Ben Valasquez
Obituaries
Eagle Valley Enterprise page 1 - February 11, 1927
DEATH RESULT OF QUARREL OVER EARLY MORNING MEAL
Ben Valasquez , Mexican Miner At Gilman Is Killed By Frank SHva—Coroner * Jury Gives Slayer Clean Self-Defense Bill . Ben Valasquez , a Mexican laborer employed by the Empire Zinc company at Gilman , was shet and killed last Sunday morning at about 1 : 00 o clock , by Frank Silva , anotiier Mexican and at whose home Valasquez was rooming . Following the . shooting , Sllva gave himself up to an officer , claiming that he bad killed in self defense . A deputy sheriff brought Silva ta Eagle and turned him over to Sheriff Wilson , and Sunday evening the prisoner , accompanied by the sheriff was returned to Gilman for the coroner s inquest , which was presided over by Coroner Noah Dymenberg cf Minturn , assisted by District Attorney W . H . Luby . Silva was represented at the Inquest by Attorney W . J . Meehan . The coroner s jury found that Valasquez came to his death by moans of a gun shot wound in the left side ,
at the hands of Frank Silva , who acted in defense cf himself , his home and property . There was one other eye-witness to the killing besides Silva . JU .: k Redon , and the stories of these two as told to tbe coroner s Jury , wero substantially the same . Valasquez had b ? en drinking , and was pretty well under the influence of liquor and in a quarrelsome mood when the fatal altercation took place . Redon and Sllva met Valasquez on the streets in Gllman and the three proceeded to Silva s home , Valasquez being * a boarder there . He was loud in his talk as they went home , and Is said to have declared that he was going to kill sombody . When tho men entered the house , Valasquez demanded something to eat . Silva got him a cold lunch . But he was not satisfied and insisted that Mrs . Sllva , who was In a bed and asleep In another room , get up and prepare him a meal . When he proceeded toward
the woman s room to awaken her , Silva protested and prevented him from carrying out his purpose . Valasquez then went into his own room , leaving the door open , and opened up his trunk . When he raised up he turned on Silva with a revolver n his hand , and threatened him with It . Silva grappled with the armed man , and in the ensulnug scuffle Valasquez was thrown to the floor and Silva secured the gun . There was a box of tools under the edge of the beo . containing a hammer , and as he made a- move which Silva interpreted to be to get the hammer with which to resume the fight , he shot , the bullet striking in the left side in the region of the heart Valasquez died within a short time after receiving the wound . In view of the findings of the coroner s inquest , and after making a careful personal Investigation District Attorney Luby has decided not to prosecute Silva for the killing , and the latter was turned loose by the sheriff Monday afternoon .
