The Columbus weekly courier., 1920-12-31
Governor Larruzolo Grants Christ
mas Pnrdons 20 -Four convIeis
and seven Reiormaiosy Boys

l.ae crucca for the murder OF
Sheriff Dwight stephens Of Luna
county. has escaped the death PEN
atty for the crime Of which he was
convicted. through the clemency ol
Governor Larra1olo. The governor
today cummnled the sentence TO life
Imprisonment The convicted man
told the governor frankly when
brought before him today that he
fired two shots In the battle be-
tween the posse and the fuelllves
from the Dcmlng jail In which
Stephens was shot down, "And I
shot 10 kim said Starr. Ne declared
that he felt u was either his life or
that Of the possemen and that
wounded In the knee and blinded
with pain. he shot into the group Of
officers. Previous 10 examining
Starr. The governor gave a hearing
70 his attorneys, n. d. Holt and W,
A. Sutherland Of Las Cruces.
The chief reason for clcmency
given is that Starr when brought
into the court room ON a strcicher
10 face trial was suffering great
pain, was having morphine admin
islered TO him and was In no mental
condition 10 bd questioned. The
governor read an excerpt from the
records OF the trial showing that
Major w. II. n. Llewellyn. who act
cd as volunteer counsel for the
prisoner, objected 10 his being per-
miitrd 10 make any statement on ac-
count % his nlentai aud physical
condition, but that the Judge re-
fused 10 entertain the objection. II
was brought out by questioning the
prisoner that he was wax physical
" from loss OF blood. sleeples-ness,
pain from the wound and morphine.
He said his condition was not nor
omal.
! tiarr told the governor today that
- oould not remember what state
.htnl he had made al the trial in
thai condition. Attorney General
O. O. Askren, and Assistant Attorney
General Harry Bowman both re-
commended the Communication. Mr..
Bowman was In Las Cruces at the
tiiDe of the trial and was a personal
witness OF the prisoners condition
at the time. The prisoner comes
from a prominent family In West
ern Texas, but whose name Is not
Starr. He adopted the name for the
purpose pf shielding his mothel'
from the disgrace. She does not
know today that he is a prisoner Ia
the death row" in the penilentiary
Of Santa Fc. And Il was reported
10 be his intention. II he went 20 the
scaffold. that she never should know
his fate. For that reason newspa-
pers generally refrained from using
the prisoners correct nnmo.
Christmas Porions.
Four convicts received Christmas
pardons from the governor. The par
dons for the convicis are conditional
One Manuel 0oyeneche, who was
beyond 20 years old, and had been
serving his sentence since October.
3. 1915. He was sentenced from Cur
ny county to serve from 20 10 25
years for murder. lie was one Of
the servants at the executive man
sion and the governor stated that
he had unusual opportunity for OBJ
serving him. The governor did not
believe he was a criminal at heart
The other servants at the mansion
who were pardoncd were Mitchell
Jefferson. sentenced on March u
1918, IN 0lero county 10 serve "
10 100 years for second degree mur,
DER and Juan llvrnahdez, alias Be
nllo Lopez, sentenced on Deccmbe
vi. 1907, In HcrnalillO county {,
serve 10 years for murder IN
fourth convict was Th0nms Volaw
sentenced on August a. iei0 in SO
zorro county for second degree mur
uef. His sentence was % to
ears The governor said he hn
nyen trusted outside the walls, re-
n'a,ning day or two Al tim
while eneaeed IN imporlnni work.
~ sranling the pardons 0overne
.aIfaApio said he acted ON the a.
""'p,'pn a,pn that The supreme eouri
Ssslalas ,. The vlllisla case. wouI
"0'u 'hal hls pardonlns power ".