Arizona citizen., 1872-03-16
March 16, S72.
THE BORDER OUTRAGEs.

following letters which have been eX-
 changed upon this live subject. That
 desperate characters in passing to and
 from Sonora, make a practice of pillag-
 ing and murdering in Arizona, is now
 known everywhere in the United
 States, and the fact is attracting atten-
 tion. To show what our local and
 national officials are doing in the
 premises, these letters are here given.
 Governor Stafford to Secretary Fish. TERRITORY OF ARIZONA,
 EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
 TUCsON, December 29, 1871.
 Hon. Hamilton Fish, Secretary of
 State, Washington D. c. - Sir: l
 had the honor to transmit to you Feb
 ruary 14, 1871, a communication
 giving information of the insecurity
 of life and property ill this Territory,
 along and near the Mexican border,
 in consequence of frequent murders
 and robberies committed by Mexican
 subjects, who invariably escape to
 Mexico, and particularly relative to
 the Mission Camp Massacre, with my action in the premises and the refusal of the Governor of Sonora to sur render the criminals coupled with a statement from him, that he had re- ferred the question to the Supreme
 Government of Mexico. 1 sub sequently learned from Mexican newspapers that the supreme Govern ment decided in effect, that Mexican subjects having committed crimes on the soil of the United States should not under the treaty be given up for punishment to the authorities of the United States, nor was it a proper cause for punishment within the Republic of Mexico. This decision did, as predicted it would in my con- munication of Feb. 14, tact as an incentive to the numerous bands of outlaws who infest that country to in crease their criminal depredations on our soil" Within few months, one man was murdered on the Gila River while asleep; another was shot from his horse near the same place; but a few days since Wm. Wright was mur- dered, 60 miles south of here while asleep and his head was cut off; and on the 21st inst. John w. Baker, his wife and boy about seven years old, was brutally murdered 60 miles west of this place, and a small child of the age of 5 months, perished for food and from cold after its mother was murdered. I followed in person this last band of outlaws, and came so close to, them, that they were obliged to abandon the horses they had stolen, but succeeded in making their escape into the mountains beyond the line. This last horrid murder has aroused the indignation of all the good people of this Territory, both Mexicans and and it is with great diff culty that retaliation is prevented. Earnestly desirous of maintaining friendly relations between this Terri tory and the state of Sonora, and feel ing we'll convinced that the repetition of such outrages as that of the 21st, might place the matter beyond my control, 1 have deemed 1t proper to send, unohicially, a Mexican who was formerly y a private Secretary of Gov. Pesqueira, to him with a plain state ment of the facts, and have asked him in order to promote friendly relations between this Territory and Sonora, to devise some plan by which these crim- inals may be punished. Well known and reliable Mexican subjects residing here have also written him in similar tone, and l have strong hopes that the Governor will see the importance of with our request. If how ever this should fail, and no punish ment follow for the perpetration of these crimes, those outlaws will increase their depredations until it will be i'm possible to inhabit our Territory near the Mexican border, and l fear re- will follow that will place the two countries in @ semi-state of war.
 If our Government would sustain us in following and capturing these outlaws into their own country, we could, and would, without further as-- sistance from the Government, soon bring them to terms and put @ stop to these crimes on our own soil, but l am aware that Such A course wOuld not be