El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-31
ARREST RECALLS
CRIME Of THE
LONG hGO
Mexican Arrested Resem-
bles Man Once Charged
With Murder.


for the murder of a man named French
John. on the site Of the present union
| station, was arrested Saturday night
and a charge Of drunkenness dOcketed
against him Upon being arraigned in
court Monday afternoon he was fined So
on the charge
I Detective Harold and policeman
Cooper say he is Rodriguez who was
wanted for the murder and who dis
/ appeared from FL PasO Is years ago.
Immediately after the killing, but ne
I IS being held merely on a charge OF
| drunkenness. as the charge OF murder
/ against him was dismissed IN 1894
Deputy sheriff Ed Bryant says that
! on May Is Ornate sold a mule 70 John
! Brazel- The latter called in Bryant
i 10 find out If the sale would be per-
+ fectly proper and Bryant said he did
not know as he was aware OF the repu-
! tatiOn Of the man. who then told him
; that for eight years he had made his
! home on a ranch in Preside county
! However, Ornate declared that he had
! raised the animal himself and a bill
i Of sale was made out and attested b.
fore justice z. H Watson
I Dismissed for Lack ar Evidence
Bryant says that at that time he
knew the man to be Rodriguez, and
/ Investigated the old case, finding that
| 1t was dismissed in 1894 because Of
lack OF evidence. so Bryant allowed
| him to go.
District attorney W. D. Howe. when
asked Tuesday morning II he would
endeavor to have the man reindicted,
said: I have made an Investigation
and so far as I can learn everybody
but the accomplices IS dead, so It would
/ be next TO impossible to secure sufff-
cient evidence 70 warrant a conviction
! On December s. 1894, o. A Larrazola-
who was at that time district attorney.
had the case dismissed for lack Of
sufficient evidence. I have told the
police NAT If they can secure sufYi-
Client evidence TO hold the man, to do
So However, IL seems that If sufYf-
Gent evidence could not be obtained
two years after the killing. we can
not hope TO secure enough evidences
now. IS years after the commission or
the deed"
The police state that the only chargs>
against Ornate or Rodriguez. which
ever he may be. IS one Of drunkenness
on which he has been fined So and
which he IS serving out In jail.
The Murder.
French John owned a small sba0,
ranch al the Hueco natural tanks
which he had enlarged artifciaIlv.
These tanks are located in the Hueco
mis- SO miles northwest Of FL Pssc.
Charley Rhodus had control or the Ala
mo Springs. Is miles 10 the north. Rho
dus wanted the Hueco tanks ard de-
termined 70 have them
one Gay he went 70 the tanks and
French John shot him through the arm
-
came TO FL Paso and Il was a1Iege9
that he then hired four men 10 Inra
french John 20 lonely spot and muir
der MIN, II being required Of the as
sassins that they produce one Of the
ears OF the dead man as evidence that
they had done away with him.
french John came TO town. and he
was warned by friends that his life
was being sought However. he paid
no attention 70 this advice and. while
In his cups was lured 60 the Ione1vs
spot near .2e place where +bA ,,rto,
station now stands. There he wa. r,ur-
dered and his body thrown into the
axe after one OF his ears had been
severed from his body The BODY VA.
later found and identified as that OF
the Frenchman.
rodriguez. on his way to Ysleta-
stopped over. night with a Mexican
- iei-u' ana II was said, showed him
me ear Later. this man. hearing Of
'-e nnolng OF French Johns body, told
what he knew, and Rodriguez was in
dicted. but the witness later left AMI
rodriguez escaped and is believed TO
have gone TO Mexico.
Rhodus Killed.
Rhodus. who was left handed and q
crack shote was arrested for the. crime
ana released on bond While HIS trial
was pending, he engaged In several
shooting serapes and his left arm was
oaoIy injured and ne took TO practicfne
with his right hand. He was +bsn ~
jured in this member and again rva-.
back 10 the use Of his left hand. He
and man name CaufeIdt engaged in
hight with Oliver Lee, later United
states marshal ats Santa Fe N NJ
Snd Lee killed them both. II IS now
recalled T is said that the fact that
Lee rode with a cowpuncher swing
saved his life. for, as he swayed TO
start his horse, Rhodus shot at him
ana the bullet cut through his shirt.
Lee wheeled and sent four bullets into
the body Of Rhodus before he fell from
his horse dead. ". H McNew sn5
Tom Tucker, who were also engaged
In the fight. came 20 FL Paso. surren-
dered and were cleared. as Rhodus and
Caufeldt were alleged TO have stolen
their cattle and had opened fire on
them when they went to recover their
property.
Dick Wilson, who was also connected
with the murder ot French john
was arrested. but for lack Of evidence
was dismissed. Re is now serving a
term in the prison at Toraeon.
Mexico. on charge Of forgery y Is
understood
Impossible 20 Identify
Even should Juan Ornate be Juan
Ornate Rodriguez. which he denies. It
would be almost impossible. to estab-
lish his identity. for the officers who
declared he was the murderer have
not seen him for IS years. II" IS now
* wears OF age and has changed con-
50 that It would be next to
Impossible for hem to swear he was
tho man wanted.
FLYNN AND PAPF1E WIFI.
BOX IN los ANGELES
Los Angeles, Cal. May 91.-Jim