El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-02

son. who had been notified prior to
this that he would have to resign or
procee dings would be filed against him
for malfeasance in office, sent in his
resignation, although he had refused to
do SO before and il was received by
telegraph soon after the tragedy 9th
ers who had held commissions as dep
uty sheriffs in MOgOllon had their COM
missions revoked. Charles Clark had
at one time been commissioned as 4
deputy sheriff, and after the arrest Of
Estes and Day, his commission, with
others. was Cancelled on the goth Of
August as disclosed by the records
prior to the shooting.
William Day, who is now and was
incarcerated in the county jail here at
a time before the killing made
statement in which he said the bad eIe-
ment at Mogollon had threatened seri-
Gus injury at least to the members of
the mounted police if they were called
in to run that camp. and that they
did not propose to have them come
there and close them up. Information
has been received from other sources
which shows that the. feeling in Mogol-
lon against the investigation of the
killing Of Jose Dominique was strong
" resented, although a few of the
citizens did go out on horseback look
this resentment was directed particu-
larly against the mounted police and
it is also claimed by recent visitors
to the camp that there was a senti-
ment against the sheriff's department.
Conditions Are Bad.
Within the past few weeks condi-
tions at MogollOn have been anything
but peaceable, there having occurred
one robbery, two holdups and the kill
ing of Jose Dominique before this
shooting, and taking into considera-
ton the population of Mogollon this is
a bad Indication. A person who is
said to have been near the scene of
the killing of Charles Clark states
that Clark fired the first shot and this
statement is corroborated. Officers
and others who have been at Mogollon
since the killing are emphatic in their
statement that Beal and Putnam did
what any other officers would have
done under like circumstances. That
Clark was not such a peaceful and de-
sirable citizen has been attested to by
William Day and Estes, who have made
statements regarding him and his con-
duct before his demise, and they claim
to have known him pretty well, having
been frequent visitors at the saloon and
Joined in numerous poker games with
Clark night after night.
1t is claimed that there are % or 80
people anxious to appear against Beal
and Putnam as witnesses, although
there were only two witnesses to the
tragedy outside of the principals, and
this anxiety, it is said, is an indication
of the desire of a certain element of
to get rid of the officers who
were sent in their midst by the county I
officials of SocorrO county to remedy
affairs out there and break up a camp
Of vicious government. Burnside, for
nerly constable at Mogollon, but who |
resigned after the arrest of Estes, |
stated today that during his incum- !
bency he had also been threatened at
the point of a gun for trying to enforce !
law and order in the camp. For a while |
after Clarks death it looked as though
Beal and Putnam would have another !
fight for their lives and it was only due |
to the arrival of other officers that |
stringent measures were not taken. !
This is how conditions there are said to |
be, taken from the reports of officers !
and disintereSted parties familiar with |
the situation.
Capt. FOrrOffs Statement.
Capt. Fred Fornoff, in an interview |
this morning said: This tragedy is the !
result of a combat between law and !
order and the vicious forces, which. un- |
prevail in nearly all iso- |
lated mountain camps and a desire by !
the bad element for wide open condi- !
tons The dive has had a terrible eff |
feet in MogcSlon as they have had in all /
communities where they are permitted /
to exist. My men are in the MogolIon |
at the request of the law 1
officers of SOcOrro county. including
the sheriff and district attorney and /
the men who represent industrial en- /
terprises tributary to Mogollon 1 will /
use every endeavor to preserve peace |
and order in MogOllon or any other dis /
trict where L am called upon to con- /
troll similar conditions in accordance |
with my duties and know the men with |
me will do the same.
The people who profited most by |
the wide open conditions existing in /
MogollOn are the loudest in their de- |
nunciation of the acts of Beal and Put
man and every effort that has been
made by others TO preserve peace and |
order in that camp. They are taking |
care to be active against |
these mon but after the hold-up of the |
two Mexican women ard the robbery
there was little SORROW or feeling in |
the affair but rather the camp was |
alive with some jubilant pleasures that |