The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-01

edge and Judgment, and his Mexican acquainIances
rarely consummate any analr OF moment before nav
ing consulted him.
10 harm ever comes to the American resident his
interest IRON the individual chhuahuan. An instance
OF murder robbery or plumber OF an American resident
by Chhuahan citizen Us neither recorded recol-
lccted But while this is the Tact regards his treat
ment by citizens something very nearly It's opposite
the the way he Is treated by government aud
those having authority In The country. In that land
OF so many and varied material attractions gov
eminent is unstable as water and whether that
which prevails is regular or revolutionary the Ameri-
can resident who escapes injurious aud oppressive
treatment at its hands Is fortunate indeed. In the
many revolutions which have swept over the country
any American who has accumulated enough oil this
worlds goods TO make his spolalon worth the trouble
considered iair game Tor plumber But his despoi-
ing ever effected under the shadow aud IN the name
and in behalf OF that nonoescrpt thing called in Mex
ROBBERY BY THE pREsTAMo.
The robbery OF the American Is usually Effected by
the Prestanio, Spanish term sgniiying loan. Tho
preStamo Is not tax levied al UNIFORM rates upon prop
and business, but Is socalled loan forced rom
the few who have money. The Governor and Council
OF State or the revoiuonists n possession OF any
city town numbering people OF ready money among
IT'S Inhabitants always want money Immediately upon
com ng into possessonl IL is irst determined what
amount OF money Is wanted and then list OF those
who expected to lend It Is made out, apporoning
much each victim. The happy persons thus hon
known TO possess ready cash, and the
commodity. The list never fails 10 include every
are also put pu. N a the list very preiiy worded
notification j. then sent 10 each one on he list TO the
effect that the ''powers that be- desire him 10 lend
Them the sum named his notification within tho
next twenty-lour hours There Is no need Tor any
than this simple notice. II never fails 10 bring
the money in the time specified The American
resident having ''been there before" is always espc
cally prompt Tor he knows that u the money is not
loaned III the twenty-iour hours given him guard
Will be his door take him 10 prison. whcrc he Will
be made 10 do menla labor and to undergo hunger
until he lends the money desired. II degrading labor
and partial starvation does not quickly conquer his
spirit then u sale OF his effects ensuc.
When the money Is handed out certificate acknowl-
cdsing us receipt and declaring ~ = 'oan Is always
given the unwilling lender But no American has over
yet succeeded IN having one OF them cashed.
The list OF those who asked to lend money al
ways includes the names OF q few wealthy Mcxicana
This Is done only blind To soothc the feelings OF
the Americans and make hem believe there Is no dis
tincton the treatment The designated Mexican
goes through the form OF lending with great publicity
and takes to great credit for it, and cordially
advises every American other foreigner 10 do like
WISE But when the farce public Is ended slips
around to the back and gets his money back
again. 1t Is not believed by tho Americans that any
most obnoxious Chhuahuan has ever really paid
u preStdmo
Enthusiastically the frst.any foreigner was ever
called upon to contribute to-was LAID by President
Juarez, when driven from Lower Mexico by Maxi
milan While hanging on this ragged edge, as 1t
wcre and until United States diplomacy resulted in
Maxamiiian's sad death-apd this covers quite
! a period OF tme-Juarez and his legion
of camp-ollowers 1t could not probably
be termed an army-wore supported mainly by presto
mos levied upon the people OF chihuahua, the Of
which at least came IRON the pockets OF American
residents. during the period OF MS enforced resi-
dcnce the State Juarcz prestdmoed one American
citizen out of some $50 900. That citizen is Frank
McManus who went to chihuahua from Pennsy ivania
in 1S4l The sum taken from McManus, or, 10 be
more exact which forced to lend TO the govern
ment just about halt OF what he was then worth.
He did not always have the cash, and when OF
the calls were made on him he was compelled 10 Dor
row money IRON Mexicans three per month to
enable him TO oblge The with the socacd
loan When the government OF President Juarez took
tins amount OF money from McManus and IN tho az
rrepate n much larger SUN from other Americans il
iss each lender certificate setting forth that the
government OF the Republic oil Mexico had borrowed
from him The sum OF money named therein, and prom
a. a. upufn Ha
receivable pay of duties by the person named
IN It, thus practically making II non-transferabie.
