Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-12-25
A REPORT DENIED.
Sensational Charges of Assassination
in Mexico Denied.

A Washington morning paper in the latter
part of November published telegram
dated the day before at San Francisco. in
" hich it was stated that, by private infor-
nation received from the colony of Metal
toncaS CMetlaltoyuca). in the state OF Pueb-
la. it was known that thee citizens of the
United States had been ASA Ssinated by
poems; that the Mexican government had
Eeen trying to keep that crime secret; that
several citizens of California who We're in
that colony, frightened by what had hap
pened were flying to save their lives; that
President Diaz offered great inducements
to the colonists who invested their capital
in Mexico; that the prosperity of the colo
MISS excited the hatred of the Mexicans,
who perpetrated a series of robberies. and
that finally during the period of a month
Tomas Gomez. G. Dennis and Charles Pill
sen were aSSassinated
Mr.. Romero. the Mexican minister, hav-
ing noticed the telegram referred it to the
Mexican government, with a request that
the matter should he investigated, with a
view TO redress any wrongs that may have
been committed and of correcting the mis-
statements, If there were any; and he is
in receipt of communication addressed to
the Mexican Herald of the City of Mexico
by Mr.. G. H. Tourney. assistant manager of
the International Land and Colonization
Company, dated at the City, of Mexico
November -. 1896. in which he states in
behalf of said company, with which he had
been connected for four years. that the
San Francisco dispatch was entirely sensa-
tional; that neither the colonists, the COM
pany nor the government mad at any time
tried to suppress the facts connected with
these occurrences; that the claim that
there exists any organized design to drive
out the colOnists is absurd, that there is
not vestige of rational evidence upon
which to predicate any belief of that char
acter; that within the period of four
months and not of one. as the telegram
n III hraE MN lara av,.r., tod
one of the three murders serving to dis
prove such a supposition-that of Tomas
GOmeZ-whO was killed four months be-
fore, being d Mexican. affiliated with Next
cans, having resided at Metloltayuca since
a child and many years before the colony
was formed, his murder having grown out
of drunken quarrel and having its origin
in a case of domestic jealousy.
That the death of Mr.. Dennis grew out
of a misunderstanding concerning a small
amount of money, over which a deadly
feeling had been engendered. he, however.
being an innocent victim, as he was not a
| party to the quarrel, but unfortunately re-
ceived the blow that was intended for
| some one else. That the case of Carlos
| Pelegeus was evidently for purposes of rob-
| berry, as he was not a colonist and had not
| purchased any land, nor did he intend to dc
| so; that II was untrue that members of the
| colony were fleeing for their lives; that the
| assertion that reign OF terror prevails al
! Netlaltoyuca is unsupported by facts, as
| the sales of land were going on Just the
| same as before and that 1t is not true that
| the prosperity of the colonists has aroused
| the hatred Of the Mexicans, as all the facts
| support contrary conclusion, because II
1 has served to attract laborers from all
| sections. many Of them being remote and
| with the hundreds who have gone there to
| procure employment, few have gone also
who have no respect for law. having made
| themselves. in the absence of proper police
| control. menace to the people, native and
foreign. and that % per cent of the Mexican
| population of that section deprecates as
| heartily as any one can the commission OF
| these crimes. and will cooperate with the
| authorities and colonists in their efforts tC
| bring the lawless element TO Justice
| The Mexican government had taken thu
necessary steps to arrest and submit &c
| trial the authors Of the murders which tool
| place at Metlaltoyuca.