The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-10-19
MEXICAN AFFAIRS,

Hon, W, A, EYhrlH, secretary OF n'Nl'
Washington, j, o.
SlR-l desire through your depart
ment to advise the president of the re
cent action OF the authorities OF the re
public Of Mexico in relation to certain
demands made 10y me upon that gov
eminent, under the existing treaty o
extradition, for criminals committing
offences designated in said treaty in tn,
state of Texas, and who had taken re-
fuge in the border state of Tamaulipas
TO the end that the United state
government may have n full and JUS
comprehension OF the issues involved
and of the indignites which Texas h0i
recently borne from the hands OF Mex
lean demonstrating theft of oul
property, burglary, Jail breaking, release
of indicted lelons, assaults to murder
and actual accomplished murder of oul
people ! herewith have the honor ia
transmit the accompanying Official cor
respondence between the executive OF
Texas and the Mexican authorities.
This includes all correspondence es>
pecially relating to the reported ouha,
yes at Rio Grande City, and the rejected
demands Of the eXtaditon commits
sioner for five (j) murderers from Ill,
dalgo and Duval counties, duly indicted
in the district courts OF Texas, and VINO
were fugitives from justice in Mexican
territory.
An inspection of this official cores
pondence will show that on the l2th
day of August, 1877, a band of Mexican
outlaws crossed the Rio Grande river
opposite Rio Grande City, the county
Seat of Starr county Texas, and by
force and arms broke open the common
iail of said county and released there's
flom one Esproneeda, indicted Tor theft
of cattle, and one Segunda CARA, inN
dicted for the crime OF murder.
While perpetrating this outrage the
states attorney, Hon. Noah Cox was
severely wounded, as also the deputy
sheriff and his wife, all citizens of
Texas.
These outlaws recrossed the Rio
Grande with the released prisoners,
beingpursued bya detachment Of United
States troops under Major Price of the
regular army,
Immediately on being advised OF this
occurrence informed the president,
and asked that the general government
would ioin with me in making demand
of the republic Of Mexico for the return
of the released prisoners and the de~
livery of the raiders, and reparation for
the outrage committed. In answer to
my telegram to the president, received
from the secretary of state the gratity~
ing assurance that my demand tor the
Mexican raiders and the released fel
ons was properly made under the ex.
listing treaty and that our government
would take immediate measures for the
protection Of rights involved,
In pursuance Of my orders, therefore,
the Hon. John c. Russell, OF Corpus
Christi, Judge of the twenty fifth Judi
cial district, and eX-ohico eXtradition
agent, made formal demand of the gov
ernor of Tamaulipos on the 23a day Of
August. 1871 for the eXtradition Of the
parties engaged in the Jail delivery and
assault to murder as we'll as for the
felons released by them, giving their
names, etc; and the sheriff of Starr
county was ordered to proceed with
said demand to the city Of Matamoros,
where the governor Of Tamaulipas then
was, and deliver the same to that otli-
Ger After much needless delay and
discussion about the proper construc-
ton of the treaty of eXtraditlon, as
reference to the official papers will
show, the central government (Presi-
dent Dia2) through his accredited agent
and member of his cabinet General
Benevides), ordered Governor Canales
to have delivered to the Texas
extradition agent (Judge Russell) |
the released prisoners and felons
Esproneeda and CARA, and also
the raiders who liberated them and
attempted to murder our citizens.
As the executive of state having over
500 miles Of exposed border, with
shallow stream as the boundary line
between it and people who cherished
a traditional prejudice toward the
American people, intensified by the
Texas revolution for independence and
the international war of 1916, in
structed the extradition agent repreo
senting this state under the special pro-
visions of the treaty OF December / |,
1861, to demand: First, the prisoners
released, irrespective Of nationality, be-
cause, having committed the crimes of
theft and murder on Texas territory,
within organized counties, and having
been legally indicted by the grand
iuries of said counties, arrested by the
high sheritfs under proper capias Of the
lodged in Jail in default Of bail,
the jurisdiction OF the criminal courts
Of Texas had already attached and the
clause, of the treaty excepting citizens
OF eitli er country from the operation OF
gens-el provisions could not be in>
vodlod. These prisoners were released
by an unlawful mob, without the con-
sent of this government, and the repub
lie of Mexico should place them back,
within her power, in their original po-
sition inside the jail Of Rio Grande city.
The eXtradltion agent also demanded
in an able aud exhaustive paper, the
delivery to the Texas authorities Of the
outlaws engaged in this affair, as an act
OF comfy towards a neighboring and
republic.
In this demand, the governor of Tam.
nulipas General Canales) did not con.
cur. nor did any one of the local, civil
or military authorities of Tamaulipas,
and did refuse to become the instru
ments Of extraditing any party charged
with crime in Texas. fleeing to Mexico,
and who claimed to be simply of Mexi-
can origin.
General Beneyidls, however, repre-
stnting the central government con.
Cured in the views Of Judge Russell,
that all the parties engaged IN this Rio
Grande City outrage should be deliv-
cred over to the civil authorities, and 1t
4 Ill |