Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-11-27
TORRES ON TRIAL
FOR CHASTITY
MURDER
CHARGED WITH KILLING
NEGRO IN CALAB00SE
Victim Pounded to Death With
Stove Poker; Eye Witness of
Midnight Tragedy Gives
Graphic Account Of Crime,


The case Of the territory versus
Leopoldo Torres. charged with MUIR
dering Louis Benefited. a coiored man,
on April 8 last. was taken up in the
district court yesterday afternoon, FOL
lowing the reading of the verdict in
the Zamora case. Benefited died in
the hospital on April g from the re-
suit of injuries alleged to have been
received at the hands of Torres the
previous night. The colored man vas
pounded TO death while he slept in Il
cell ut the city Jail. Robert Kincaid,
a cook, was the only man in Jail on
the night the affair occurred, with the
exception of Torres and Benefited.
kincaid was the chief witness for the
prosecution yesterday and told his
story with much attention to detail,
kincaid was locked in a cell and did
not see any trouble betwee Torres
and the colored man. but declared on
the witness stand yesterday that he
heard an awful racket during the
night The witness stated hat he had
been arrested for drunkenness and
admitted that he was awful drunk"
He declared, however, hat he sobered
up about 10 o'clock at night and
talked with both Torres and Bene-
field; who had not been locked in cells
but enjoyed the liberty of the corri-
dor. According to kincaid, Torres
made a desperate attempt to murder
him at IL O'Clock at night following
the fracas between the native and the
colored man.
He came to my cell" said Kin
caid, m armed with a stove damper
secured from the heating stove in the
Jail. pounded on the paddock for near
~ an hour in an effort to break 1t and
get at me. / poked my hand through
the bars to push him away and he
smashed me with the damper, break-
ing a bone in my hand"
Kincaid stated that he called for
assistance for more than three hours,
without avail, Torres all the time cx-
erting himself to the utmost to get
into his cage.
Benefited was evidently beaten on
the head and other parts of his body
while he was sleeping. as he was a
man of powerful build and could have
easily handled Torres in a physical
encounter. Benefited was buried
here, attempts made to reach his kin
proving unsuccessful
1t is understood thai the defense |
for Torres win consist in an effort to
prove that he was insane while in ,
Jail, had been for some time previous
and Is still of unsound mind.
The case is being prosecuted for the
territory by District Attorney G. s.
Attorney Manuel L. Vigil is
defending Torres. The case will
probably not go to the jury before to-
morrow.
ZainOra Found Guilty.
Pedro Zamora, the young man on
trial for an attack with a deadly
weapon upon the person of Sario Ar
milo. was found guilty. according to
4 verdict rendered by the jury yes
Zamora was charged with
Armiio with a knife during a
brawl which occurred near
Robinson park on september ,. Ar
milo was indicted for the same of.
.cnsc and will probably be tried later
the term. Sentence was not
Pronounced on Zamora by the court
yesterday.
La-aicr Ia BE Tried.
The case oil the territory versus
l.. Lasater. indicted in Valencia
county on a murder charge. viii be
AIKEN az in the Bernalillo county dis
riot court on December ,, a change
II n having been granted by the
curt. Lasater is charged with kill
ng a man during a fiesta near Los
-unas some three years ago.
Holstcrn Gocs e P~cnitentiary.
TruNton HolStern. the youth who
guilty to larceny n burglary
Who made things warm for the OFF,
by escaping from the county Jail
while awaiting transfer to the
eform school at Springer and again
" escaping from sheriff Jesus Ro-
nero. after he had brought him back
rom Las Vegas. will not go to the re- I
orm schol but will be sent 10 the
tc%nitentiary for "a term of from one
three years. according to Il COM {
nitment issued by Judge Ira A. Alb 5
yesterday.
New Suit Filed. :
Hcacock and Loughary. attorneys
or NJ. Wisbruu. filed a suit in the dis
court yesterday. asking Judgment
cafnSt Schuartyman and With for 7