Evening star., 1895-08-31
CHARGED WITH MURDER
Robert ]. Breckenridge and @. O. Golf Ar
rested in Guatemala
The Accused Are Men of Standing
The American Representative Sc
cures Their Release on Bail.

The Department of State has received
a dispatch by mail from Mr.. Pringle,
charge d'affaires at Guatemala, dated
August A. giving particulars of the arrest
of Robert ]. Breckenridge and c. c. Goff,
both citizens of the United States, on sus-
picion Of being implicated in the murder,
on the 10th of July last. of P. o. D.
Brooks, cashier Of an agency company at
Livingston, and described by Mr.. Pringle
as "a young American" The office or
re ON of Brooks was entered at night, and
the sum of $4,000 in bills was stolen.
Mr.. Pringle states that under the laws
of Guatemala a person cannot be held
longer than fifteen days. after which time
bail can be given, and that as Messrs.
Breckenridge and Goff had offered bail,
ana no action has been taken in their case.
he (Mr. Pringle) saw the President unof1-
cially, and was promised by him that he
would look Into the matter. '"Messrs
''are both men of standing and employees of
the agency company from whom the money
vas stolen. 1t is to be hoped that the
matter will be fully and fairly investigated,
SO that these gentlemen be exonerated
from any suspicion of being in any way
implicated in this affair.""
Mr.. BreckinridEe's Explanation
Mr.. Pringle incloses letter from Mr..
Breckenridge, in which the latter says:
The murder and robbery was not dis
covered until the morning of the 10Th
about 6 o'clock. Myself the bookkeeper
for the company and Mr.. C. c. Goff (mas-
ter mechanic) occupy rooms in the same
building over the office, and, pursuant to
the laws of this country, (Which require
the arrest of all persons residing in a build
Ing whers a murder is committed) were ar
rested the same morning. about $50
o'clock. and detained, pending an investiga-
ton.
''On Monday, the 22d Of July. the court of
first instance, not being satisfied with the
development of the proof. formally COM
mittcd Mr.. c. c. Goff, Sylvester Randolph.
one Thomas Hall "a negro watchman). and
myself, and induced us to appeal to the
court at Jalapa. On the 1st of August this
same court of first instance, upon applica-
tion decided to admit Mr.. Gof and myself
to bond, fixing the bond at $1,000 each
Capt. owen, manager of the company and
our employer, making the bond. We were
then informed that the bond and papers
would have to be sent to Jalapa for ap-
proval. and 1 believe were so forwarded,
and We are now. after three weeks of i'm
prisonment, to be held for an indefinite
period"
He Was Intimate With Mr.. Brooks.
Mr.. Breckinridge adds: 1.-The relations
between Mr.. Brooks and myself were most
intimate and friendly. A pistol was
found in the vault where Mr.. Brooks was
murdered, with a chamber discharged, and
this pistol identified as one that had been
my property and in my possession up to
the evening of the 4th of July, when it was
taken from my room by some unknown
party. 1t was notorious that / had lost 1T
on that day. as had made various inqui-
ries concerning its loss, and it was also
notorious that on the 5th of July I had
procured and been carrying an entirely off
ferent make Of pistol.
mo examination was made at the time Of
finding to see whether the discharge was
recent or not, but 1t was assumed that that
pistol had been used to commit the mur-
der. So far as Mr.. Goff and Randolph are
concerned there is not one shadow of evi-
dence connecting them with the crime"
Mr.. Pringle was instructed by the De-
partment to see that the imprisoned Ameri-
cans have q fair trial. Subsequently 10 the
date Of his dispatch by mail he telegfaphed
the department that orders had been given
for the release Of Messrs. Breckenridge and
Goff on bail.