Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-08-30
WELL KNOWN new Mexico
BANKER And POLITICIAN
MEETS END ON RANCH
MYSTERY SURROUNDS AFFAIR AS He MUST HAVE LEFT HOUSE DURING
night AND GONE TO CORRAL WITHOUT AWAKENING ANY OF HIS
FRIENDS BODY WILL Be BROUGHT TO MAGDAlENA TONIGHT
SAD FATE CAUSES PROFOUND SORROW
IN ALL PARTS OF Big State

Manda,Ara, N. M, Aug. 30.-5oIo-
man Luna, the most prominent Span
ish-American citizen in New Mexico,
republican national committeeman,
millionaire banker and for years a
prominent leader in business affairs
and in all public matters in New
Mexico was found dead about seven
O'Clock this morning in a sheep dip
ping vat at one of his sheep camps,
seventy miles from this town, accord
ing to a report brought in today by
Elmer Fullerton, cattleman, who
lives in that vicinity.
Apparently Mr.. Luna had gone to
the vat early this morning to wash his
hands or to get drink of water. No
one saw him fall into the vat so it is
believed he leaned over the vat to
wash his hands at faucet and either
suffered a stroke of apopIexy, heart
failure or tainted, falling into the Vat
which was filled with three and half
feet of sheep dip composed of lime,
tobacco and water.
MIR. Luna may have been dead when
he fell into the vat and again he may
simply nave been unconscious and
have drowned quickly in the strong
solution used for dipping sheep.
His body is being brought into
Magdalena from where it will be sent
to Los Lunas, the home of the Luna
family for generations.
Mrs. Luna is in Albuquerque and
the news has been kept from her as a
total collapse is feared. She is not in
good health. Mr.. Luna had no chill
dren.
The death of Mr.. Luna in such a
tragic manner recalls the death of his
brother, Captain Max Luna, who was
drowned while fording a river in the
Philippine Islands, during the late
war.
CHAUFFEUR TELLS OF
TRAGIC ACCIDENT.
Elmer Fullerton, one of Mr.. Luna s
chaIffeurs, made the following state
ment to New Mexican correspond
ent.
"On the 21st of this montr. Mr..
Luna and | went from Magdalena to
Horse Springs, a distance of 20 miles.
Mr.. Luna retired last night at s
o'clock apparently in usual good
health. Edward NJ. Otero, Mr.. Luna s
nephew and Mr.. w. S. Fullerton, Of
Socorro, were with Mr.. Luna in the
room where they slept. Sometime
during the night Mr.. Luna got VI
and went outside without Mr.. Otero
or Mr.. Fullerton hearing Or seeing
him. The supposition is that Mr.
Luna was sick and went out of the
room over near the dipping vat to q
faucet, either to get a drink or wash
his hands. The faucet is right neal
the vat. He was apparently attacked
by heart failure and fell into the vat
ID. E. Spindler, of Albuquerque, o.
the U. S. bureau of animal industry
found Mr.. Luna's body in the vat a
4:90 this morning, and imnediatel!
notified Mr.. Otero and Mr.. Fullerton
who got into Mr. Luna's car ant
drove to Magdalena and told the peo
pie there of Mr.. Luna's death"
A party has left MagdaIena TO
Horse Springs and are going t,
bring the body to Magdalena wher
they are expected to arrive at abou
midnight. A special train will leav
=
bring the body to Los Lunas or Albr
querque.
The sudden death of Mr.. Luna caus
ed sensation here and throlghou
this section. 1t first became know
when Elmer Fullerton dashed int
town about noon today in one of Nj
Luna's cars and told his friends {
the tragedy. Fullerton was great
excited and said that while he and tn
friends of Mr.. Luna at the camp ma
made temporary investigation {
the accident, a more thorough inve
tigation was then under way.
An undertaken from Albuquerqr
was summoned and he will reach her
tonight to take charge of the bod
Friends of Mr.. Luna in this part
the country are arriving in the tow
to learn the details of his death.
AS nearly as could be learned, M
Luna's body must have been floatir
in the sheep dip for several hou
indicating that he had left the hou!
and gone to the vat sometime durir
the night. That ro simply stumble
and fell into the vat is out of all gu