Tales from the Morgue

El Paso Has Lost Her Nerve

May 2, 1895

El Paso is no Longer Bad Medicine as it Were

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Last night a quiet game was opened up in the Gem building and the game was moving along smoothly when a visitor to the city dropped into the game and commenced losing and was behind a nice little sum when a dispute arose between the dealer and the stranger. The stranger with the remark: “Since you are trying to be so cute, just hand over the money I have lost here,” placed the muzzle of a ferocious looking pistol in the dealer’s face. This created a stampede at the table which was promptly deserted by every one except the two principals in the little play. The dealer winked his other eye at the muzzle of the savage looking gun and remarked:

“Why, yes, sir, you can get just what you want.”

A venturesome bystander, who had remained on the scene, and who furnished the reporter with the particulars, said:

“And the dealer proceeded to count out money. When he had counted $95 the stranger raked it into his packet and strolled leisurely out of the room. I tell you El Paso has lost her nerve and she can’t try to play tough anymore. Two years ago no man on earth could have walked into a house in this city and held up a game in that style and got out of the house alive. No, sir, El Paso is no good any more. She is cornered, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the stranger hold up the entire police force. Why the other night he took charge of a jack pot in a social game of poker in the same manner, and there was not grit enough in the crowd to make a kick, and I guess if I had been there I would have broke the door down getting out.”

10,000 ATTEND DEPOT OPENING

February 28, 1906

El Paso’s New Union Station Costing $300,000 is Inspected by Great Crowds

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SPEECHES A FEATURE

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Douglas Band and El Paso Orchestra Furnish Music For the Dancing in the Dining Room

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TRAINS RUN IN THURSDAY

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Facts about El Paso’s new Union station, opened last night

Work started January 1st 1905.

Completed February, 27, 1906

Bull by six roads.

Cost, $300,000

Twenty-two passenger trains daily.

Built of Texas brick and Texas lumber.

El Paso labor.

El Paso contractor.

Finest in Texas.

Largest south of Denver.

Ten thousand persons last night inspected El Paso’s new Union station and rendered a unanimous verdict of approval. The fines Union station in Texas, the largest in the Southwest, the product of a year’s work and the expenditure of $300,000, the structure last night rendered a good return of the money and handiwork put into its erection.

Last night the doors of the station were thrown open at 7 o’clock, and shortly after that hour crowds on foot, in carriages and street cars thronged won San Francisco street toward the building. When the lights were turned on there were a number of persons in the station and others were hurrying in streams down San Francisco street. Look, look, see how beautiful it is under the lights, the crowds said.

The building shone from the plaza and El Paso street like a beautiful caste, studded with diamond windows, with the sun’s rays pouring on them. From every window in the building including the topmost looking in the dome, the white lights were shining. By 8 o’clock the deport waiting room and the entire first floor, including the private waiting rooms of men and women, the offices, dining room, kitchen and baggage rooms were filled by the immense crowd.

A little later, as the crowds continued to pour into the station, the stairways on either side of the main entrance were filled. The crowd was going into the balcony. Soon the upstairs was as crowded as the lower floor.

Shortly after 8 o’clock two band of music arrived. One of threes was the Douglas band, which came down last night at the invitation of the Southwestern officials to be present at the opening, while the other was Concha’s orchestra. The band was stationed in the main waiting room, where it pleased the crowd with popular selections, and in the large dinning room adjoining the orchestra played for the entertainment of the crowd.

Judge Edwards Speaks

At about *.30 o’clock a table was taken to the center of the floor in the main waiting room, and W.W. Turney, a member of the board of directors of the station, rapped for order. In a few brief remarks congratulating he people of l Paso n the completion of the station, which meant a step forward in the progressive march of El Paso, he introduced Judge Peyton F. Edwards, who made the official speech of the occasion.

Judge Edwards said that El Paso had every reason to congratulate itself on the occasion of the opening of such a handsome structure, which would serve as the coming and going point of all the passenger trains of the railroads entering the city and he said he was glad to se the station filled with so many enthusiastic admiring El Pasoans.

Texas Materials Used.

In speaking of the station Judge Edwards said that it was constructed of Texas brick, Texas lumber and other Texas material. And El Paso labor and an El Paso contractor built it,” he added. That brought forth much applause.

