Pedro Almendariz, a young member of a peaceful and humble Mexican family, was the innocent victim last Sunday morning of a moody and drunken murder who sent him to his death with five gun-shot wounds.

According to the information which we have been able to obtain concerning this case, young Almendriz was walking in the vicinity of Blue Island and Halsted when he was accosted by another fellow-countryman known as Bonifacio, who, completely intoxicated, insisted that the former take some drinks with him. After a brief interchange of words, during which young Almendariz categorically refused the invitation, Bonifacio drew a revolver and fired five times at close range upon his defenseless and unsuspecting victim.

Having committed his atrocious crime the agressor tried to flee, succeeding in evading the authorities until Monday afternoon, when the detectives succeded in locating him and placing a charge of first degree murder against him.

The quarrelsome Bonifacio was subjected to long and impetuous cross-examination by the detectives. Although he confessed having been the perpetrator of the crime, he has persistently refused to reveal his motive for having killed Almendariz, giving rise to the belief that he wishes to indicate that his act was due to a deranged mind caused by the effects of the marihuana habit. Cases are known where marihuana addicts have committed murder without knowing why they did it and it is possible that this might be analogous case.

The victim of this bloody tragedy was 27 years of age and had always been known for his retiring and laborious character. His death has been an irreparable loss to his parents and sisters who had not dreamed of parting with him at such tender age.