Daily camera. [volume] (Boulder, Colo.) 1891-1928, 1900-04-14
MEXICOWANTS MONEY
Has a Million Dollar Claim Against
the United States.
Deposited q Quarter of \ Century Ago
with the Treasury to Abide
by LitigatiOn-Deoided
in Her Favor.

eminent will call upon the United
States government for the return of
nearly $1,0OO,O00 in gold, American
coin, which has been held as a special
leposit-at least that is the SUPPOSE
tion-in the treasury vaults for 30
years, says a Washington special cor
respondent to the St. Louis Globe-Dem-
ocrat.
This money was sent here with other
amounts to pay claims against Mexico,
where such claims were properly adju-
dictated. The story in connection with
the amount to be returned is interest
| ing.
Under the treaty of 1868 mixed COM
mission, as it was known, was appoint
ed by our government and Mexico to
regulate accounts between the two re-
publics. Two of the claims against
Mexico, for seized cotton principally,
were those of La Abra Mining company
and Benjamin We'll, amounting to $780,
COG and 100000, respectively. The
mixed commission had made awards in
these cases, but the Mexican govern
ment solicited Gen. j. E. Slaughter,
then confederate commander on the
Rio Grande, to look after the claims,
which he did after the civil war.
On the representation of Gen.
Slaughter congress refused to permit
payment of the money to the claim
ants. The matter came up again in
the next congress, and in several sue
ceeding congresses, and finally the last
congress passed an act submitting the
claims to the court of claims. In an
elaborate decision that tribunal de-
cided against the claimants. An APP
! peal was made to the supreme court of
the United States and that tribunal af-
tirmed the decision of the court from
which appeal was had.
The claimants, after some time. went
to the supreme court and made a mo-
ton for a new trial. Last Monday the
motion was denied. BY this act of the
supreme court the Mexican govern
ment will receive the money. without
interest, which has been held here in
trust since 1876.
Gen. Slaughter lately had a confer.
ence with the Mexican minister, and
it is understood that the latter in
formed his government that the money
was subject to MeXico's order. One of
the stories is to the effect that the
money has been boxed up in the vaults
| of the treasury all these years. But the
treasury officials deny this. They do
not deny that Mexico may have claim
upon the government for the amount
| stated, but they say positively that the
| amount named nor any other amount,
is boxed up in their vaults, and when
the Mexican minister lines up his cart
in front of !he treasury building for
he purpose OF Qettinr ~ treasure he
will find nothing with which to make
load.
According to Gen. Slaughter's state
ment, the claimants in these casesput
up the biggest bluff on the congress of
this country that has been made in
many years. Although every commit
tee before which they appeared de-
oided adversely, they came again and
again, every time with powerful
lobby, and when the senate finally
passed on the report only five votes
were found in its favor, while in the
| louse the defeat was so strong that
the ayes and noes were not called for.
| The testimony taken before the vari-
GUS committees makes 10000 pages of
printed matter.
Gen. Slaughter, who has had charge
! If the case for Mexico, is II years old.
he is a nephew of Mrs. Dolly Madison,
and when he was visiting her in Wash
ngton, as youngster. only 10 years
Of age she presented him to President
Polk, who gave him a commission as
lieutenant in the regular army. He
was one of four to receive such an ap-
oointment from civil life. When the
civil war occurred he was in charge of
lot of government stores, ammuni-
ton and guns, at Eagle Pass, Tex. The
state of Texas, after passing the act
of secession, demanded the property at
Eagle Pass. Slaughter refused to sur
render it, and managed, by adroit
measures, to get the property on board
a transport. and it reached place of
safety in spite of efforts of the confed
eracy to capture it. Slaughter then
sent his resignation to this govern
ment, and wrote in connection with it
that, while he was opposed to seces-
sion, his people had taken the step, and
he would stand by them. He enlisted
in the confederate service and became
brigadier general. After the war he
went to Mexico and was engaged by the
Mexican government as a civil en-
| gineer. While so engaged he met Gen.
Shelby, of Missouri, whom he had pre-
viously known, and gave him con-
tract of hauling ties for Mexican rail-
way. Gen. Slaughter was also a friend
of former Gov. Thomas c. Reynolds, of
| Missouri, whose legal advice was fol-
lowed by Gen. Slaughter in his litiga-
tons for the Mexican government.
Gen. Slaughter is now again in the
| service of the government as an en-
gineer, with headquarters at New Or
leans, and in the territory in which he
is engaged is Eagle Pass. where he de-
i