The opening of a railroad station such as the one just completed marked an epoch in El Paso’s growth, said the speaker. It made El Paso, more than ever a city, the metropolis of the Southwest.

Following Judge Edwards, M.D. Slater was called upon and made a short speech, in which he told of the difficulties attending the early work in connection with the launching of an enterprise of the kind.

“People told us we could never get the railroads together,” he said, “but with genuine El Paso persistency, enterprise and push the little handful of men who started out to get a union station kept up their work, and soon there was results.”

After the speaking the crowds wandered round through the station at will, inspecting the huge structure with the minutest care. Everywhere were heard words of praise, nothing but praise.

Dancing was started in the dining room about 10 o’clock and the throng moved about, jostling each other at every turn, so packed was the building. Upstairs and down, every room had been left unlocked so that the crowd could wander at will, and they moved about from office to office. Superintendent Martin’s private office, on the second floor over at the northeast corner, was visited by many during the evening.

After leaving the balcony, hundreds of the crowd climbed the stairs to the last lookout in the dome of the station and looked down over the city.

Station Well Lighted

It is doubtful if there is another union station in the country that is s well lighted as the El Paso station will be kept and was lighted last night. The ceiling of the main rotunda is studded with many incandescents, set in between the crevices of the ornamented ceiling and shining with a lustre against the pure white background. In the center of the four sides re colored ornamental windows, back of which are lights which cause a brilliant coloring to be diffused. At the top of the seats also incandescents are arranged. In the dining room the lights are studded while in the rotunda and offices many lights shine.

Along the platform where the incoming and outgoing trains will start many large and small lights were places, transforming the place into day.

It was 12 o’clock last night before the crowd departed. Then the janitor, whose services have not been needed before, performed his first official duties by turning out the lights and closing the doors of the station.

Owing to the fact that the day of the opening had been set in advance one day from the original date, none of the railroad officials who were expected, reached here for the opening. E.P. Turner, general passenger agent of the Texas & Pacific, wired his regrets, saying that sickness prevented his attendance.

Today there will be meeting of the directors of the station. General Manger Ripley of the Santa Fe, Superintendent Ward of the T&P Superintendent Provence of the Mexican Central and possibly other officials will be here.

The latest details in connection with the opening of the depot for traffic tomorrow will be made. Today all the rods are preparing to move into the new home and the first train will enter the station after midnight tonight.

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The first bus to the new union depot last night was that of J.J. Longwell, driven by J.A. Miller, the old reliable bus driver and for 12 years a driver in El Paso.

Senator Ted Kennedy becomes colonia’s godfather

May 24, 1989

Kennedy picks up dust, cheers in Juarez

By Janet Perez
El Paso Times

Walking through the dusty streets of the colonia Felipe Angeles, Sen. Edward Kennedy wearily made his way through the last leg of his four-day Mexico trip.

Dozens of colonia residents – many shouting enthusiastic greetings in Spanish – trailed Kennedy and the covey of well-dressed U.S. and Mexican officials who kept him moving along the streets.

The Bostonian from the most famous family in modern U.S. politics was dressed in a heavy gray coat, which quickly was covered with a think layer of dust, and was visibly wilting in the 100-degree heat.

Kennedy had little to say during his Juarez stop, unlike previous stops in Mexico City, Monterrey and Oaxaca, where he had spoken of the need for U.S. help to reduce Mexico’s foreign debt.

Economic policy meant little to the crowds that gathered to see a Kennedy.

“We love the Kennedy family,” said Natividad Lopez, a resident of the colonia.

Later in the day, Kennedy quietly handed out copies of a photograph – art least 25 years old – of himself as a young man and his to older brother, Jack and Bobby.

Kennedy ended his hurried whistle-stop tour of Mexico Tuesday morning and crossed the border to visit an amnesty education center in El Paso. He left for Austin shortly after noon.

At the colonia, the senator stopped by a family planning center that serves as the heart of the community. With dogs playing at his feet, Kennedy listened quietly as interpreters explained the center’s programs and scores of onlookers gazed curiously from a respectful distance.

He approached about 10 youngsters sitting on a dirt mound drawing pictures and tried to start a conversation. The children glanced up briefly and went back to their drawings.

