Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-09-23
After Eight Hours Delibera +.
ton Santa Fe Jury Convicts
Member Of State House Of
Representatives.
DEFENSE ARRATGNs
MEN WHO LAID TRAP
Counsel for Prosecution De-
olsTss Not Guilty Verdict
Would Equal Charge Of Per-
jury Against Baca ct al.

"HEEtHA URAnnNrn 70 ttNfMlnH baernid
Santa re. n. a.. sept Sal. y.
Luccro, member of the lower house
~ the state legislature and q prom
inent figure ln the Room a. episode
q the first session 81 that body. WAS
early this morning found guilty OF So
licliation ~ bribery, the jury IN his
ease returning "a verdict al 4 a. ni.,
after having bean out eight hours.
hecauae the attorney for the de-
PENDANT =. 4. Davies. was absent
from Santa 70 nt the time the Ner-
Diet was returned. the usual motions
for a reversal of finding. new trial.
esc., were not made. If necessary APP
peal viii be taken 20 the state su-
preme court
The cnarges against Lucero impli-
cate also three other members OF the
house Of representative. These are
Luis r. Montoya. Julian Truiillo and
Manuel Cordoya. They arose ont OF
alleged events Ia connection with the
election Of one OF the United states
senators from New Mexico. selected
az the first session
The four men were charged with
offering FOR price. To vote for a
candidate 70 be named BY the man 20
whom they are alleged 20 have made
the offer Elfego Baca. The prose-
BUTTONS side Of the story continues 10
the effect that Baca. with certain
prominent Republicans arranged
trap Tor these men; hid ApolOnio a. (
Sena, then member Of the state
mounted police force. In bathroom
adjoining Room AZ. occupied ~
Baca. arranged Tor Baco 20 turn over
certain sums OF money 10 the four
men, ana then had an four arrested. I
n Is claimed thoy were arrested with I
the money ln their hands
The men themselves dlsciaim any
corrupt Intention or act They ass
serted that they had gone TO Baca's /
roam az hiss request and that they
did not know why he should give
them money.
Tho four were tried by the house
and acquitted. The matter was lator
taken up by the grand jury for santa 1
Re county and they were indicted
Lurero's trial 81 the first 20 be held
The other three will not be tried
until the next term ~ court
The prosecutors chief efforts Gen.
tered around the testimony Of A. Al
sena, Col. Vencesiao Jaramimo. Ei-
fego hacn aud Col Jose -. scna
These nen furnished the backbone
~ the story.
Many dramatic moments featured
the trial which closed this morning
one ~ these came when Edward
X. Wright ono OF the counsel for
the prosecution. declared yesterday
that failure 90 find a verdict of guilty
amounted ~ q charge of perjury dl-
rected az the four principal witnesses
named. Judge Wright suid
THE only way YOU gentlemen can
bring in a eerdict of not guilty b. to
believe that these four witnesses for
the state. Col. Jose -. sena. col Ven
ceslao JaMmilio. Elffeo Bnca and
ApOionio a. SonH. deliberately and in
cold blood committed perjury. If you
should return verdict of not guilty
thar is what d would mem"
This statement promptly brought
mn exception from the defense but 30
was overrulcd Judge E a.. Abbott
holding THAI 81 was not improper
~ ~ Davies Tor tho defense, See
voTeiy scored the men responsible
for the trap" imputlng to them the
intention ~ diseipllning the four men
Tor failure 90 obey party mandates
Issued hy themselves
ne said in part These men who
had controlled ono dcaunics of the
party Of tho state, whose viii had
boon law. who had the say OF what
WAS proper and what was not, saw
nt therefore 90 plan "a trap, "a damn
able trap to catch these four men.
That's why they had Elfogo naca
invite them into that room NO a..
They said. How wili that man Lu-
zero and his colleagues dare deny
the word Of Venceslao Jammiilo. on
of Elfego nara. on 90 Col Jose %
fenaf We ere prominent men. We
are the Republican party Itself we
arc tho people who mr who shan run
Tor the Legislature. VINO shan run FOR
district attorney and who shall run
for offices so on, down the linel
VIII these poor farmers from
ilio Arriba and Taos counties dare
deny our word
Mr UpVics spurned tho idea that
the trap had been planned aud
sprung IN the interests of party puf
'iY ns had becnN advanced by some (
and declared that whatever the men
had done was but the practice of
methods taught them by those who [.
them"
Congregational Ladies' AID