Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-08-10

in 1892, remaining there until the
23d day of November, 1914, when
United States troops, which occupied
the port of Vera Cruz were withdrawn.
This accounts for my not having
knowledge of what occurred here in
connection with this land grant
THE records show. however : eon:- |
tinued Mr. Sanchez. that W. I.
Thornton, at one time governor of the |
territory Of New Mexico, had the |
original grant papers in his possession
and filed them with the court OF prl- |
vate land claims for confirmation, Mr.. !
Thornton claiming to represent the
heirs of Nicolas de Chavez. Where
Thornton got these papers the records
do not divulge, but they do show,
however, that the alleged representa-
tives of Nicolas de Chavez, that Is,
Patrocinio Gabaldon and others exc
cuted a deed transferring to Governor
Thornton 1000 acres of river bottom
land. Thornton subsequently trans
ferred this tract Of land Of 5000 acres
to the Southwestern Land and De-
velopment company, which company
was controlled by Solomon Luna.
Thornton and others. for consldera-
ton of $50 per acre. as per deed OF
transfer"
How about the land in the river
bottom, now occupied by. possibly,
! innocent purchasers" he was asked.
well" Mr. Sanchez said. 'the
would-be good and honest politicians
of New Mexico, pretending to have the
interests of the descendants of land
grantees in New Mexico at heart,
managed to pass O law under which
! a purchaser of land perfects his title
to same il for the period of ten years
| he occupies it, even though the party
from whom he. purchased did not
| have color Of title. Now, if we
are to WELD obedience to this unjust
law, then the courts may hold that
cannot recover such land so occupied
by purchasers. but as to the now va
cant land in the grant, comprising
! about 10000 acres. Under the patent
| by the United States government,
! there cannot be any question, and for
the possession Of this land | will fight
until Hades freezes hard and then try
them a whirl upon the Ice"
"under what authority or law does
Patrocinio Gabaldon and his associ-
ates claim to be holding the grant?
Do YOU know, Mr.. Sanchez" was
asked.
Their contention is that they are
holding it as community land belong
ing to the people who happened to be
on the grant at the time it was con-
firmed, whereas the grant was made
as stated before By Spain to an indi-
vidual, and not to a community, and
the United States government issued
its patent to the heirs and legal rep
resentatives of Nicolas de Chavez. ar
, individual, and not to the residents OF
the village of Los Chavez Now, as
it happens. since this grant was con-
J firmed in 1907, Patrocin!o Gabaldor
I and five other persons have been han.
| ding, selling. renting and distributing
Z this land"
Those who resided in Albuquerque
twenty years ago will recall TN
tragedy at 1909 South Second street
when Nicolas J. Sanchez, brothe
of Ignacio C. Sanchez, then only q
years of age, was found on the nigh
of July 80, 1892, slain in his store
with three bullet wounds in his body
When discovered Sanchez held in hi
hand a .3S-caliber Smith & Wessol
/ revolver
| The killing remained a mystery t
| everyone, until some three years az
forwards a man, by the name of Mitch
| ell, on his being taken to the peni
Tertiary in Colorado Tor some cIlHn
committed in that state, confessed t
the officers in charge that he wa
one of the three men who had kille'
1 Sanchez at his store in Albuquerqu
in 1892, giving the names of Hart an
Childers as the other two who ha
n participated in the killing, The tw
outlaws at large were finally locate
by officers: Hart was taken prisoner
I ...f.N.
rest. Mitchell, with Hart, was trie
in Albuquerque, after confessing t
having been two of the three men VIII
had murdered Sanchez, and Stain
that the object was robbery, but moth
ing was taken from the premises b
the murderers although a considera
BILE amount of money was availabl
that could have been taken by then
Mitchell died in the penitentiary
few years after, and Hart was PAL
doned.