Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-29
COL. DAN BURNS.
How He Fared in a Mexican
Jail.
He Gives an Account of His
Trouble.
In Doubt About His Police Com
missionership.
He Shows No Sign of Suffering-Bir-
mingham and His Affidavit.
He Talks Little
r4t About Politics.

Colonel Burns, the great political
manager, member of Governor Mark
hams staff, mine-owner and all-around
bon vivant, came through here last
night on the overland on his way from
Mexico City to San Francisco. A HER
AID reporter met the train at the palm
grove village of Ontario, and found the
colonel with group OF good fellows in
the smoking compartment of the sleep
er, where the gentlemen were discussing
Mexican cigars as big as an Indian club,
and swapping "reminiscences and fairy
tales.
The colonel had been on visit to the
great Candelaria mine at Las Dimas de
Durango, in which he is interested, and
had incidentally also gone to the capital
Oh business. 1t was in the old strong
hold of the Montezumas that the Cali
toinla politician came into violent con
tact with the authorities through
the the MAJ, ,hinations of one Mark
Birmingham. and for the first
time made the acquaintance
of Mexican prison. Mr.. Burns did
not show the effects of his telm OF I'M
prisonment by any facial pallor, tor even
by a lugublio expression. On tne
contrary, he seemed to be enjoying HIM
self very much. One of his companions
told the reporter in confidence, however,
that the colonel had been unable to
utter anything but monosyllables until
he had crossed the Rio Grande and was
safely back on his native soil.
When asked for an account Of his
experience, the colonel said: "This
man Birmingham's brother-in-law was
superintendent of the Candelaria mine
twenty-seven years ago, and at that time
bought one twenty-fourth interest in
the mine production. That is, he Sc
cured right to one twenty-fourth of the
metal output, agreeing at the same time
to pay first one twenty-fourth of the
expenses of taking the metal out. Since
then the superintendent died, the mine
has been sold three times, and
the right has been really out
lawed several times. Now that
the is mine in good condition owing to
the improvements our company has
made since 1888, Birmingham comes
along with his pretended claim, and
tries to force us into recognizing it. He
secured the alleged right from his sister,
the widow of the original superintend-
ent.
"Birmingham began two years ago to
make row, and since then he has
been annoying the Mexican secretary Of
the interior to help him establish his
claim. On three different occasions the
authorities advised him to begin civil
proceedings to recover, but he has re-
fused to do 30.
"Last Thursday Birmingham went be-
fore the Judge Of the criminal court and
made affidavit that / was sojourning in
Mexico, that intended to leave for the
United States that evening, and that
was trying to defraud him OF his rights
A warrant was issued for my arrest,
and I was locked up in Jail
They did not put me in cell, but al
lowed me to loaf about long paved
corridor adjoining the keepers Office.
was we'll enough treated, but some o
their rules were intensely annoying
There was no such thing as giving bail
and was not allowed TO speak to soul
not even my lawyer, before the hearing
took place on Satur day. The Judge ther
heard Birmingham's case, and on elm
pie statement from me, remanded the
case to the court at Las Dimas. / left
Mexico Sunday night, and here I am.
That is all there is of it,"
The colonel reported that the repub
lie of Mexico is advancing rapidly, in
dustries spreading out in all directions
The Mexican government, he said, il
established on 6rmer basis than ever
and cannot be shaken by such revolu
tionists as Garza. The latter, he said
is nothing but a robber followed by
gang of marauders, who are remnants o
class which are being exterminated
The establishment of telegraph and rail
road lines has made it impossible fo
such people to indulge in raids TO
booty with the same freedom as the,
did when it took two weeks to commu
nicate with the capital, and six week
tosend troops to the scene of turmoil.
The Mexicans, he said, are losing
their animosity toward Americans, ant
splendid feeling of neighborly cordi
ality has taken its place. During th,
Chilean imbroglio, the general sympa
thies of the Mexican people were will
the United States.
As far as politics are concerned, th
colonel had little to say. He is firml
convinced that Blaine will receive tn
dency by acclamation. Mckinley is no
in it, says the colonel, and he woul
probably make wager to that effect il
an emergency. AS to his position as
member of the police commission of Sa
Francisco, which body he left withou
leave of absence, he said he would hav
to see how the land lay himself before h
could say anything about it.
Mr.. Burns then turned the tables, an
with rare skill undertook to interview
the interviewer for information whic
escaped him while he was in the siste
republic. He and party did not sto
here, but went on toward the mist
north.
A QUEER CASE.