The Glenwood post., 1919-03-08
MEX|CANS ANSWER
TO BRUESS MURDER
Testimony Offered by Prose-
Cuti0n Leaves Little Doubt
of Guilt of Defendants

vi uuIIl vi UGlCIlu0lllS
CASE NEARING CLOSE
The case of the People versus Cruz
Romero and Lee Martinez, charged with
the murder, last November, of John
Breuss on his ranch near Silt, is on
this week in the district court and the
court room has been well filled with
spectators eager to hear the testimony
concerning this gruesome tragedy.
Tonic Martinez, who was also arrested
in connection with the case, has been
freed, the evidence against him not
being considered by the district attor-
ney sufficient to warrant trial in his
case.
The jury in the case is composed of
the following citizens: w. ID. Lemon,
Dan j. Sullivan, A. w. Dennis, B. 7.
Hadley, VIM. Connolly, C. E. Tracy,
Grant Jackson, D. S. Bruce, W. r. Lee,
IS. IL. Coulter, d. j. Llewellyn and
Lester E. Sparks.
which to employ an attorney and the
court appointed A. L. Beardsley to de-
fend him. Lee Martinez is being de-
Tended by Attorney Harry NJ. Howard
of Monte Vista. District Attorney
Frank Delaney is conducting the prose-
cution on behalf of the People
The testimony of Sheriff Fravert in
regard to the confession made to him
by the prisoners certainly put the pris
oners in bad light with those who
listened to the evidence. Attorneys for
the defendants tried to force from Mr..
Fravert the admission that he secured
these admissions by working the third
degree on the Mexicans, but this Mr.
Fravert strongly denied.
Fravert told of the admission on the
part of Lee Martinez that Cruz Romero
and another Mexican killed Bruess.
While Martinez would not incrimina.e
himself he nevertheless knew enough
about the case that he was able to tell
the sheriff just where the body of Bruess
was buried and to take him to the
exact spot The body was exhumed AMI
identified as that of Bruess. Cruz Ro-
nero practically admitted to the sheriff
that MARTINEZ killed Bruess.
Tonic MARTINEZ, placed on the stand
by the prosecution testified that Cruz
Romero had admitted to him that he
lRomero) had killed Bruess and also
that Lee Martinez had told him that lie
and Cruz together had committed the
deed.
Ira Hancock and Ross Garrett of Silt
testified that the body dug up from
beneath the manure pile on the Bruess
ranch was that of John Bruess. Cor
oner Clark testified that he found the
skull badly fractured and that the
blow which had been administered by
the murderers was sufficient to cause
| instant death.
| Bert Cardnell told of two Mexicans
stopping at his barn on November l3
the day following the disappearance of
| Bruess having in their possession 80
chickens which they sold to VIM. Grant.
Ross Garrett was well acquainted with
Bruess and his ranch and said Brucss
kept nearly 100 chickens. After tho
mans disappearance Garrett went to
the ranch and found only about so
chickens. He said they were of the
same breed and similar to the chickens
which the Mexicans sold to Grant.
T. f. Devcr, the Glenwood jeweler,
identified watch traded by Romero
to Joe Sessions, and brought to Dever
| for repair, as the same watch which
had been brought to him nearly two
years before by John Bruess. Sessions
identified the watch and told how he
traded Romero another watch and pair
of gloves for it.
As the Post goes to press the two
Mcxicans are being heard in their own
defense.