1679. Carta de Luis Baltasar de Saavedra para Martín de Oñate.

Letter from Luis Baltasar de Saavedra to Martín de Oñate.

The author writes to Martín de Oñate to apologize for not being able to grant him the deferral of the payments he had applied for. He argues he needs to rent his mill for taking some profit out of it.

During the night of July the 9th 1679, Martín Oñate, a neighbour from Alcaraz (Albacete), was murdered on the streets of the village. After hearing the shot, the local authorities rushed to the crime scene and found the dead body. The doctors certified that the gun used was a carbine and the deceased belongings were seized. A rosary, a silver case, a “bigoteras” (a strip of clothe to cover the moustache in private for keeping its shape), three letters and some pieces of paper with accounts were found in his pockets. All the aforementioned documents were added to the proceeding documentation. No long after this, those responsible for the crime were arrested and their houses were searched. In effect, Antonio Rodríguez Carrasco, a notary who had tried to seek shelter in the convent of San Francisco, was taken to prison. And also Francisco Ibáñez and Juan Prieto were both tried in absentia. The reason to try these individuals were the testimonies from several neighbours, who confirmed there was a great enmity between the defendants and the murdered. Regarding Antonio Rodríguez Carrasco, several neighbours stated that a month before the incident, the animosity between them had been notorious. According to the testimonies, there was a great tension in which in challenging words were exchanged, and also a fight was stopped by the crowd. Despite these testimonies, Antonio Rodríguez Carrasco maintained that the enmity was over and he gave a detailed account of his steps during that night to prove he could not have been in the crime scene at the time it happened. He also justified his attempt to seek shelter in the convent.

Finally, it was found that the two other defendants also had enough reason to fight Martín Ocaña and they were pointed as the direct perpetrators of the crime. Some witnesses referred that Ocaña had slandered about the defendant´s relatives. Specifically, he had accused Francisco ibáñez´s sister of dishonest conduct and made comments on her alleged pregnancy after having had sexual relations with a friar. Likewise, he accused Juan Prieto of being a cuckold. After fleeing the scene of the crime, they could be traced by the judges although they could not be captured. The sentence was given on February 1680 and condemned Antonio Carrasco to six years´ imprisonment in Larache (Morocco) and 10 years´ banishment from Alcaraz (Albacete). Francisco Ibáñez and Juan Prieto were condemned to be executed by hanging. And those people who had covered up the suspects and obstructed the investigation were punished with pecuniary penalties and naming and shaming.