The real enthusiasm for Kennedy came from the older colonia residents who clamored around him and told of their love for his brother, Jack.

One old woman made her way up to Kennedy and asked in broken English if he would be the padrino – the godfather – of the colonia. Kennedy smiled a hesitant, embarrasses smile and said “Yes.”

A half-dozen little girls shyly handed Kennedy bouquets of flowers, which he accepted with a Boston-accented gracias before being rushed away.

Inside a small dim brick building that is the clinic, Kennedy asked residents about the community’s programs while gazing absently at the crush of people in the hot little room.

“It is quite clear that we’re looking at people willing to help themselves,” Kennedy said.

After leaving the colonia, Kennedy and his entourage, which included his sisters Eunice Shriver and Jean Smith, were taken to the Integrated Family Development, or DIF, office just outside Downtown Juarez.

He tried to teach the children the popular children’s song, “Itsy, Bitsy Spider,” complete with hand motions that imitate a crawling spider.

Kennedy then went to the Benito Juarez Park in Downtown Juarez to place a wreath on the monument of Mexico’s first president.

A crowd of Juarenses gathered under the hot sun eagerly, awaiting a word from the senator. But after placing the wreath, Kennedy hurried off to his car – leaving the disappointed throng behind.

After crossing the border, Kennedy was taken on a short tour of amnesty classes at St. Anne’s Center, 600 S. Piedras in South El Paso.

Accompanied by enthusiastic applause, Kennedy praised the center for helping to bridge the gap between the two nations.

As the Kennedy motorcade headed for the airport, Maria Cepeda clung happily to an autographed poster of a younger Kennedy campaigning for senator and marveled at her good luck at having shaken his hand.

“I feel real happy,” she said, “and I cried with joy.”

El Paso Browns Far Famed

July 30, 1886

The glory of the El Paso Browns has reached a distant point in Indiana, and as a result of our boys’ good work against Albuquerque the following communication has reached Henry Beneke, the catcher. It is written on a handsome notehead, and will be of interest to the baseball fraternity:

Office of Little Nicol Base Ball Club of St. Louis, Mo.

Marmont, Ind. July 21, 1886.

Friend Henry – Your paper telling all about the game received. Showed it to the boys. They wanted to know if it were not possible for our club to come down for a trip of two weeks, say in the middle of August. Could you raise a purse to pay our expenses? Should think you could take in enough money at the gate to pay our expenses.

You know our record, it stands 78 games won, none lost. Tell the people about this club, what kind of boys they are and all about them. You could not strike a more gentlemanly lot of boys in the States.

Our boys are all willing to go, if they are not out anything on the trip.

You could advertise us all over your state, also in Mexico, which would undoubtedly bring large crowds to the games.

Try and work the scheme and let me know at once what you think about it. We played the crack club of Indiana last Friday at Kokomo, and defeated them by a score of 9 to 0. They can’t play ball a little bit.

Try to work the scheme and if you do get us down there we will guarantee you good ball playing.

Until I hear from you I remain,

Richard Schledgel,

Captain of Little Nicol Club.

This little Nicol nine is out spending the summer in Indiana, playing at various places and camping out on fishing excursions, etc. It is composed of the sons of some of the wealthiest men in St. Louis.

Do Letters Wait Your Returning?

July 11, 1927

Letting dun letters and bills collect in the old home mail box while you escape for two week’s romance from the workday year sounds plausible – but it isn’t.

Mail waits for no man, be it the dentist’s last word or a true love letter.

Some of the missives that vacationists are expected to peruse on return to the regular routine are nestling in the dead letter office, according to postmaster H. C. Kramp.

Others have gone back to their senders, unclaimed.

Postmen are not mind readers and have no way of knowing that John Brown, present address unknown, will return as soon as he accumulates a healthy sunburn and will then be at leisure to read his mail.

If letters were saved for all the El Pasoans and ex-citizens who departed without forwarding addresses, soon the combined warehouse area of the town would not hold them. Much less could one postoffice capacity be stretched to surround the stack.

Which is another reason why the department of the mails cannot work on the theory that John Brown is certain to return to the place he was seen last and that he didn’t want to be troubled with his correspondence on an outing.

Prompt delivery or speedy return to the writer is, furthermore, the first obligation of the postal service. That is part of the service paid for in the stamp.

