The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1909-06-16
THEIR BOND
ISREDUCfD
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The hearing of III. A. Irwin and wife
Leila Irwin, was finished before Judge
VIM. III. Pope in district court at $3.50
las. night and the defendants were
ordered held for the investigation of
the first grand Jury OF the new county
of Curry and their bond was fixed al
$1,000 apiece, which will ibe easily fur
nished according to a statement of the
attorneys for the defense. The new
bond comes as a big reduction, since
the prisoners had been ordered held
by the justice of the peace under a
bond of $4,000.
The trial was a habeas corpus pro
cedure, brought in the ~so-cal1ed Black
Hand case from Clovis, by which Mrs.
Irwin and husband hoped either to be
discharged from the charge entirely,
or to secure the reduction in bond,
which was granted. Their attorneys
were divided as to their feeling over
the outcome of the trial. C.. E.. Shep-
pard, OF Sulphur Springs, stated that
he secured all he expected in he trial,
namely. a reduction of the bond that
put b case more nearly on its prop
e plane OF importance. Fred McDon-
aid, of Clovis, stated that he had hop
ed for a complete dismissal. R. E.
RoweNs, the third attorney for che
defense, did not express himself on the
result other than to say that lie on
sidered it a victory for the defense.
These attorneys state that Mr.. and
Mrs. Irwin, through their relatives in
Sulphur Springs, Texas, could easily
have given the first bond set, but they
did not consider it in keeping with
the severity of the punishment in
such where guilt is prove
The hearing last night was attend
ed by "a good sized crowd, in spite OF
the warm weather. There were sever
al women In. h audience. Mrs. Irwin
was on the stand much of the W.
ing, and gave a DOL and straightfor-
ward account of the whole transact
ion. She showed some emotion dur
ing the cross-questioning and later in
the evening, when Judge Pope CAV
his decision, could no longer refrain
from tears. She created no scene, how
ever, n did not give herself UP to
sobbing until court was adjourned and
nearly all the attendants had left the
room. She was almost carried
NY ho A4uNboho W NAS OSA ~
hotel, where they have been stopping, |
with an officer always present, during
their stay in Roswell. Mrs. Irwin
claims to have been in a state of
vous collapse at the time this trouble
came on, and this morning when she
and her husband left for Portales, to
make bond. she was apparently COM
p1etely broker in spirit. She vas heard
TO say: 81 don't care so much for this
decision, for I known / ann innocent,
that we are bound to come clear final
ly; but the thought of the stigma this
affair will put on my name is more
than / can bear"
All The parties Interested in the
case who remained through the SEES
SION last night left his morning for
their homes in Portales and Clovis. 1t
is a good case for Roswell to be rid of.
The following is an exac copy of one
OF the letters that was introduced as
evidence in the case, with mis-spelling
and improper capitalization the same
as in the irigina1 and shows the nature
of the proposition:
Cd. K. -. J. s. Fitshue
Use Your Anf1uance TO give Irwin -.
Wire Freedom at once VIII give You
to June 15: Fail it means Death for
Conv1cting They aae. .~Innosent. Do
This You Win-NeveT, Be Annoyed A
gain fail to do so your, days are Num-
;bered. ~
BLACK HAND"
It develops that Mrs. Irwin has been
connected with courts before, but not
in the place of defendant. She is one
other than pretty Leila Flannery, for
merly of Dennison, Texas, who was
some time Court Stenographer I'M |
der Judge Townsend at Ardmore and
later deputy clerk OF Johnson county,
Oklahoma. She is an accomplished |
young woma and is also a school
teacher. She is 26 years old. Her hus-
band, who is under arrest with her, |
Is H. A. Irwin and they were married
at Wichita Falls, Texas, October 8,
last year. He is the son OF w. I. Ir
win, a wealthy and highly respected
OF Sulphur Springs. Texas. No
evidence has come out so far TO con-
meet Irwin with the case, but 1t is con-
ceded by everyone that, in the nature
of things generally, If Mrs. Irwin is
guilty, he must be in che plot.
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