Arizona republican., 1920-06-27
arraigned before the superlOr
Kept Arrival Here a Secret


 Barboa was brought here from
 NosaIes late Friday night. The arrival of the suspect was un-
 known, howevtr, for his guards
 took him from the train before #
 reached the station and quietly
 took him to the city police station
 in a waiting police car. He was
 held in the city jail until shortly
 before 2 o'clock, when he was taken
 to the Erhardt home. After nearly
 two hours Of griiling Barboa made
 a complete confession, at first i'm
 plicatinq two or three others, but
 finally admitting that he alone
 committed the atrocious crime, and
 that he had no partner or confed-
 crates.
 When the officers arrived at the house with Barboa, the Mexican was taken around the drive to the back door. As they passed by the screened window of the kitchen, Barboa glanced up at the window, covering it with a fleeting glance, and then dropped his glance to the ground as had been his custom during the entire trip through the grounds After entering the kitchen door Barboa looked intently at the place on the floor where the pool of blood was found on the morning of the murder.
 Played On Murderer's Superstition
 At once. according to the officers, Barboa began to sweat and rub his finger nails on his fore arms. He was then taken onto the screened porch. Prior to this time nothing had been said, either at Nogales. en route to Phoenix or after his arrival here, to Barboa about the murder or that he was suspected of it. In fact, the sus- picions of the officers that he might be the man was confirmed by his ac- a house.
 After being taken onto the screened proch. officers stationed on the outside of the porch began to groan. and two dummies had been fixed on the bed in such a manner as to represent dead bodies The groans continued for sev- eral moments, apparently unnoticed by officers in the room, and the agitation of the Mexican increased. Then Sher- if Montgomery gave an imitation of a woman's scream. and it was easily seen that Barboa was ready to con fess.
 Volunteered No Inform stion
 At no time during the confes-
 sion, with the exception of one
 time, did the Mexican volunteer
 any information. This one in-
 stance was when, after he had
 started his confession, he walked
 to the nnantel and pointed out in
 rapid succession the pictures of
 Mir. and Mrs. Erhardt from a group
 of photos which adorned the wall
 above the n1antei. "This is the
 man killed" the Mexican said,
 pointing to the photo of Mir. Err
 hardt. And this is the woman
 killed" he added without a trace of
 emotion.
 At first Rarboa said that he had a partner in the crime with him. and in sisted that the partner committed the murders while he stood on the out side and looked through the screened porch. He insisted that entrance was gained by the use of some keys his partner had, which, he said, would un lock the back screen door in the kitchen. After an unsuccessful attempt to get the Mexican to confess to hay ing done anything himself, he was told that his partner would be brought and his confession taken also, and three officers left the place. presumably to search for the partner
 Caught On Sudden Question
 Then the Mexican was suddenly asked how many times he had struck Mrs. Erhardt, and he answered read ilv: -Four or five times" This ques- tion was asked him several times and the pronoun you" was emphasized in order that BarbOa would understand that he was being asked the number of blows he himself struck, and not hlS partner. Every tune ms answer was that he himself had struck her four times.
 The officers then began questioning Barboa as to his actions in the affair and about o'clock Saturday morn ing Barboa broke and made a com plete confession to the officers. The confession was taken down in short hand by Pat Madden, and iigned by Barboa
 According to the confession made by Barboa, he had been employed oa ranch at Litchfield, and on Sunday afternoon. before committing the mur- der, he made a survey of the grounds at the Erhardt home and made his plans. About o'clock that night, he said, he returned to the house and looked in the windows and saw MT and Mrs. Erhardt and four others, much younger than themselves, eating ice cream. This statement. according to the officers. is borne out by the fact that early Sunday evening Mrs. Erhardt had made ice cream and sev- era1 of the neighbors dropped in to eat 1t with the aged couple.