Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-04-10


n, Resu,us Home Atssr Strange Expe-
rssnse In Mexiss.
A 81. Louis special says Ex-Govs
ernor Thomas c. Fletcher, whose m!s-
terious disappearance on March 2ist
created such sensation in this city, re.
turned here this morning. and furnished
n story of his travels as remarkable IN
its way az his disappearance. he says:
"when LEFT home ! told my vile that
! was going to De Soto, Ne. went 70
the Union station and bought ticket
for De Soto. and WIS about getting on
the train when gentleman approached
me, saying his name was Ackanor
that he was from Washington, and
was interested in the We'll and La
Abra claims against Mexico that he
resided in Mobile, that he had just come
in on train from the East, and had in
tended staying over to see me, and on
inquiry Of hackman If he knew where
| lived, a bystandcr told him had just
passed into the railroad station. Some
one pointed me out to him. His train
was behind time, and he had stopped
nj the station to get his supper, and
said he had letter for me from some OF
my associate counsel in the La Abrs
claim. He said there was important
testimony which could be had at Mata-
moras, which, if taken at once, would
surely prevent the ratification of the
treaty then pending, and being discussed
in the Senate, for the reopening of the
We'll and La Abra claims. These
claims together involve, | think, nearly
s2.OO0,0O0. He wanted me TO 60
to Matameras. told him that it was
impossible. We got on the train to-
gether, and continued talking about
the matter, and as he found me fully
up in all the points in the case he urged
me to go, and began to make me pro-
positions, all of which declined. AS
we neared De Sote he became more
earnest, and begged me to go on, at
least till we would meet a returning
train. and talk to him of the matter.
1t so happened that | had on that day
been talking with parties interested in
the La Abra claim, and had looked
over package of printed briefs and
arguments in the case. L consented
to go on with him TO Bismarck
and intended returning to De Soto
on the up train from there. Be-
fore arriving there he made me such
offers TO 60 to Matsmoras as seemed to
me a sufficient induccment to go. L
wrote on telegraph blanks full state
ment of the matter to my wife. and
also wrote to George ID. Reynolds
about some matters to be attended to
for me, and inclosed the sheets in en-
velopes which Mr.. Ackanor furnished.
We had no stamps, and he took the
letters and said he would 60 forward to
the mail-car and get some, and return
ing, said he had done so, and had given
the letters to the mail agent to give to
the up-going train. So | went on, and
when We reached New Orleans we got
on the Morgan road and went to Nor
gan City.
Here / got on the steamer, and he
went on by rail to Galveston to meet
me there. just as the steamer was
putting out ran up to the telegraph
office and wrote dispatch home. The
operator was not in, but a man was in
the room, and he looked cut along the
dock for the operator, and not seeing
him, said he would attend to it. He
counted the words and seemed to under
stand what he was about. | gave him
the pay-upward of 81, perhaps 81 .2j--
and ran on down to the steamer. Mr..
Ackanor met me at Galveston and we
went to Point Isabel and to Browns
vile and crossed over to MatamOraS.
There he found that his agents had not
got the witnesses ready, and from Mr..
Sutton, the Consul-General, learned
that no preparations, so far as he knew,
had been made for taking the testi-
mony. Meanwhile Ackanor informed
me that he had been back to Browns
Vile and had a dispatch from Corpus
Christi that the Senate would adjourn
without acting on the treaty.
MIR. Ackanor spoke Spanish, and
we had been there two days when he
informed me that we would have to 60
down to Bagdad. This refused to do,
as found the testimony was to help
his case exclusively. had had enough
of Mexico. had but 800 with me
when left here. He paid all expenses.
lie gave me money enough to come
home, and started from MatamOras to
Camargo. thence to Rio Grande City.
My money was stolen, and | arrived at
Rio Grande City fat broke. saw the
commander at Fort Ringgold. who
telegraphed by military line to Gen
eral Stanley and Lieutenant Burns,
Of SANKEY'S staff. Burns promptly
telegraphed for me to draw on him. |
did so, and started at once by stage for
Panea, and thence to Laredo, where
telegraphed home, it being the first
place where there was direct telegraph
communication. After / had sent dis
patches home saw for the first time a
newspaper, and learned that my former
communication and dispatches had not
been received at home. | was greatly
astonished and grieved that my family
and friends had suffered so much unea-
siness ON my account, and FASTENED
home as rapidly as possible, and arrived
this morning"
ANOTHER VICTIM OF BUNKO.