Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1919-11-04
FASTEST Time MADE
ACROSSLUNACOUNTY
HUGH B. MILLER WINS FIRST
Three Deaths Result Of Big Event,
Two Killed When Car Turns Turtle
and one Was Murdered

Although figures are not complete
II is reasonable TO suppose that the
recers In the III Paso-Phoenix classic
made their fastest time across Luna
county, averaging 49.34 plus miles an
hour. 1t took the fastest car / hour,
. minutes and 40 seconds to cross
Luna county, distance on the map OF
81 miles, The distance actually tra-
versed would have been considerably
greater.
Hugh d. Miller of Phoenix, driving
with remarkable skill and steadiness,
ou,classed all competition and won
Monday In record time the trans
desert event, the III Paso TO Phoenix
automobile road race. contest over
cast with three tragic deaths.
Two were killed yesterday. They
were 3. o. Bottorff Of III Paso, driver
and his mechanician. Flody Brown.
They met death when their car over
turned about mile and half west of
Vail In rounding a sharp curve. The
bodies were taken 10 Tucson.
Miller whirled into the State Fair
grounds at Phoenix at 10. covering
the 540.S miles In 10 hours 10 minutes,
actual running time. II. A. Durio, Las
Cruces, N. NJ, was second, arriving
at 2:05. His time was 13 hours, 80
minutes. w. J. Taber, Tucson. was
third, running time was 10 hours, 81
minutes.
Miller's speed ave aged 41.3 miles
an hour He had made the best pre-
vious time for the course in 1914, this
being 81 miles an hour.
Durio's average was 302 miles an
hour and that Of Taber 34.S miles.
or the 43 cars entered In the race IL
failed 10 start "a reached Iordsburg
22 made Douglas, 20 Blsbee, Is Tomb
stone, IL Florence and 10 finished.
Buick No. 16' will not be among
those cars that finish Monday mt the
Arizona capital In the III Paso-P Phoenix
road race. John T. Hutchings, driver
Of the racer, and automobile dealer, OF
Alamogordo, N. NJ, was fatally wound
ed by shot from the side OF the
road two miles east OF Lanark, N. NJ,
Sunday morning at 1880 o'clock AMI
died at 3:20 o'clock at Hotel Dieu in
I'll Paso. Oliver Lee, noted pioneer
cattleman of the Sacramento noun
tains In New Mexico members OF the
New Mexico state legislature, mechan-
ician Of the car, was uninjured, al
though other shots accompanied the
fatal bullet.
Eight People Held
As result of the shooting, eight
people. four men and four women, are
held at Las Cruces, county seat OF
Dona Ana county In which the trag-
edy occurred, are held pending an In
vestigntion Of the killing Of Mr.. Hutch
ings. They are: Major #. NJ. Scam
land, patient at the base hospital ut
Fort Bliss, "Chalk" Altman and Harry
Overstreet OF El Paso. and Ford Jack
son of Alpine Texas, and four women
named In warrant as Billie Bennett.
Mrs. II. 0verstreet, Mrs p. l.. Hol-
brook and Miss II. M. Mcpherson.
A warrant charging murder was Is
sued by Justice Of the Peace Cruz Gar
ella OF Las Cruces, OF Precinct No. 3,
ON information sworn TO by Mr.. Lee.
When Hutchings crumpled In his
seat, Mr.. Lee took the wheel and drove
into Lanark, where medical aid was
summoned.
The parties named In the warrant
were close to the road at the time of
the shooting, and when Mr.. Lee, ac-
cOmpanied by Judge w. ID. Howe. and
Winchester Cooley, who were at la
mark with their families ON camping
trip, went back 10 make an investiga-
tion. Major scanland and his compan-
ions agreed to go to Las Cruces and
surrender themselves TO the sheriff.
Go TO Sheriff's Office
The party Of eight, in charge Of Mr..
Lee and Judge Howe, left the scene OF
the shooting near Lanark for Las
Cruces about noon. In the meantime
Sheriff Felipe Lucero had left Las
Cruces for the place, but taking an
other road missed the party, who rode
In their auto, followed by Judge Howe
and Mr.. Lee In the racer. They went
TO the sheriff-s office on their arrival.
When Mr.. lee received the news of
the death OF Mr.. Hutchings from III
Paso he went 10 Mark B. Thompson,
acting district attorney, who drew up
blanket complaint charging the eight
persons with murder. which was sworn
TO by Mr.. Lee. Mr.. Lee then went to
the office Of Cruz Garcia, justice OF
the peace, and sw0re out blanket
warrant OF arrest for the eight per-
sons.
The warrant was read to the mem
hers OF the party. They appeared at
ease and did not seem TO be worried.
The women Of the party were locked In
thee onrtroom and hastily improyised
beds were provided for them after
they had been given supper. The men
were placed in the county jail. Jack
son and Major Seaman were placed In
one cell and Overstreet and Altman in
the one adjoining.
The cars were held under the custo-
dy OF w. W. Cox, former county treas
urer. acting for Sheriff Lucero.
The racer had bullet hole in the
left side of the back Of the seat.
A preliminary hearing in the case
win be held Monday, 1t was amounc-