Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-07-12
S, Sganzini, Refusing to Sign
Paper, Is, Beaten and DOped
and Narrowly Escapes Death
ABSOLUTE MYSTERY
SURROUNDS THE CRIME
Well Known Citizen and Irriga-
ton Promoter Held Up In
Heart of City and Nearly
Killed,

In this city on saturday morning
and commanded to sign a paper, the
! contents of which We're unknown to
;him, but which he thought would re-
/ suit disastrously to the company he
! represented. Christopher Sganzini, of
! the Sandia Land and Improvement
I company was beaten. doped and left
ito wander aimlessly around until dis
/ covered by Or. l.. N. Chambrlin on
! the steps of the Cromwell office
ibuilding. Mr.. Sganzini is still In a
serious condition at the residence of
! one of his friends on South First
street, under the care of his wife ana
Ia physician. who cannot at this time,
1tell when he will recover from his in
juries.
/ Nothing Is known of the men who
| committed the attempted blackmail
| upon the wounded man, as Mr,
| Sganzni has scarcely been rational
since he was discovered on the steps
OF the Cromwell building. AT that
/ seems to be known OF the entire at
| tair is that four men were connected
with ii. and they finding that then
victim was not amenablc to their
| threats beat him up frightfully, al
ministered "a potent drug. took him
without the building. probably into
| the alley back of their rendezvous,
! and left him there
ON Saturday morning Sganzini, who
| lives on ranch on the Tlieras can
yon, was teiephoncd tor by parties
who wished to confer with him upon
| o business matter.
Little suspecting what. was IN store
flor nim, he hitched up his buggy and
came on into town, tying his rig In
front OF the First street resort wnieh
had been named as the meeting place
business to transact with MN. "A
of the men. who had the supposed
was then directed up to room IN
the mouse. and arriving there ne
found four men, all of them Italians.
He was thercupon handed paper
and told to sign IT, This he refused
to do He felt that he ought to have
time to look into the matter before
he signed any paper that might DC
brought forth in the future to com
promise either himself or his iamliy
or the company he represented.
Immediately after his refusal, the
men pointing pistol began to urge
him to sign the paper threatening all
kinds of dire results should ne not
40 SO. II was NuHHN0A'N Wy Wv ''N'
who seemed to be the ringleader OF
the gang, that since Sganzini was
man of lamily he might just AS well
save himself much future trouble and
90 ahead and sign. Il will not, was
rhe instant reply. This thing might
compromise the company | represent
as well as reflect upon me, and my
family" by this time two of the men
nad gotten in the rear Of Sganzlni.
and about the same time he was
struck on the back of the head and
struck also on the jaw, and Knocked
insensible. Whether or not he was
struck with a pistol or club he can
not tell. Wnen on the ground he
was evidently kicked as his body
shows many severe bruises on the
ribs and in the ncighborhood OF the
spine His law is swollen and his
neck is badly bruised. The wounds
are so serious that concussio nof the
brain may result
II is also believed that ehloral was
administered as he cannot remember
even in mis- most rational moments
exactly how he came to be IN the
place,
As soon "a he came to, he wandered
about until he found place To rest !
on the stems of the Cromwell building, |
There he was found by DR.. Chamber
lain. who assisted him to mis- office |
upstars, and callcu John w Wilson |
to his assistance His actions seemed
to indicate that he was out of his |
head. A physician was Immediately !
sent for, and Judge Adams, across
the hall, WAS called to help, the
lime he was round on Saturday morn
ing seems to Indicate that this was
three hours after he had been knock
ad out His horse and buggy whieh
he had htched In front OF the FRS,
street resort, was found tied on Gold
avenue, On Sunday morning after
standing there more than "a hours.
After the arrival Of the physician
AT the office Sganzni lapsed again in
Ia nnconsciousucss and has been SO
nearly the entire time until last night
he was at last reports resting easy
but could not be considered rational
He complains continually OF ms
Iead.
AS soon as the seriousness Of bis
condition was determined team
yna despatched to the raeh on Ii
ieras canyon. where his wife and
'amlK lives. and Mrs. Sganzinl was
to the city
rhe injury To Sganzinl who Is n
yeJl known and respected citizen OF
albuquerque. and who has lived here
or several years. has created
,reat stir throughout the city. not
,nly in the Italian colony but among ,
he rest OF the citizenshlp as welt
he identity 81 the men who commit
ed the cowardly deed Is not known,
,ut every effort will be made to ap-
,rehend them. (
Sganzini was connected with the
of the Sandla Land ana
Improvement company which bought q
he old Selva place on Tljeras can :
on. acquiring valuable water rights d
nd he was engaged In promoting on
irrigation scheme upon the mesa =
orth of town. n