When a return address is given and all the clues have been exhausted in search for the person directed, the matter is simple enough. But when the name of the sender is lacking and all probable addresses have been tried, nothing remains but the dead letter office.

Moral is: Leave a forwarding address.

Writing directions home from the Bahamas or the island paradise of the Pacific is by no means the equivalent of leaving the address behind. Many letters are lost by just such a process, leaving a period of several days or even a day in which a letter has no place to go – and therefore gets lost.

Providing against just this danger, the postoffice in El Paso keeps five volumes of the city directory instead of one.

Blank sheets are inserted between the pages to provide space for correcting every address change on the day it is made.

Precautions against loss have developed into an elaborate system of checking and rechecking. Two clerks spend all their time verifying addresses in the directory and running down clues of stray identities and addresses.

On the same day that a notice of address change is sent to the office, it is noted in the five volume corrected directory and notice of the transfer is given to the postman on the new and on the old route.

Letting the mail wait or come trailing along after the pictures are hung sounds plausible yet this delay should be most avoided as being the cause of the most lost mail, according to Mr. Kramp.

Herman Springer Convicted by Jury

October 1, 1910

And Given Two Years in Penitentiary – Evidence Introduced to Show Insanity – Damage Suit Still On – Grand Jury Indicts Bride-groom

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In the 34th district court yesterday Herman Springer, alias Fritz D. Hill, alias John Alberts, was found guilty of forgery and given two years in the penitentiary.

The state introduced evidence to show that the defendant had cashed a number of checks in El Paso which were turned down by the bank. To one of these checks he signed the name of John Alberts and to the others he signed himself as Fritz D. Hill.

Dan Jackson, counsel for the defendant endeavored to show that his client was of unsound mind and labored under the hallucination that he was a rich man and had thousands of dollars in several banks.

Antone Springer, who arrived in El Paso several days ago, from South Dakota, testified that he was a brother of defendant and that defendant’s real name was Herman Springer. As soon as witness saw his brother he knew something was wrong with him.

P.E. Gardner testified that he had been engaged as counsel by defendant; that defendant told him that he (defendant) owned 87,000 acres of land in Mexico; that defendant also gave him a check on a local bank for $500 – the amount of the bond – and asked witness to give the check to the bank and ask the officials to go on his bond. Witness found the defendant had never had any money in the bank and when witness returned to the jail with the dishonored check defendant said he has made the check on the wrong bank and sent witness with another $500 check to a second bank with the same result. Then witness decided defendant was crazy and refused to carry any more checks for him.

Dr. B. M. Worsham was called as an expert on insanity. He testified that he had been 18 years superintendent of the state insane institutes. He had talked with defendant and found him a degenerate. But upon the brief investigation he had given the case Dr. Worsham said he could not say that defendant was insane.

The jury was out only a short time when it returned a verdict of guilty.

Herman Springer is under $1,000 bond in Nebraska for irregularities in a land deal. It is probable that Attorney Jackson will ask that he be tried for insanity.

The grand jury was in session yesterday and returned a true bill against Floyd E. Patterson, charged with theft of over $50. Patterson is the young stenographer who is charged with stealing a lot of jewelry from his mother-in-law, Mrs. Smith, who lives at San Elizario. Patterson’s young wife made quite a scene when he was arraigned in Justice McClintock’s court six weeks ago and held to the grand jury.

The damage suit of David Williams against the E.P & S.W. is still claiming the attention of the 41st district court.

Miguel Delgado has filed suit in the same court against the International Water company and J.M. Wyatt, receiver, for $5,000 for alleged personal injuries.

