Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-22

CLAIMS ON MEXICO
Charles Oberlander's Case Before the
State Department.
KIDNAPPED AND MALTREATED
Graphic Description Of His Un-
pleasant Experiences.
EARLY ACTION EXPECTED

1t is not unlikely that the Mexican gov
eminent will be called upon to satisfy,
without any further delay whatever. the
claims of Charles Oberlander Of San Diego,
Cal, and Mrs. Barbara NJ. Messenger of Tia
Juana, Cal, for damages growing out of
the kidnapping of the former on American
soil by Mexican officers. by order Of Mex
lean judge. and the maltreatment OF the
latter. Mr.. Patterson Sprigg. former we'll
known Washingtonian, who Is now one of
the leading lawyers of San Diego, has been
in Washington for two weeks, in consulta-
ton with the officials of the State Depart
ment regarding the case. He has been re-
ceived with much consideration by Assist
ant Secretary Uhl, who is acting as Secre-
tary during Mr.. Gresham's illness, and So
llcitor Dabney. and there is no doubt from
the extreme interest being taken in the
matter that the Mexican government will
be called upon to repair the damages in
hicted by its representatives upon Mr.. Ober-
lander and Mrs. Messenger. The memorial
In the case of Mr.. Oberlander was sent to
the State Department early in 1893, and re-
cited that while the petitioner. citizen of
the United States, was acting as a deputy
constable Of the county of San Diego, Cal,
on the Goth of May, 1892. he was kid
naped upon American territory and forcibly
carried out of the United States into the
Mexican republic without lawful authority
or justification by Doninciano Cruz, Joa-
quin Fuentes, Ramon Cruz, Yldefenso Flu
enteS Jocobo Marine and other MeXicans
who were officers at the time of the Mex
lean government. In conversation with a
reporter for The Evening Star this morning
Mr.. Sprigg graphically recited the story of
the outrage perpetrated upon Mr.. Ober-
lander and displayed numerous affidavits
abundantly supporting its exciting mar
rative.
Oberlnnder il n New Yorker.
Mr.. Oberlander Is a young man, under
forty and is a son Of the Rev. Alexander
Oberlander, pastor of the Evangelical Luz
theran lions Church of Syracuse N. y"
said Mr.. Sprigg. He was born in Ger
many, but came to this country with his
parents in 1850, his father having been
naturalized in Syracuse in 1870. when his
son was fourteen years old At the time of
the kidnapping Mr.. Oberlander was deputy
constable Of National township, in San
Diego county. At the time that the Chinese
exclusion act went into effect he had been
largely instrumental in breaking up a per-
nicious conspiracy by which the Mexicans
got Cinnamon to land in Mexican territory
under promise Of safely sending them
across the border into the United States,
and after getting them in Mexico robbed
them Of their money and under pretense Of
smuggling them across the border into this
country handed them over to United States
marshals on this side of the boundary"
How the Chinamen Were Fooled.
You can have no conception of the con-
dit.on of affairs down there on the bound
airy at this time continued Mr.. Sprlgg.
There was collision between the Mexican
officials and the United States marshals.
The former would rob the deluded China
men and run them across the boundary,
here the marShalS would be sure to get
them, and then the latter would receive
large fees for arresting the celestials and
taking them before United States conf
missioner, who would, Of course, order
them to be deported. AS I before stated,
Oberlander learned who the principals
were In this conspiracy. They included
many prominent Mexican officials, and
when 1t was made dangerous for them to
continue longer the outrageous treatment
of the Chinese they naturally held Ober
lander responsible in degree for the stop
ping Of their reprehensible means Of gain"
The Crossthysuite Case.
Later on a man named Edward Cross
thwaite. who owned a ranch In Mexican
Lower California, had trouble with Gen.
Torres, the governor Of Lower California.
One day in San Diego Torres happened to
be at the Horton House, a hotel. and there
Crossthwaite' met him. The latter abused
the Mexican in a shameful way, but
Torres could aot resent the insults. Upon
his return to Mexico. however. Gen. Torres
Instructed his people, who comprised in a
word all the officials in the territory which
he controlled that Crossthwaite must be
gotten into Mexican territory. Accordingly
a scheme was liked up by which Cross
thwaite was arrested at Visalia, Cal, on
fraudulent warrant, charging him with
smuggling cattle across the border, and
was brought to Tia Juana, whence he was
kidnapped by Mexican officials and taken
across the border and put into a Mexican
Jail. Mr.. Oberlander also found out all
oED Sha hno VNin in n
Gen. Torres connection with it, and he
addressed letter to Gen. Torres, stating
that If Crossthwaite was not Immediately
released from confinement that every one
implicated in his illegal arrest and i'm
prisonment would be brought to book. Gen.
Torres thereupon liberated Crossthwaite
and sought to have Oberlander influenced
to discontinue his proposed prosecution of
himself and the others implicated in
Crossthwaite's arrest. but overtures made
to Oberlander were refused by him.
Obcrinnder becomes Marked.
Naturally, and as has been sufficiently
proven In the case now before the State
Department the Mexican officials were
very much incensed at Oberlander, and es-
pecially SO was a Mexican policeman
named Cruz. who had been implicated in
the ossthwaite abduction and for whose
arrest a warrant was out In San Diego
county" continued Mr.. Sprigg. ION the
18th OF May, 1917, ODerldncer went 10
Rosario, In Lower California. twenty miles
from the United States boundary, to de-
liver several letters for Philip Cross
thwaite, the father of Edward, and to look
up evidence in the matter of the latter's
illegal arrest. He went to Rosario. and
when returning home the next day through
the Mexican town of Tia Juana. which is
situated on the Mexican side Of interna-
tjonal boundary between our republic and
that of Mexico. he was halted by u Next
can
"Oberlander was in buggy, and refused
to obey the summons, but whipped up his
horse, and crossed the line into United
States territory, when one Joaquin Fuentes
rode up, and, placing a pistol to his head
took him back into Mexico.
A Queer Sort of IA Trial.
He was taken to the custom house. and
there Domnciano Cruz. the man for whom
the warrant was waiting in the United
States, charged Oberlander with having it
in his possession. and found copy of that
document in Oberlander's pocket. The lat
ter was thereupon put through form of
trial by Yldefonso Fuentes, a brother of
SPECIAL NOTICES.
I'd Dnue RrncSr1occ Mnn