Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1886-08-28
ARRESURIS' CASE.
Full Text Of United States Consul
Linn's Report Touching the
Case,
A Brutal Murder Perpetrated In Defiance
of Law and without any Justify
ng Causes-Letters From
tho Victim.


publican will to day print the following:
Following is the fun text Of United States
Consul Linn's report to Secretary Bayarj
touching the Arreeuris case:
UNITED STATES CONSULATE,
PIEDRAs NEGRAs, Mex, Aug. .. 1885
To Hon. j. o. Porter, Esq, Assist mt Secre-
tary of State, Washington, ID. G.
NSir ] havSsii's honor TO report Tint ON the
night of July 26 1856 there was arrested in
Eagle Pass Tex, by Deputy Sherils Bon-
facio Diaz and other officers, act ny under
instruction of f. l.. Oglcsby. sheriff of Nav
erick County, Texas, n naturalized cit zen of
the United States named Francisco Arresl-
rs. That within fifteen minutes after his ar
rest Arresuris was conveyed to the RIO
Grandc river and crossed by SIX II to piedras
Negras, where he was delivered TO Franc SEQ
Mondragon Captain of the "Fuerza de Sc
uridad" or State Rangers of Coahuila, who
inncarceratcd him IN the city jail; on
American citizenship and demanded
consular protection. at once addressed a
note of inquiry to the sheriff of Maverick
County, Tex, at Eagle Pass, requesting from
that officer a statement of the facts of Ar
resurs arrest, its cause, and of ali the pro-
ceedings of court Herewith connected. In
reply thereto the sheriff states he had Arresu-
rls arrested upon warrant issued by Joseph
Hofsteter, county Judge of Maverick County,
Tex, and that he had delivered him TO the
Mexican officers in obcd ence to sa d warrant
from the county Judge
1t being apparent that Arresuris had been
delivered to the Mexican officers without
even the form of an extraditiOn trial, and
upon warrant OF a county judge who acted
without having even formal charges pre-.
ferred against the prisoner, i called at once
upon Captain MondraHon and demanded that
Arresuris be redcllVered to the Texas officers.
] was accompan cd to Captain MOndragon' 5
,,riu by Mr. Sol I'm har
an eX-ctizen of piedras Negras, and for
merly Vice Consul of the United States at
this place, and by Mr.. John o. Williams o
citizen of Eagle Pass and the employer Of
Arresuris.
1t was in Mondragon's private residence
the demand for Arresurls' return to Texas
was made. leXplaned the ground of the de
mand to be that the prisoner had been de
livercd in violation OF eXtradition law, and
that he stood as kidnapped. in support of
this handed to Mondragon Sheriff Oglcshy'
letter on the subject, which he read. also
called his attention to the requisites of the
law regulating eXtradition Of persons ac
cused of crime Mondragon admitted that
| to him, but he declined positively and at once
to return him to Texas. He did so upon the
ground that he had that morning transferred
| the case to the district judge at Iaragosa. in
Coahuila. to whom | must apply for the
prisoners return to the United States.
| argued the injustice that would he done
| Arresuris in thus sending him tt
| far from his family and fir ends under thi,
| illegal proceedings, and producing my ex
| equator as United States Consul, again de
manded in the name of the Government thu
immediate return of this prisoner. Mondra
| gon replied that he could not comply becaus
| the case had been sent to higher court
| Feeling ii to be useless to further cndeavO
| to influence Mondragon, | returned TO th'
consulate and at once wrote a lcttertO Sherit
| Oglesby, urging him to use every means t,
| secure Arrcsurs' return. sheriff tgcsh'
| then wrote to MOndraron asking for Arrcsu
| rs' return TO him, promising to hold hr
| until regular extradition proceedings cou
| be instituted before Judge Hofstctt er, tn
| Texas eXtradition agent. This demand h
| Sheriff aQS lesoy met with n positiyereiusa
| to return the prisoner.
