Arizona republican., 1913-07-22
RAMOS MURDER
 TRIAL NOW 0N
After Many Postponements is Arraigned for Murder of Rojenio Castanajro at Gila Bend Last Fall One Witness Examined

After many pOstpOnements the trial of AIejandro Ramos for the murder l of his friend was begun yesterday morning in the superior court before Judge Phillips This case has aroused | a great deal of interest not only for | the brutality of the murder but for i the number Of times that it has been postponed.
 The first postponement was due to the fact that the defendants lawyer was stricken with smallpox. The sec ond postponement was due to the ab- sence of an important witness for the defense. Various other reasons IhaVe been interpOSed at different times by the defense and it was only during the last week that they were enabled to say that they were ready to go on with the trial.
 Ramos is alleged to have murdered his friend, Rojenio Castanjaro, at GiIa Bend one evening last fall. following a carOusal. The friend, who had not been drinking, passed some remarks to other parties present regarding the singing of Ramos, who was trying to sing a love song; Ramos resented the remarks, which he had overheard, and for d time refused to have anything to say to GaStanjarO. After an hours drinking Ramos recovered his temper and requested his friend to lend him fifty cents. Castanjaro refused the loan, saying that Ramos had had enough to drink for one evening and told him to go home. This last action caused Ramos to become very angry and he remarked to Castanjaro that he would kill him and furthermore re- quested him not to speak to him again. Shortly after this quarrel Ra mos left the scene of the carOuSal
 As soon as Ramos had gone Castan- jaro left the room, and just as he entered his house Ramos was seen to run up behind him and plunge a knife into him. Ramos immediately fled but returned a short time after ward to see if his victim was dead He looked at the man lying Weltering in his own blood and coolly remarked, "There you won't make any more re- marks about me nor refuse to make loans to your friends"
 Ramos disappeared during that night and the next thing heard about him was a letter received stating that he was in Juarez. The authorities in Juarez were asked to arrest him and
  could be made out and an officer sent for him. This the Mexican authorities did not do, neither did they deport the man, as they were requested to do.
 Sheriff Jeff Adams went to Fl Paso and received information that the al legged murderer intended coming across the international border one evening in order to collect some money that he had lent to a friend some time previously. As soon as the man crossed the line Sheriff Adams arrest ed him and brought him up to Phoe- nix and placed him in the county jail.
 This is the third time that the wit resses have been brought to Phoenix in order to give their testimony Some of them live beyond Mohawk, nearly a days ride from Gila Bend station, the nearest place that they could entrain for Phoenix.
 During his incarceration Ramos mas given very little trouble to the au- thorities. but the postponements of his trial have tried him very much' mdh- ing him very nervous
 Yesterday a venire of jurymen was chosen and then followed the tedious iob of picking the men who will be inc sole judges of the fate of the man who is charged with the crime. SeV- eraI of the jurymen said that they were opposed to capital punishment and were excused. The examination of the different jurymen occupied nearly the whole of the session, al lowing the partial examination ot only one witness.
 The first witness called was pr Richards. of Gila Bend, who testiled to the cause of death and who started +o describe the wounds alleged to have heen inflicted by Ramos. Ihe Wlt- ness said that the body of the NlcIlHl of the tragedy was frightfully hacked and any one of the wounds were sui ficient to cause death. There are also several eyeWitnesses of the crlile who will be examined tomorrow.
 The murder was committed on the fourth of November last, about seven a,o1ac1, in the evening, and it was not nntiI 10 o'clock that the authorl- tioe were informed of the crime. As eaop as the news of the murder reached Deputy Sheriff Perry ne e+ar+ad ont with an Indian trailer after the murdered.
 The chase led the officer out into the mountains and for four days the Indian was able to find traces o1 pamos' tracks. Then it was seen that the man was out of water ana l the officer doubled his energy i'll order to capture the man. Finally Perry found the trail of the man leading toward the railroad track, and when
 he arrived he found that his quarry
 had managed to board a train just
 six hours before.
 | Considering the fact that the of 1 ficcr had to wait for ten hours before
 he could pick up the trail that Ramos l left behind, Perry made excellent time | on the hunt and if he had had ar
 even break of luck he would have
 captured the man before he coulC l have boarded the train.