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

arrest Cruz on Mexican soil, ana thrown
into jail. with his arms shackeled and his
legs tied together with ropes. The next
day he was given another examination,
which was largely devoted to endeavoring
cipals in the abduction of Crossthwaite,
and was put back in Jail again. Oberlander
determined to escape. If he could, and
when some coffee was brought to him
shortly after dark on the second day of
his confinement. and his handouts were
unlocked to allow him to drink 1t, he man
aged to unfasten the ropes with which his
legs were tied. and little later, when the
them, and, knocking them right and left,
escaped from the building.
He started for the American side and
several shots were fired at him. Some dis
lance from the jail he fell down a steep
pre- cipitous incline. and was considerably
hurt, but he continued on over the cactus,
which tore his flesh dreadfully, and, after
swimming the Tia Juana river, reached the
American side Of the boundary in a wound
ed and bleeding condition.
Recapture of the Victim.
"He went to one or two houses, and at
last was taken in at the house of Joseph
Messenger, who kept 6. store on American
soil, and there he was given shelter. He
had been there but a few minutes, how
ever, when Joaquin Fuentes, Raymon Cruz
and other Mexicans, who were policemen
and Mexican state officials, rode up and
surrounded the house and dragged Ober-
lancer out. Nippers were placed on his
wrists and he was dragged through the
cactus back to the Mexican Jail, where he
was thrust inside, after his arms had been
shackled behind his back and his legs tied
together with ropes. This caused him in
tolerable pain, and made the wounds he
had received open afresh, but when he
asked for water to battle his hurts the
guards laughed, and one Of them told him
that as he had to die there was no use of
his having his wounds attended to. On
room Of Sunday. the ODD of May, he was
taken before Justice Fuentes, who had as
sisted in hdnaping. him from the Mes
singer house. There was another farcical
examination. and Oberlander was returned
to jail, where he was treated with further
oruelties and indignities. The next day
Oberlander was suddenly taken from the
cell. and placed in his own buggy, tied Sc
curely in the vehicle. and, without his
wounds being attended to. was started on
an overland journey to Ensenada, about
enc hundred and twenty-five miles from
Tia Juana.
This Government Interferes.
after traversing about half the distance,
however. the party having Oberlander in
charge was met by messengers and sent
back to Tia Juana, arriving there on the
25th of May" continued Mr.. Sprigg. Here
he was released on an order from Gov.
Torres, which had been brought about by
instructions from the City of Mexico,
where the government had learned of the
indignities visited upon Oberlander through
the medium Of our own State Department.
The aftidavits and the evidence taken in the
cese. all Of which are before the State De-
partment. prove conclusively to the satisfac-
ton Of the State Department officials, as l
have been definitely informed, that Ober-
lander was treated UNANIMOUSLY upon a slim
pretext. and that the real object of the
MeXicans was to revenge themselves upon
BIN for his honorable and vigorous per-
tees. The case of Mrs. Messenger grows
out of the indignities practiced upon her
{ n the night when Oberlander was forcibly
taken from her husbands house. and she
has likewise received the support of the
United States government in her demand
for reparation.
Alleged Duplfcity of the Mexicans.
After Oberlander recovered in a slight
degree from the injuries received at the
hands Of the Mexicans. he prepared me-
mortal Of his case, addressed to President
Harrison Mr.. sprlgg went on, and, ac-
companied by a very large number of af-
hdavits. the papers were sent to the State
Department. This government acted
promptly in the matter Of laying the case
before the Mexican government, and a
reply was received from Mexico regretting
the incident very much and stating that the
abductors and kidnapers of Oberlander had
been tried and convicted and sentenced to
prison. This was rather surprising intelli-
gence to Oberlander. for he saw the very
men who had kidnapped him and treated
him SO cruelty back IN Tia Juana, and fol-
lowing their usual avocatons as policemen
official capacities, Immediately after their
crime had been committed. Alldavits to
this effect were sent to the State Depart
ment, and in the early part of this year
Secretary Gresham instructed our minister
to Mexico to inform the Mexican govern
ment that it had been misled evidently as
to the real facts in the case of the alb
ductors of Oberlander. because it was
abundantly known to the United States
authorities that they had not been convicted
and punished as the Mexican government
had represented them to be. Confronted
with this state Of affairs. the Mexican gov
eminent recently corrected its former repre-
sensations and stated that it had made a
mistake in saying the men had been con-
victed. but that what 1t intended to say
was that they had been tried and acquitted.
This Information was conveyed to the de-
partment, however, after the memorial of
Oberlander for Indemnity was filed. Secre-
tary Gresham was then made acquainted
with the fact that at the so-called trial of
the Mexicans concerned in the kidnapping
and Imprisonment of Oberlander the testi-
mony Of two men who have been proven
beyond doubt to have been nowhere near
the scene of Oberlander's capture at the
time of his abduction was taken by the
Mexican Judge as sufficient to clear Ober-
lander's kidnapers."
Position of This Government.
These facts are all in the possession of
the State Department and active steps are
being taken by the government to require
the Mexican government to make the rep
aration necessary for a complete adjust
ment of the entire matter. Through the
medium of this case the State Department
will eAdeavor to make a precedent which
will govern future troubles of this character
which may arise along our southern border.
1t is well known to the State. Treasury and
War Departments that some definite pol
icy regarding the treatment Of lawlessness
along the Mexican border is absolutely
necessary, and consequently 1t is under
stood that the Oberlander case will be
taken advantage of to let the Mexican gov
eminent know precisely what will be ex-
pected of it hereafter in cases where its
citizens commit depredations upon persons
and property on this side of the border.
Mr.. Oberlander Is now in New York
state, the result of his treatment having
been such. according to physicians affi-
davits filed in his case. that he Is perrna-
nently incapacitated for any active work.
Gossip About the CorintO Affair.
Senator Morgan is very much interested
in seeing justice done to the claimants in