II WAS late in the afternoon of the 27t
when tn final reply from Mondragon wa
| received, and not anticipating the blood
| event so soon to take place ] prepared f
| make application to the district Judge at Zal
agosa for Arresurs, which application was f
be presented on the next day. On returning
| to my Office on the evening of the 2Sth, ! wa
| informed that Arresurls had been takel
from the city Jail at or about the hour of on
| o'clock of the night previous, that he ha
| been carr ed about one mile west of tn
town of Piedras Negras and there shot Il
| death by party of Mondragon's troops. o.
| the succeeding day. al the request of ArreS
urls mother, applied TO several of the loca
| authorities and finally obtained consent o
Senior J. NJ. Cordenos Modcro Gefe, Polit c,
| of this district. for the taking up of the bod
| in order to enclose il in coffin. THIS wa
| done and Arresnrls arms were found pin
| ioned to his side and towel as bandag
| over his eyes, in which condition he had yer
| evidently been shot His body had hcel
| thrown into the grave in the clothing he hat
| on. without shrOud or coffin or further ear
| or attention.
| In bp tn q 81 4.
| Arresuris Mondragon passed over TO thu
| Eagle Pass side of the river and boarded TIN
| train for san Antonio, Tex. thence to sal
tillO, Mexico. While awaiting at Eagle Pas
| a few m nutes before leaving the train he re
marked TO Mr., Francisco Lagrange, worth,
| witness aud an agent in the employment o
| the railroad company at Eagle Pass that h
| (Mondragon) had left orders with the solder
to take Arresurs from jail and shoot h II
! that night This statement, together witt
found, and the further fact that the prjsone
| had. from the first moment OF h $ arrest an,
delivery, asserted that Mondragon woul,
| have him killed, which statement he re
| peated many times during the short time o
| his imprisonment, goes to dlsprOre th'
| charge that Arresuris was shot while AT
| tempting escape, phrase so exceedingly
handy for use when the prisoner lips hav'
| been sealed in death to any contradiction.
| | have made thorough inquiries regarding
| rs. The officers concerned in 1t assert tha
| ArresuriS was bad man. against whom
there were charges of horse stealing, whl
| the dead mans friends and relatives asser
| that personal difficulty of several years
| standing caused Mo ndragon, while havin
| him in his power, to destroy him Arresur
| himself said that Mondragon would hav,
him killed because of Il personal difficult
between them. Mondragon, ii is current!
| reported here, has had several men sho
| quite as summarily.
| An examination of the records of Mavcrc
County, Texas, shows that Arresuris mad
| declaration to become citizen of the Cnite
States in the year 1873. He presented 10 IN
q certificate of this declaration signed by tn
district clerk Of Maverick County, and thcr
is no proof that he has sworn allegiance &
any other Government. His cmployeA Nj
Williams, represents him rs being {
peaceable, Industrious and sober man, Will
| many OF the best Mexican citizens in thi
town certify to his good character, 1t is cei
tain, however that Mondragon will endeavo
TO prove him Il horse thief, which, togethe
with his plea of attempt to escape is 10 b
the Justification offered for the taking OF th
mans life believe the killing of Arresur
to have been a brutal murder perpetrated j
defiance of law and without any iustifyin
| causes. II was committed, too. when d,
| mand for his return to the United States ha
been made by an officer fully authorized b
| the Government to make it. Tbs hrut,
murder is then both wrong done an Amer
| can citizen and an insult to our Government
on the 18th ult. | telegraphed Hon T,
Bayard, Secretary of State of the Unite
States, at Washington, the principal facts
this case copy of which telegram now a,
companies this report, and on the succeedin
day | also telegraphed the Governor {
Texas Hon John ireland, the particulars {
| the murder, he having requested me to do S,
| a copy of which also oaccoinpanies this repor
| ] also inclose letter received from Josep
Hofstetter, county Judge of Maveric
County, Tex, explaining his action in tn
the murdered man. In one he admits h
| fear of Mondragon' s treatment for the nigh
and subsequent events show his fears
have been well founded; also copy of lie
ter from j. NJ. Cardenas Modero Gife, Pol
tico, authoriLin ng the removal of Arresuri
| body for a more decent burial. There ais
accompanies the report an article takenfro
| the San Antonio TEX Erprcss. reputah
newspaper, VIII ch cln ms that Mondragon
like manner shot without trial Juan Coli
do In April last. There Is no doubt
the killing of Golindo as assertt
in this article. as ! was Mt the time fully u,
vised. IL having occurred within my consul
district, but Golndo was represented as
while max ng escape" Hence made l
report to the department. nor took othci'
cognizance OF the affair, us well us in sever
| cases of killing likewise reported,
BY direct on of the Governor of Texas Il
county attorney Of Maverick County, Texa
instituted criminal proceedings against u
Judge. the sheriff, and Deputy Diaz, who. {
| prel miuary trial. were placed under ba
bonds Of Si.01 each for further trial tefo
ick. complaint was also filed aga nst Mo
dragon on the same case, the charge beiI
kidnapping. but his abs ence IN Sexico py
vcnted histral thave written thus fully