The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1922-03-16

Miguel Jimenez, the Mexican charg-
ed with the murder of Francisco Pan
toja, a fellow countryman, which oc-
Cured at a farm house northeast of
Sedgwick, August 18th, of last year,
was convicted of murder in the first
degree and the penalty fixed at life
Canon City, at special session of dis
trict court held in Julesbsrg the first
of this week. The jury deliberated
for about five hours before arriving
at their verdict.
The case consumed practically two
days. Court convened Monday morn
ing at ten o'clock, with Judge L. G.
Stephenson of Fort Morgan presid-
ing and Miss Carrie Burke of Sterling
official court reporter. The prosecu-
ton was represented by District At
torney Roy T. Johnson of Sterling and
Deputy District Attorney w. H.
Pound of this city. The defendant
was represented by Attorney c. M.
Robson of this city, Mr.. Robson be-
ing appointed by the Court as de-
fense counsel.
The jury was selected in record time
little over two hours for this pro-
cedure. The jury selected to try the
case was composed of the following
men: Fred Chase, B. R. Miller, F.
E. Damon, c. L. Axes, P. J. Donald
son, G. F. Pampel, W. w. Kenney, L.
| V. Davis, Glenn Gloover, ]. F. Nc
Curdy, E. C. Gordon, A. T. ODell.
When court re-convened after the
noon recess Monday the attorneys for
the prosecution and the defense an
nounced that they accepted the jury,
whereupon the opening statement of
the prosecution was made by Deputy
District Attorney W. H. Pound. The
defense counsel waived an opening
statement. and the testimony of the
witnesses for the prosecution was
commenced. The State endeavored
to prove by their witnesses that Fran
cisco Pantoja came to his death on
August 1s, 1921, in Sedgwick county,
Colorado, from a gunshot wound in
flicted from a revolver in the hands
of the defendant, Miguel Jimenez;
that the murder was committed in a
deliberate and cold-blooded manner.
Two witnesses testified as being eye
witnesses to the shooting, which oc-
Cured near the midnight hour.
They testified that the defendant
in company with another Mexican
named Ambrosia, entered the house
where they and Pantoja were in bed
sleeping, and ordered that they get
ED and light lamp. One of the men
light the lamp, and Immediately after
wards the defendant shot Pantoja,
who, it is claimed, by this time was
slit t'ng on the bed. Death was almost
instantaneous. That shortly after the
shooting the defendant and his ac-
complice fled from the scene of the
tragedy.
that the defendant had told him few
days previous to the shooting that he
was going to kill Pantoja over some
money matters. Sheriff Humber
stone testified that the defendant told
him while in Jail at Rock Springs,
Wyo., that he Miguel Jimenez) was
the man he wanted. and that he had
killed Pantoja.
Tuesday morning upon the opening
of court the prosecution announced
| they rest, and the testimony of the
defense witnesses was commenced.
| The defendant took the stand in
his own behalf. He testified that he
shot Pantoja, but that he did it in self
defense; that Pantoja was reaching
for a gun when he fired the fatal
shot; that Pantoja had attempted to
have illicit relations with his (Jim-
enez) wife and daughter and that
Pantoja had called him vulgar names;
that Pantoja called. him bad names
while he (Jimenez) was out in the
road near the house; that he went ov-
er to the house where Pantoja was to
reprimand Pantoja for what he had
done, and that when Pantoja reached
down for a gun that he shot Pantoja
one time. and that he did it because he
thought Pantoja was going to shoot
him.
The wife of the defendant testi-
fled that Pantoja had abused her and
her daughter and had attempted to