Imperial Valley press., 1925-02-19
HERNANDEZ, SENT
UP In 1922, Is
KILLED In FIGHT
Many Ringleaders Are
Put In Solitary
Confinement

Antonio Hernandez, a prisoner
from Imperial County at the state
prison in San Quentin, was killed
in that institution last night during
a fight between Mexican and white
prisoners.
According to reports of the af-
fair given out by prison officials,
three Mexican prisoners had attack
ed a white inmate earlier in the
day. Following supper last night,
as the prisoners were marching
through the corridors, several fights
suddenly broke out, the whites and
Mexicans mixing things up with
knives and clubs being WELDED vig-
orously.
When guards had quelied the dis
turbance, Hernandez was found
to be seriously wounded and was
removed to the prison hospital
where hd died short time later.
Several other prisoners received
minor wounds. Warden Smith or
dered 80 or more ringleaders iii the
fight placed in solitary confinemept.
Hernandez was sent up from I'm
perial County in July 1922, fol-
lowing plea of guilty to assault
with a deadly weapon and robbery.
He first came to the attention of
the county authorities when ne was
arrested in camp near Holeville
by Sheriff Gillett, at that time mar
shall at Holtville, for disturbing the
peace. :
He was sent to the county Jail
to serve short sentence, and it
was while Il Jail prisoner that he
committed the crime which sent
him to prison.
On the morning of June 16, Her
nandez with several other prisoners,
who were working on the county
chain gang, were being transported
to work in an auto truck. They
were guarded by j. f. Franks, who
was sitting on the seat with the
driver. Hernandez succeeded in
drawing Franks pistol from the
holster, and ordered the driver of
the truck. a Jail trusty, to drive
toward the International line. An
tonic RamNez, another prisoner,
stood beside Hernandez, holding n
knife in his hand to intimidate the
driver.
Men Are Arrested
When the truck had arrived with
in three miles of the line, Franks
told the men they had reached
Mexico. Hernandez and Ramirez
ordered all hands from the truck,
and in addition to keeping Franks
pistol, also took his watch and
disappeared.
Word of the affair was sent to
CaleXico, and Hernandez and Rami-
rez were picked up near that city
by Tom Worthington, at that time
chief of police, and Frank Crane.
When arraigned on a charge of
robbery and assault with deadly
weapon, Hernandez pleaded guilty.
1Io was sentenced on July IL to
serve not less than one year in pris-
on. Ramirez, and Francisco Hazon
who were implicated with Herman
dez, pleaded not guilty, Following
n jury trial Ramirez was convicted
and Hazon was acquitted, the tes-
timony failing to show that the
latter had any knowledge of the in
tentions of the other two.
After Hernandez had served the
one year minimum, the prison board
fixed his term at five years on the
robbery charge and three years on
charge of assault with a deadly
weapon. Ramirez received similar
term.
The statement made by Herman
deZ at the time he was committed
to prison shows that he was born
in Guaymas, Sonora, in 1896 and
was a thinner by trade. He came
to Imperial Valley during the cam
taloupe season of 1922 to work IN
the cantaloupe fields He had been
married and had one child, but was
divorced from his wife.
Officials at the Jail stated this
morning that Hernandez had an
ugly temper, and expressed the be-
lief that this fact may have em-
broiled him in the fight which re-
suited in his death.