Imperial Valley press., 1922-12-12
CHAVEZ TO Get
SENTENCE NEXT
FRIDAY MORNING
Attorney Says Death is
Only Sentence Under
State Laws s
Mexican Convicted OF
Shooting Little Girl,
Niece

degree. HIS NtihItt' dihouhSVN
this morning by a jury in depart
ment No. / of the superior court,
sealed the doom of Gregorio Chavez,
a Mexican, who was convicted OF
the murder of his u year old niece,
Jovita Hurtado at Brawley on the
night of November II. Chavez, who
does not understand English, did not
know the decision of the jury until
it was interpreted to him by Richard
Cohen, court interpreter, and even
then showed no sign of emotion,
simply remarking that he supposed
it is the law.
Judge Franklin J. Cole announced
that he would pass sentence on
Chavez Friday morning at 10
o. clock.
Under the law, according to Dis
trict Attorney i. r. Simon, there is
no alternative for the court other
than to impose the death sentence, a
first degree verdict removing the
burden of sentence from the court
and establishing it by law.
Was Fast Trial
swift one, jury having been chosen
within few minutes after court
opened at 10 o clock yesterday MORN
ing, and the prosecution opened its
case immediately.
The testimony of various wit
nesses showed that Chavez had gone
to the home of his brother-in-law,
Jesus Hutado, with the expressed
intention of "wiping out the whole
family because he believed Hur-
tado was the cause of his separa-
ton from his wife.
Not finding Hurtado in his house,
Chavez went to the fields where
the former was working, and opened
fire as soon as he caught sight OF
him. One of the bullets struck Hur-
tado's daughter Jovita, causing her
death "A few hours later. With the
help of neighbors, Hurtado capture
ed Chavez when the latter became
mired in a flooded irrigation ditch
and held him until the arrival OF
Officer Paul Robinson of the Draw
lev police department, who placed
him under arrest.
In his own behalf, Chavez denied
having gone to the house to Kill
anyone and said he shot in the air
to intimidate. Hurtado. The fact
that one of the bullets struck Jovita
was an accident, he contended, and
he regretted that it had caused her
death.
Hill Defends Man
District Attorney E. X. Simon,
and Frank r. Erzinger, deputy, who
conducted the prosecution, demands
ed that Chavez be convicted of first
degree murder in their arguments to
the jury, late yesterday afternoon.
Robert c. Hill, appointed by the
court to defend Chavez, made plea
for. his client, saying the killing of
the girl was not Intentional on the
defendant IS part.
When court convened at 10:35
this morning, Judge Cole instructed
the members of the jury regarding
their deliberations in considering
the various degrees of murder. After
being ont less than half an hour, the
jury announced decision had been
reached and delivered its verdict
shortly after IL o'clock.
This is the second time in the his
tory of Imperial County, according
to District Attorney f. r. Simon,
that jury has brought in a YER
diet of first degree murder, the first
one having been in the case of
Gaudet Singh, Hindu, who was
convicted in May 1927 for murder
committed at Brawley. Judge M.
w. Conkling sentenced Singh to be
hanged, but while awaiting execu-
ton, he developed insanity and nn-
der the law, could not be hanged.
Sanity hearings were conducted at
San Quentin, at which Imperial
County was represented by Charles
+. Scott, deputy district attorney.
Mr.. Scott said this morning that II
Singh should recover his reason, the
death penalty for his crime could
still be inflicted.
Only One Hangs
Miguel Manriquez also received
the death sentence in Imperial
County after having pleaded guilty
TO murder, sentence of death being
imposed by Judge Conkling. Man-
riquez with two other Mexieans,
Killed two Cinnamon on the east side
If this city, in July 1921. Later
Manriquez appealed from the de-
ision of the court and lost the ap.