El Paso Bakeries Enter Compromise

May 5, 1976

	Publication: El Paso Times Date: 05/05/1976 El Paso Bakeries Enter Compromise By Jeff Barton Times Business Writer Three El Paso bakeries, defendants in a civil class action suit alleging they conspired to fix bread prices, entered into a $510,000 compromise settlement Tuesday in U.S. District Court. District Court Judge John Wood Jr. will rule on the agreement at a public hearing set June 14. The bakeries, Kahn’s, Mead’s and Rainbo, allegedly conspired to control bread prices; however, the agreement is not an admission of liability by the defendants. Leon Tourk of Leo’s Food Store, Armando L. Baca of Triumph Grocer and T&V Inc. are the plaintiffs in the class action suit, which as entered June 26, 1975. Harold L. Sims, attorney representing Rainbo Baking Co., said, “This represents a compromise settlement subject to court approval. It is in no way an admission of guilt.” The agreement would require the defendants as a group, to pay $510,000 within 18 months. Should the court approve the plan, each defendant would make an initial payment of $56,699, followed by three installments of $37,777 at six month intervals. The plaintiffs alleged that the three bakeries engaged in a conspiracy to raise, fix, stabilize and maintain prices in the sale of bread products. The bakeries denied the allegations. On Jan. 14, the bakeries as co-defendants in a federal antitrust suit entered pleas of “nolo contendre” to price fixing charges which stemmed from special grand jury hearings conducted by the antitrust division of the Justice Department.

Ysleta carrier overcomes handicap of being handless

January 23, 1948

Julian Armas, 15-year-old El Paso Times carrier in Ysleta, who lost both hands in an accident nearly two years ago, has not let his physical handicap interfere with either his normal activities or his ambitions for the future.

The youth’s hands were blown off in May, 1946, while he was experimenting with a railroad “torpedo” in the yard of his Lower Valley home. His hands were so badly mangled after the torpedo exploded, that they had to be amputated at the wrist.

But Julian has learned to use hand hooks so expertly that he can do anything a normal person can do with his own hand – climb trees, comb his hair, shoot a gun. He folds his own newspapers before he delivers them on his route.

“When I first got my hooks, I thought I couldn’t stand to have people stare at me all the time,” he said. “But, soon I got used to it and now I don’t mind the staring.”

Julian also has a pair of artificial hands which he uses for “dress.”

Despite his handicap, the boy has taken part in school athletics. He played end and guard on his grammar school football team and was a member of the 220-yard relay team last year.

Now that he has enrolled in Ysleta High School, Julian believes he should forget about athletics and get down to some serious studying. His ambition is to become a lawyer, but he also is going to keep up his study of chemistry and other sciences, of which he is very fond.

Theatrically inclined, he records little programs which he improvises himself. His hobbies are collecting coins and military souvenirs and reading detective books.

Julian’s closest pal is “Butch,” a two-year-old German Shepherd, who served as his master’s “hands” before Julian got his hooks, opening doors and doing similar small tasks for him.

“I’m really proud of Butch,” Julian boasted. “He’s the smartest dog I know. I’ve trained him as they do the Army dogs and he can crawl under fences and disarm anyone.”

Julian’s ability to carry out his tasks cannot be overrated. Jack Smith, circulation district manger of the Times, praised the boy’s capability by pointing out that since Julian took over his route, circulation in that area has increased.

“He gives us exceptional service, Smith said.

Julian, son of Mr. And Mrs. Pete Armas, has two brothers, Constantino and Pete, Jr., veterans of the Navy and two sisters, Beatrice and Eva.

Jay J. Armes photos

Reader Robert E. Forbess photos

Reader Robert E. Forbess emailed me some photos from 1953  including one taken after the 1953 B-36 crash on the Franklins.  There is also a photo of a gator at the plaza, Ascarate Lake and Scenic Drive.

Here is what he said:

I was stationed on Biggs at the time. The day after the crash I drove around to the west side of the mountain and took a picture of where it crashed. It was so far away all I could see from the highway was a black spot. In the picture was my 1947-8 ford automobile. My wife and I lived down in the valley at 109 Anita Circle. We had two children while we lived there and El Paso will always be our home.

Robert E. Forbess

Thank you Robert.

1936: Two Are Shot In Argument At Van Horn

May 18, 1936

Dispute Over Old Mine Leads To Encounter On Main Street

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Prisoner Held Here

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Truck Driver Asserts He Fired In Fear Of Knife Attack

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An ancient Indian gold mine cost the lives of two early miners, nearly killed another in 1934, and last night in Van Horn, Texas, brought the score up to date with the critical wounding of one man, the injury of another, and the jailing of the third.

Jesus Dominguez, 39, tall, gaunt, with supreme faith that he was doing right, shot Poinciano Villalobos, 60, Van Horn merchant and politician, three times.