McManus spared efforts 10 set his certificates paid
after Juarez restored, hut all his Efforts have
suited failure Although his mportatons, for he Is
leading merchant, have since amounted to more than
his certificates he has never been allowed TO use
q dolar OF them As set-of
After long years Of such disappointment the United
States and Mexican Mixed Claims Commission was
agreed upon for the settlement as all American
residents OF Mexico thought, Of just this very class Of
claims. The claim OF McManus, as well as numbers OF
similar claims, presented 10 II and judgment
asked The American Commissioner was in favor Of
IT, the Mexican Comm against 1t, and thus
question left to decision OF Sir Edward Thorn
ton, the previously selected umpire In the absence
of testimony aiiuade Tor this commission like the
more famous Electoral Commission OF recent date
excluded that, and upon the assurance OF Mexican
counsel that the certificates would be paid upon pre-
sentation at the city OF Mexico Sir Edward decided
very naturally That these certificates were more
less than simple debt OF Mexico, aud hence no
coectablc by judgment OF the comms-
sion than bonds OF the Republic sold IN
open market McManus now took his certificates 10
when he presented them he only laughed ~ Tor
tool And there is but little ground 70 hope that
McManus or any OF his posterty or the posterlty Of
the thousands of Americans IN Mexico who have SIM
liar claims, VIII ever see one cent oil the money they
call for
While decision against this class Of claims was
utterly indeiensibe upon any principles of justice
blame attaches 10 the umpire, Sir Edward Thornton.
IL is of however, that the inding by the
COMMISSION OF balance oil some 81 uOO, UC0 only was
not many millions more
HENRY
Her q IA q
went to Chihuahua In Sal, and has since accumulated
very large fortune. lie Is the owner OF magnificent
ranches containing about 400 square leagues,
than 900 square miles OF the territory Of the state He
is beside the principal owner OF the Banco dc Chhua
hua,n aud the notes OF his bank circulate at par all
through Northern Mexico. In june 1915, when one (,
Angel Trias pronounced" in favor OF General now n
PresIden Diaz, and captured the city Of Chihuahua,
Miller left the city to live out the revolution at one OF
his ranches, some sixty-hve miles from the city.
Trias as Mexca generals always do, at once levied
presamo. and assessed MIXERS part OF 1t at 49, 500.
When Miller called upon for 1t at his rancho he
declined TO pay and asserted his right to be
exempt from II on the ground that he was
an American citIzen. report OF Mlller's
unheard OF contumacy made TO General Tras, and
then a force was sent with orders TO bring Miller
$4,000, but fortunately Tor Miller this force after
invading his rancho dead OF night ana while pre-
pairing to carry hun OIL TO work in the cham gang
upon The streets OF Chihuahua, was set upon by gov
ernment troops and handsomely whipped, resulting IN
Miers release. Miller then kept out Of the way until
the Diaz occupation of chihuahua was cnt ed ny the
disastrous OF General Tras forces the 18th OF
September last iras himself took refuge IN san An
tonic, texas, WncTe nc clJ"ycu pTottctlou OIL
United states laws until the overwhelming doicat OF
Lerdos troops 1T the city OF Mexico practically gave
the whole country To 0az. Before tho defeat oil Lerdo
and triumph Of Daz had penetrated TO Chihuahua-ior
slow to that remote province
Miller had occasion TO VISIT the new copper DIS
OF Yigas ana Chorezas situated not lar from
the United border News of Diaz's triumph had
reached the border, however, and the adhercnls OF
Tras captured Miller aud took him To Del Nortc.
in sight OF the American nag and within stones
throw, almost OF American fort, there to be kept
prisoner until General Iraswhose attempted robbery
q protested
ismanic everyw here but III Mexico ." attn an American
ctzenn-shoud lesureiy come up all the way from San
Antonio, a distance OF 600 miles, through American
territory. 10 Tx the amount Of HIS ransom ana to pun
isb HIM otherwise II he wicd TO do The story OF
Mers long captivity, OF his weary marchngs over
rough mountan trails loot, while his captors rode,
both night ana day, OF tho horrible brutality winch
led the brigaBds To hold six-shooter to his head
and compel INN thereby write to his friends TO make
ecrt Tor hs reease VI the gallan Lhunsh aborliYe,