The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-04
CLAIM ALL OF NICARAGUA.
Descendants of a Jamaican Negro
Urge Their Title.
IS NOT LIKELY TO AMOUNT TO MUCH
and Nicaragua shuts II Out-Somc
Historical Facts.

Copyrighted, 1898. by Associated press.l
Managua, Nicagargua. May 2S.-(Corrs-
spondence OF the Associated Press. IRE
Gently claims for lands OF an area more
extensive than the whole State Of Near
aqua have been made by shsppard's heirs.
now living at San Juan del Nortc, Near
aqua, against Costa Rica and Nicaragua,
including the route selected for the inter-
oceanic canal.
| The original claimant, Sheppard now
| dead. was u negro or mulatto from jam
aica, and subject OF the British crown.
He claimed that about 1885 he paid to a
chief of the Mosquito Indians on the east
coast of Nicaragua about s250,000 in gcll
for several millions OF acres OF land In
Nicaragua and Costa Riea and now the
heirs declare that they have the papers
complete and want their land or its money
value.
The historic facts about the Caribbean
coast of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Win
the adjacent Islands and their sovereignty,
are.
/. Christopher Columbus discovered and
claimed them tor Spain in OCTOBER, lb02.
,. Spain retained sovereignty over them
until 1871, conquering all the tribes Tia
Guiding the Mosquito lndiansl excepting
the Amewique people. who held the Cen
trail and Eastern mountainous districts in
Nicaragua, where their snail remnant
now roams undisturbed.
3. In 1921 Spain transferred the SOY.
ercignty TO Spanish American people In
Nicaragua. Costa Rica and other Central
American States ana acknowledged their
Independence.
L. In 1913 Great Britain Acknowledged
some one Of the chiefs of the Mosquito In
dams In Nicaragua as the king and SOW
ereign of an underlined territory n-or all
/ of--Nicaragua and declared herself protec-
! tor OF that king and his sovereignty. This
was one of England's bold preliminary
steps. after the buccanneering effort TO
gain control OF the canal and consequently
Of the route of inter-oceanic travel acto.s
that isthmus.
| o. on January IS, 1860. Great Britain, un-
der pressure OF the government OF the
United States, made treaty with Near
| aqua, conceded to the latter the Sovereignty
! of the entire territory now held by Nioar-
aqua and in article Is of that treaty linz
tied to 100 yards square the claim OF any
foreigners to lands. by purchase or other
wise, from Indians in that territory. by
articles and 10 she authorizes the pay
| ment of n commission to adjuiicate all
such claims for lands In Nicaragua. The
commission was duly appointed and eH'
hausted by It's decisions the lands claimed
that were presented TO it, aftsr which the
committee was dissolved. The ShepparC
claim. If presented. was not recognized
The Sheppard claimants overlook the fol
lowing facts:
i |. That buccaneers and other Englisl
pirates virtually controlled the littoral o
the Eastern or Caribbean sea copst o
!, Nicaragua, and not the Mosquito Islands.
o That the Amerigos from whom. mos
probably, the name America originated
were the most powerful tribe in Nicar
aqua, and occupied the Central and East
ern mountain ranges In Nicaragua, dom
mating the Mosquito Indians. although
friendly with them, AMERICAS We're con
1uered by the Spaniards. not by the Span
t ish Americans, AMI have slowly Gisap
, peared without war until now their mum
I Der is very small No Mosquito chirf ha
1 ever held, at least In times OF which ther
! Is any record any OF the territory OF tn
: Amerigos