Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-12-10
BOY CONFESSES
He SHOT LITTLE
FELIPE BARELA
IgnaCiO SaIazar, II Years
Old, Admits He Killed
Playmate; Didn't Know
II Was Loaded" Case

II didn't know the gun was
loaded, Then. when | pulled the
trigger and saw Felipe fan / was
so frightened that / didn't know
what to do. Then, this morning
when / saw in the paper that the
police were looking for some boys
with skull caps | knew l must
come and tell you"
This was tho statement made to
District Attorney Ernest II. Garcia,
yesterday afternoon, by Ignacio
Salazar OF 502 Cromwell avenue.
The boy, who il II years old and is
o. nephew Of City Policeman
Romulo Salazar, confessed that he
had caused the sad death Of nine
year old Felipe Barela.
Felipe Barela was killed as the
result Of being shot with a .22 cal
iber rifle, Friday afternoon, at the
Barelas bridge. The bullet passed
entirely through his body, enter-
ing at the left side opposite the
lower part Of the heart and pass
ing out at the right side Death is
believed to have been iustantane-
ous
Ignacio Salazar, accompanied by
another boy, Felipe Arellanes, went
to District Attorney Garcia's office
late yesterday afternoon. They
explained to him that they had
read the account Of Felipe Barcla $
shooting in the Morning Journal
yesterday and wanted to tell the
truth about the matter,
They explained that IgnactO Sal
azar and the Arellanes boy are
neighbors, the latter living ut 500
Cromwell avenue. Felipe Arellanes
who is Is years old, owns a .22
callber rifle, they said. Yesterday
the two decided to so hunting aud
started shortly after noon.
They intended going to the west
sido Of the river, whore the brush
is thicker than on the east side
and where they thought hunting
was better. Reaching the Barelas
bridge they found little Felipe Ba-
relu, who was seated on the rail-
ing of the bridge, waiting for the
return of his uncle, who was haul
ing caliche.
Felipe Barela and Ignacio Sala-
zar were classmates at the Sacred
Heart school, in the Barelas dis
trict, They were warm friends and
every morning walked TO school
together, the boy who left his
home first waiting at the home
Of the other until his comradc was
ready to accompany him.
Naturally, lgnacio Salazur IN
yitod his little companion TO join
in a hunting trip, But Felipe Ia
rela was waiting for his uncle, 20
the three decided to go below ehc
bridge and play for @ time,
The Salazar and Arellanes boys
said that after they had gone under
tho bridge the three began TO play
together, scuffling ana wrestling
as boys will
The two boys say ihat Felipe
Arellanes had loaded the rifle but
that Ignaciu Salazar did not know
il was loaded. While the three
were playing Ignacio pointed the
muzzlc of the rifle ut Felipe ia
rela, and pulled tho trigger he
told Mr.. Garcia, in the playful spirit
Of boys playing soldier
lie said that when he saw MS
little comrade fall after the tN-
plogiou Of the rifle, he dropped theI
gun in his terror. They say he and
lie Arellanes boy were so terror
stricken that they could not move
'or a minute or more. Then lgna-
clio picked up the rifle and the
.wo ran away, across the river flat. !
Still badly frightened, they hasten
ID to their homes.
Yesterday morning Felipe Arel- !
anes and 1guacio saw the story
IF Felipe Barela's death in the
Morning Journal. After discussing
he matter at length lgnacio told
Continued on Page Two.