New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-11-26
LhRRAzOLO PARDONS
VILLA BANDITS Who
RAIDED COLUMBUS
AMERICAN LEGION POSTS
PROTEST AGAINST GOV
ERNOR's ACTION AND Sc
CURE COURT ORDER TO
PREVENT RELEASE OF
PRISONERS

TIE usual uu'et Of Tharkspiving
week was violently disturbed not
only in Santa Fe. but in other parts
of tie state on Tuesday, by the ac-
suing a full. complete and uncondi-
eional pardon" TO the l6 Villa bandits
who still rena ned in the peniten-
tiary as a result of the Columbus
Raid of the night of March g. 1916
when l6 American citizens were kill
ed and six or eight others wound
ed bv the raiders who were after
ward pursued into Mexico and cap
tured by the Mai onal Guards OF
New Mexico and other soldiers and
were tried and convicted in the
month of June 1916.
In al "A raiders were convicted.
seven were sentenced to be hanged
and six were executed, the sentence
of one was commuted. This one
with II others, was placed in the
New Mexico Penitent ary, all under
life sentences. OF these 49, one. a
boz who was paralyzed and beyond
recovery. was pardoned about a year
ago, and one escaped short time
ago. The remaining 10 were includ-
ed in the pardons of this week.
As soon as the news of the pardons
reached Albuquerque the American
Legion post there adopted strong
resolutions condemning the act on of
the governor. These resolutions
were later endorsed by other or
ganizations in that city, as well as
by the members of the Santa Fe
post and as committee was appointed
by the Albuquerque post and
Kiwanis Club to take action to pre-
vent the release of the men if pos
sble.
In order to gain time the Albu-
cuerque committee made telephone
request on the Santa Fe post to
try and take action through the
District Court in this city, which was
Immediately complied W tn, and an
application for an injunction was
brought in the name OF Edward l.,
Stafford, for the Albuquerque Post,
against Fidel Ortiz, superintendent
OF the penitent airy, which injunction
was granted by judge Reed Hollo-
man, on Wednesday afternoon, with
a hearing set Tor December q. at
which time the superintendent Is
summoned to show cause why the
Injunction should not be made per
manent.
In the mean time the Legion posts
at Deming and Silver { " have re-
quested the district attorney in that
district to prepare and file informa-
tions against the prisoners for the
murder of other of the persons who
Il.
understood here that the men were
tiled for killing only two or three
Of the victims. and that it is possible
10 hold all OF them for the other
offenSes.
The Albuquerque and Santa Fe
Legion post committees called on
Acting Governor Pankey late Wed.
nesday afternoon and were assured
that he was will nc 70 do anything
he could 10 prevent the release oi
the men, but that the matter had
gone beyond his control and could
not be recinded However he directed
the Warden not to discharge the
prisoners that day.
Governor Larrazolo left the city
TO attend the Inauguration OF Pre-.
sident-Elect Obregon in Mexico City
shortly after he signed the pardons
on Tuesday.
Legion Resolutions
Humiliation. charging and indigna-
tion were expressed in the resolu-
ton passed by Hugh A Carl sic
Post No. Is OF the American Le-
Cion, of Albuquerque, condemning
in bitter terms Governor Larrazolo's
pardoning OF the sixteen Nillistas
who took part in the Columbus raid.
The resolution quest oned the gov
ernor's legal right to issue the
pardon without previous action by
the board of penitentiary commits
sioners.
Referring TO what is termed a
misuse Of the pardon ng power"
the resolution says:
The act suggests, IL il does not
iustify the conclusion, that the gov
ernor had more in mind his per-
scnal aggrandizement than an act
OF justice to men undergoing wrong.
ful and unjust punishment; that be-
ing about to visit the Republic OF
Hexico as the guest OF the presi-
forgot his duty to the people OF the
stdt WIZ ndNC 50 s1kndny HOHOIcu
him, and also forgot that mercy to
the guilty is cruelty to the inno-
cent"
Pardon Law Cited
Resolved Further, That in the IS
sue Of this pardon the governor ap-
pears to have ignored positive pro-
visions of the constitution and laws
of the state of New Mexico, in
that he appears to have disregard
ed a provis on Of the law which says
"... but no convict who shall have
been sentenced to the penitentisrv
shall be pardoned before the expira-
tion OF his time or have his time
committed by the governor unless
the same be first recommended by
the board Of penitentiary comm s.
sioners and the governor hav-
ing acted without such recommend
alton Of tire board of penitentiary
commissioners IL, therefore, seems
these ua-dons are d'erai. and we
demand that these Grim nails so un-
lawfully liberated shall be returned
20 prison"