The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-06-09

perance union at once flung itself into
the battle. They formed Juan
Cruz defense committee, composed or
Mrs. H. H. Byrd, Mrs. Katherine b.
Patterson, Miss Clara True, Miss Mary
T. Bryan, and vowed Cruz should not
hang. A public appeal for funds was
sent out The newspapers took up
the matter Mr.. J. B. Crist, one or
the most brilliant criminal lawyers in
New Mexico, was employed to de-
fend the young Indian.
The widespread interest in the de-
Tense of Cruz attracted the notice of
Commissioner Robert G. Valentine,
head Of the Indian department, who
was. as has been said, a stanch friend
of Pussyfoot, and who had been away
on sick leave. Valentine had once
received a communication from John
son when the sleuth was in prison
| upon some trumped-up charge or 9TH
| er, and had wired back:
| LAS you know. l am with you to
| the limit, in prison or out"
| Mr.. Valentine now interested him
| self in the matter by not only imme-
/ diately reversing the order CT Assist
! ant Commissioner Abbott, but in send
ing Johnson instructions to do every
thing in his power to help the boy.
| Johnson had done that already. He
/ had written to the defense commit
! tee to the following effect:
! the other day in the matter OF Jean
! Cruz, | must repeat that, under in
| structions from Assistant Commits
| sioner Abbott, l cannot take part in
| his defense. This Of course does not
| bar me from contributing personally
| to the fund raised for employment OF
! counsel for his defense. / therefore
enclose my personal check for $50
toward the fund.
The thing lies heavily upon my
heart. For six month Juan gave
splendid aid to my officers in sup
| pressing the liquor traffic among the
! Pleblos. of whom he Is one. And
when our appropriation ran low this
boy became one Of band OF the finest
Indians l ever saw to work for the
rescue OF their fellow-Indians, at their
own expense.
Cruz is one Of the finest type Of
young Indian men / have ever known.
Father Camille Snex. his pastor,
speaks In the highest terms Of Juan;
so do the merchants in the vicinity;
so does my good friend Father Hoel-
terman, who knows every Indian in
that valley, and who has lived with
them, worked with them, prayed with
them and fought with them for a doz
en- years"
On receipt of Commissioner Val
entine's orders abrogating those OF
Assistant Commissioner Abbott, John
son hurried to Santa Fe and took UP
the defense with all his might. Never
| was a defense more vigorously con
Quoted. In the court room, beside
Mr.. Crist, for the defense, sat Davlc
U. Leahy of Las Cruces, the United
/ States attorney who had been de
tailed, at Johnson's request, to assis
: him. Juan's young wife Dolorita. ant
| NIB DdUy, JOSo, Ncio III O. WI 49, ~
the court room Adjoining the judge
). bench and opposite the jury was
. delegation of ladies from Santa Fe
=. and a score of the most prominen
!. women of northern New Mexico. o.
the front bench sat the veteran Fran
= cisco Naranjo, the president of tn
. federation Of 5000 Pueblo Indians
. and a veteran fighter and reforme
o on behalf of his people.
= I'VE know it will all come right,
;. said the Indian. Il know that Nj
4 Johnson will bring Juan back to me,
y said Dolorita, the wife of the az
o cused boy. 1T doesn't matter. TIL
q whole thing is in Gods hands. l ar
, merely doing his work" said Juan hin
. self to a charitable woman, who, whe
\ the future looked very dark indeed
20 went to the cell in which he was cor
q fined and began talking to him in
~ endeavor to prepare him for tn
ID worst.
The lawyers for the defense talke
x all around the prosecution, and tn
If decision, which occupied the bette
n. rart OF an hour in the delivery, 81