The Topeka state journal., 1900-01-22
KANSANS SUFFER.
Two Engineers Imprisoned By
the Mexican Authorities.
Locked Up Because Of the Wreck
OF Their Trains.
ARE DENIED A TRIAL.
Sleep on the Jail Floor With
Criminals.
ARE DENIED A TRIAL.
Protests of American Govern
ment Are Unheeded.

Confined for mere than six months in
a filthy Mexican Jail. without a formal
charge against them and with no pros
pect of a trial, suffering hardships and
privations too horrible for description
and appealing in vain to the minister
and consuIs- of their own country for
justice. are two American citizens, To-
comotive engineers by occupation, men
with families depending on them for
support.
The full details in the cases of En-
gineers- Edward Turner and George
B. Clark, both residents of the state of
Kansas and undiSputed citizens of
the United States, and both of whom
are now in Jail at Orizaba, Mexico, as
a consequence of having been in train
wrecks in that country, will shortly be
given to United States authorities by
the friends of the victims.
The state department will be ap-
pealed to once more, through represen-
tatives from Kansas. It will be asked
to put little life into the inquiry and
make demands on the Mexican govern
ment that will indicate the intention
OF this government to see justice done.
The unjust reatment by Mexican
officials of American railway en-
gineers has been notorious for years.
For such an engineer to be implicated
in a wreck in Mexico has meant his
most cruel Imprisonment.
David C. Ollie, of Leon, Kan, and
his sister. wife of a wealthy cattle
raiser of that state, and who is now in
Mexico, have been chiefly instrumental
in gathering the facts in the cases of
Turner and Clark According to their
story Turner, who was employed as an
engineer on the Mexican Central rail-
way, on the night of March 20, last,
left ESparanZa NfOr Oriza ba, in charge
of q freight engine. When about 50
yards from a, siding called Encinar he
saw a dark object directly ahead on the
track. He reversed his lever, but it was
too late, and his engine smashed into
another.
The fireman Of the other engine, a
native, was killed. The engineer of the
other engine was a Scotchman named
Mckay, who is now confined in the Jail
with Turner.
There were no rear lights on McKay's s
engine, and the native switchtender,
whose duty it was to be on hand, did
not appear till after the collision. Not
withstanding his criminal negligence
ne was only held in jail a few days.
Turner was badly injured, but three
days after the accident he was lifted
out of bed, arrested, and taken to the
prison hospital A few days later he
was placed in Jail, where he has been
charges are against him, and the only
satisfaction he can get as TO his case
is that sit is still pending"
He is compelled to sleep on a damp
floor of tiling, and is thrown into con-
tact with the lowest class of Mexican
criminals, many of whom are suffering
with dread diseases. His wife and
three small children are at Orizaba,
without means of support, and among a
people who naturally hate them.
Engineer Clark, who has wife and
two children at San Louis Potosi, Mex,
went to Orizaba, June 26, last. The next
day he got the job of manning a noun
tain engine. He was sent out by the
| superintendent with an engineer OF
long experience on the line to make a
trial trip. The engine was in charge OF
the old engineer.
At switch half way up the noun
tain the regular engineer got off and
told Clark to cut a car off the rear
of the train. In doing this Clark lost
control Of the engine, which was with
out brakes, and it dashed down the
mountain.
Clark warned the two native Indian
wood beavers to jump. One of them
| did so and escaped. The other staid on
| the engine and was killed as it ran into
| train coming up the grade. The crew
| of the uptra1n jumped and saved them
| selves, as did Clark Clark was badly
hurt, however, but was Immediately
| arrested. The engineer of the other
| train, who deserted the switch, was al
| lowed to draw his money from the COM
| pany and escape.
1t was not until September IS, that
| the United States government took any
] action in cases of the American engi-
| neers. Then Ambassador Clayton, in re-
| spOnse- to a request from Governor
| Stanley, of Kansas, straed an inquiry
| by writing to Mr.. Foot. general man
| ager of the Mexican Central road, ask
! ing if Turner and Clark were in his
| employ, and what charges had been
| placed against them
Mr.. Foot replied Immediately that the
| company had three engineers in prison
| for being in railway aecidents-Turner,
| Clark and Mckay. He said he thought
| it wrong that the men should be kept
| in prison without trial, and that he had
| done everything he could to hasten a
/ trial, but without avail.
Ambassador Clayton then wrote to
| 1gnacio Mariscas. Mexican minister of
| foreign affairs, asking that the men be
| brought to a speedy trial. The Mexi-
can minister replied that he had ad-
! dressed a note to the district judge at
| Vera Cruz, and that Mr.. Clayton would
/ be informed about the case 'if the state
/ of the investigation lwil permit it,
| On September 9 Ambassador CLAYTON
| addressed a letterd to Secretary Hay,
| giving the purport of the correspond
| ence he had with Superintendent Foot
| and the Mexican minister of foreign af-
| fairs. The state department then in
| structed the United States consul at
| Vera Cruz to investigate the case, but
so far as known no report has been
| received from this official.
r L. asgTF1.