Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-26
THE RENToN MURDER
Three Of the Persons Implicated Have
Been Arrested
Story of the Outrage and the Efforts
of This Government to Have
Justice Done,

AS the result of much vigorous urging
and pressing by the State Department, the
government of Honduras has at last been
brought to take steps to punish the people
who committed the Renton murder and to-
day cablegram was received from Mr..
Pringle, the United States charge at Qua
temala City, stating that he had received
telegram from the Honduras minister of
foreign affairs announcing that three of
the persons implicated in Renton's murder
had been arrested. This case has been man
aged from the beginning by Assistant Sec
rotary Uhl, and it is expected that the firm
stand made by the State Department in
this matter will have a good effect upon
the status of American citizens in all of
the small republics of Central America.
Treaty Guarantees.
The treaty between the United States and
Honduras contains a provision guarantee
ing in the strongest terms full rights to
protection for citizens of one country So
journing in the other but heretofore in all
Of these Central American countries the
governments have made few efforts to give
effect to such treaty stipulations where our
citizens are concerned.
One peculiar feature of the Renton case
Is that all OF the parties to the murder and
assault and incendiarism were foreigners
and not native Hondurans, and because of
their prominent position and influence with
the lesser native officials 1t has been diff
cult to induce the government to move
against them. Six persons were concerned
in the murder, but it Is believed that as a
result Of the vigorous prosecution of the
case by our government three Of them have
fed the country to escape the punishment
threatened.
Story of the Murder.
Chas. W. Renton, with his wife and niece,
Honduras, which he had made valuable
property. Near his place was a large plan
tation held by a number of foreigners, who
coveted Renton's lands. They sought to
drive him off by systematic persecution for
a long time, and this proving of no avail,
resort was had at last to violence and fire.
March 16 last year, Renton, who had
vainly sought for the protection of the local
authorities, was murdered in cold blood, his
wife, who tried to assist him In his de-
Tense. was shot through the wrist, the
buildings and crops were destroyed, and the
helpless woman and her child niece were
driven into the jungle
She made her way with infinite difficulty
and after great hardship to the coast and
managed to get to the United States. Com
ing to Washington, she laid her case per-
sonally before the State Department and
afterward presented it more formally
through a New York attorney. The case
was placed in the management of Assistant
Secretary Uhl, and he Immediately called
upon the United States consular officers in
Honduras for a statement of the facts.
Getting Mt the Facts.
Probably owing to the fact that the near
est consul was distant 300 miles from Brew
er's lagoon, they were unable to present a
statement that was satisfactory to the de-
partment and, at Mr.. UhIs request. a
naval vessel-the Montgomery-was sent
direct to Brewers lagoon about the LIST of
March to make an original Investigation
upon the scene. Commander Davis con-
Quoted the inquiry with great thoroughness,
and when his report came to the State De-
partment, about the middle of March, Mr..
Uhl cabled United States Minister Pierce on
March 10 that the naval investigation had
fully established Renton's murder and di
recting him to urge the Honduran govern
ment to prompt action, so that the guilty
parties should not escape punishment, and
the minister responded that he had made
the representations.
On March % he cabled that the Hon.
duran government had promised to take
prompt action in the case, but apparently
they were still behind in carrying out their
promise, for, on the oath of May, nearly a
month later, Mr. Uhl found it necessary
to again cable Minister Young that the
had not acted promptly, and directing the
minister to again press them and report
progress.
Honduras Mt Last Acts.
This seems to have at last moved the
government, for on the 26th of May Min
lister Young cabled that as a result of his
urgency the Honduran government had
assured him that it was prosecuting the
case with the utmost vigilance and hoped
soon to report satisfactorily, which prom
Use was redeemed, as appears from to-
days cable announcing the arrest of three
OF the murderers.
The recent statement that Honduras had
a n
case was premature. The payment of an
Indemnity will depend upon the result of
the trial of the three prisoners held for
the murder.