Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-12-04
DEPUTY MARSHAL SPY
An OfIlcer Of the United States Plays
the Spy Upon an Ignorant
Mexican.
TheOmciaI is az once Dismissed From the
service-The Mexican Allowed
to Go Free.
special to tho Gazette.

SAN ANTONIO, TEX, Dec. B.--This
morning when the case Of Juan Rodri.
guez was called for trial in the federal
court Deputy Marshal Fowle, the princi-
pal witness for the government, was not
present and the district attorney asked
for continuance and Judge Turner or
dered Fowle's appearance bond OF $3.50
forfeited. The question Of continuance
then came up, when the poor Mexican
prisoner through the court interpreter
said, though he was innocent and unable
to give bond, he would rather plead
guilty and take reasonable punishment
than to lie in jail six months or until the
next term of court.
"You are sensible man." said
the judge, "but the court
has no desire to punish you
II you are not guilty. Mr.. District Attor-
neg, please let me see the papers In the
case on which this indictment was made.
Was there any testimony taken down at
the preliminary examination before the
United States commissioner"
The papers were produced and handed
to the Judge by the district attorney.
Judge Turner read them for q few mo-
mcnts, became somewhat excited and
then called for Marshal Jackman, con-
suited him short time in an undertone
and then Indignantly read the following
paper to the court, it being the sworn
testimony OF Deputy Marshal Fowle taken
at the original examination and upon
which the indictment was found
George A. Fowle having been called,
said "My name Is George A. Fowle.
live in San Antonio. | am deputy
United States marshal. The house
where this defendant was arrested was
pointed out to me last June as being a
place where mescal was sold. gave my
porter quarter OF dollar and an empty
bottle. ] am conductor also on the In
ternatlonal & Great Northern railroad.
AS the porter went into the door of that
house hid behind brush fence which
runs along about ten feet from the door
| was directly opposite the door and
could look into the room. | saw the
porter hand the woman the bottle. She
handed the bottle TO this
man, the defendant lie filed it
with mescal. saw him. lie drew
1t out OF demijohn. The porter took
the bottle and came out into the street
He gave the bottle to me and tested it
and handed IL back to the porter. found
the bottle to contain mescal. l have
knowledge Of mescal, having drunk il,
and know il when | taste OF il. All this
was on the evening of the 23d of June,
after dark. 1t was in Laredo. do not
know the facts now charged, myself, but
the complaint herein is on the statement
made to me by my porter"
Judge Turner then said in the most
emphatic manners
81 do not propose TO have the business
OF this court conducted by spies, and
will not submit to it. Mr.. Marshal, de-
sire that you will have Deputy Marshal
Fowle dismissed from the service of the
government Immediately"
Mr.. Jackman said he uureservedly
condemned Fowle's action, and approved
Of his removal. The court then directed
that an order be entered on the minutes
removing Fowle from his Office as deputy
marshal. The case against the Mexican
prisoner WIS then dismissed, with the
consent of of the district attorney, and he
was allowed to 90 in peace, having served
Il longer perion in jail than most Of those
found guilty at the present term will
have to endure. This unusual proceed
ing produced quite sensation among
the officers Mt court and the attorneys at
the bar, most of whom were of the opin-
ion that an officer of the government of
the United States who would play the spy
on an ignorant Mexican deserved severe
punishment. The practice was once re-
sorted to extensively in West Texas by
deputy marshals under the Russell
regime, for which their names became
odious, but most people had believed that
such usages had been discountenanced
long ago. However, this summary mode
Of punishment adopted by Judge Turner
will doubtless not be forgotten for some
years TO come. The spy system may do
for car or dictator, but hardly in free
| America,