The shooting, which momentarily scattered an after-baseball game crowd on Main Street, caused considerable excitement in Van Horn. The crowd scattered when the firing began. Dominguez said he fired “every shot in the gun.”

Condition Critical

Isabel Granada, Villalobos’ companion at the time, was shot once in the shoulder. Villalobos was taken to a Marfa Hospital, where his condition was said to be serious. Dominguez was brought to El Paso County Jail.

There he joked with jailers while he was being finger-printed, reiterated that he meant to shoot Villalobos, whom he charged with allegedly swindling him out of $30 in connection with the Indian mine.

“I shot him. I hope I killed him. He threatened me. He swindled me. Last night I thought he was going to attack me with a knife,” Dominguez said.

“I shot Granado accidentally. He happened to get in the way when I was shooting at Poinciano.

Has Political Power

“Villalobos has money and he thinks he has political power.

“I saw him last night as I came into Van Horn with a tank of oil from Big Spring. I had gone to my room and washed, and had gone into a cafe to order supper. I had my pistol with me. I always carry one in the truck for safety.

“I saw Poinciano coming down the street with Granada. They were talking. Suddenly I got to thing about all the trouble I had had with him. I walked out of the cafe and went up to where they sat down on the street curb.

“I told Poinciano: ‘Here is that extra $15 I owe you, but I want my mineral samples.’ Poinciano said: ‘All right, but I have the samples at my store somewhere, but can’t find them.’

Blinded With Rage

“I got so mad I couldn’t see. I was blind. Then Poinciano pulled out a knife. Granada stepped up. I thought they were going to attack me. I pulled out my pistol and began shooting at Poinciano. He ran. I kept shooting. Then he fell. My gun was empty. I started to hit him with it. Then some woman screamed at me not to hurt him any more. That seemed to wake me up. I realized what I had done.

“I looked around and saw a big fellow coming up. (J.E. Garranda, who brought Dominguez to El Paso last night.) I handed him the gun and told him to take me to the sheriff.

“I told Sheriff Anderson (A.A. Anderson, Culberson County sheriff) what had happened. He started to put me in jail, then decided he had better send me to El Paso.

Retaliations Feared

“That Poinciano has two sons and a lot of other relatives in Van Horn who might want to do something to me. They didn’t know of my trouble with Poinciano.

“I’m not afraid. I hope that fellow dies. If they send me to the penitentiary God will be with me. I am right with Him, I know.”

The shooting last night was the climax of a wildcat prospecting venture begun in 1933, when several young men located an ancient Indian cave near Kent.

According to Dominguez, Villalobos grubstaked them until differences of opinion caused them to break up the partnership. In 1934 Villalobos sold him an interest in the mine for $30, and his labor.

“We did a lot of work on the cave and got a shaft opened for 300 feet,” Dominguez said. “One of the boys who was working for me found a nugget of pure gold about an inch in size. We put it in Villalobos’ car after we had finished work. After I got home and washed up I asked Villalobos to see it again. He told me it got lost out of the car on the way in to town. I thought that was rather peculiar.

“Then last year we were doing some more work and had blasted out a big place.

Ancient Skulls Found

“Near the entrance of the cave we had found a couple of skulls, probably of people who had tried to find the gold before us, or of the old Indians. So we were working carefully.

“The next day after the blasting we went into the cave and it looked as if someone had been fooling around in it. Then we went on to the end of the tunnel. The boy who was with me started to begin work and a rock slide began. He fell. I thought he was gone, sure. He caught with the tips of his fingers a timber.

“I unhooked my light and flashed it down the hole. I saw him there and grabbed for him. I didn’t think I would save him, but I got him out. We got out of that place.

Find Gold-Bearing Ore

“The slide covered up all our work and we didn’t have any more money. But we have a big piece of gold-bearing rock which we had picked up. We thought we could interest someone with money to help develop the mine.

“We had given the ore sample, which was the size of two water glasses, to Villalobos to keep for us until we needed some financing. It was shot through with gold. The rock was so crumbley that the ore could have been paned with water and a pan.

Ore Sample Lost

“He claimed he lost the sample. We couldn’t get any more money, so we quit work on the mine. Everybody else thought we were crazy to work on it anyway. But there is gold there. Maybe $35,000 or $40,000 worth. With $400 I could go down there and find it.