Romero was the last WI
ness examined at the hearing Satu
day. He was member of the corr
ner's jury which held an inquest owe
l n