El Nuevo mexicano., 1916-05-11

The people of New Mexico and the
entire southwest owe no debt Of graft
tude to z. c. Wade, Jr, for interest
ing himself, without compensation, in
behals of the seven Mexicans convict
ed at Deming and sentenced to 'be
hanged in just eleven days. Further
more neither owes a debt Of gratitude
OF anything e'se o the Albuque .0ue
Morning Journal and other weak sen.
timentalists for attempting to defeat
the ends of a justice. that has laid
heavy hands quickly on the murder
Gus s~coundrels who killed American
men and in the dark hours
that preceded the dawn of the red
day Of March 8 at Columbus in the
southern part of this county.
BY the innocent American blood
spilled on that day, the Graphic vows
that such unwarranted misrepresen-
tation shall not lack challenge.
The Journal states that: Except
their own testimony, which could not
have been required of them and which
their attorney should not have por-
mitted them to give, there was not
one iota of evidence that they had
participated in the Villa raid" This
statement never would have been
made by the editor Of the Journal had
he the slightest first-hand knowledge
Of the conduct of the case or the law
Involved.
1t is true that the captured wound
ed bandits at first openly boasted of
their connection with the raid, be-
cause they, in their ignorance, al
ready held their miserable lives as
forfeit. But it is untrue that they
were convicted ON such evidence
given under oath when arraigned in
a court of justice on a charge of mu--
der. It is unfair to Mr.. Wood, attor-
ney for the accused men, to state
that he in any way contributed to
their conviction. Mr.. Wood fought
every phase Of a hopeless legal battle
to save the worthless ~carcasses of the
seven professional bandits, and the
story which the Mexicans told on the
stand vas totally unlike the one
which they recounted before they
knew that a determined American at
torney stood between them and their
deserved fate. 1t is remarkable that
Mr.. Vaught, states attorney, did not
interpose a single objection during
the course of the trial and extended
every courtesy to the opposing coun-
sci. The Mexicans were put on the
stand at their own request and be-
cause their attorney could do moth
ing else to explain why the defend
ants were captured in and about Co
lumbus on the morning Of March 8
with rifles in their hands and steel
jacketed dumdum bullets in their
belts. The stories they told under
the guidance of Mr.. Wood were in
genious and the Journal has accepted
their version and even improved up
it. The bandits could not well
help connecting themselves in some
way with the raid, yet the Journal
says there is not an iuta of evidence
to that effect. The contention that
the seven were forced into the Villa
service was another clever play Of a
clever attorney under oath to do the
best he could for those he was APP
pointed to defend. But the Journal
gives this pathetic lie as if it were
Gospel. The state introduced at least
one witness who actually fought with
one of the defendants and shot him
down while he was in the act of fir
ing his rifle. -Four other residents Of
identified the villain.
American Wives Promised
The state placed Jesus Paiz on the
The Mexican boy told how be
stood by his father, who was n of
body guards. and in the pres
ence of the arch-murderer Villa,
while he harangued the entire
army telling his followers that
there was loot a plenty of a rich Amer
lcan town for the taking and for each
Iooter an American wife. This led
was the only literate prisoner taken.
Like every other prisoner put on the
he was asked if any compulsiol
was used to obtain a statement. Like
he seven before tie bar, he admitted
hat none had been used. Then he
proceeded to tell how the raid had
been planned and how gleefully all
into its accomplishment. He
explained that the loot of Columbus
Vas PROMISED u tuo DduullS Ny Wild
Is their pay, long overdue, for service
him. And an American wife for
Never Fired a Shot!
Joshua Hawkins, a soldier, placei
IN the stand told how Juan Sanchez
md six other bandits fought with him
md his comrades along the railroad
rack near the water tank. Sanchez
ncautiously stepped from behind a
,ox car to fire, according to the wit
less, and to shout viva Villal" He
lad only time, however, to get the
Viva out of his mouth when he fell
With a bullet from the Americans
life. The soldier went to his victim,
believing him dead, took his Mauser,
pistol, and two practically full belts
# cartridges from his body. This is {
he bandit that went on the stand un-
.er oath and in direct examination
old how he never fired a shot. How
yer, under cross examination he ad-
nitted shooting once when he was