The Tucson citizen., 1902-01-04
The Case Of Mealey,
Mexican Standpoint.

Consul General Coney, stationed in
this city. yesterday received informa-
tion from his country that places an
entirely different light on the alleged
ill-treatment accorded In Mexico to
w. H. Mealey. an American residing
In the sister republic.
The woes of Mealey have occupied
considerable space In the public eye in
the last few months. According to dis
patches and letters sent from Mexi-
co. to the United States in October and
November last Mealey was the victim
OF conspiracy that had for it's OBJ
jects the wrestling from him OF min
ing property valued at more than So
000, 900.
The newspapers of the United Sta
tes told how Mealey had been thrown
into prison and his health had been
imperiled on account of the vile dun
geon in which he had been incarcerat-
ed. Mealeys friends openly asserted
that prominent officials In Mexico
had cast longing eyes on the famous
Norias de Bajan mine in the State of
Coahuila, to which Mealey had a title.
and that he was deprived Of his lib
erty in order to force him to relin-
quish his claims to the valuable
lands.
So much publicity was given to the
affair that President Roosevelt in
structed Secretary of State Hay TO in
vestigate. rhe Secretary of State in
turn requested Minister Clayton to
make an investigation of the arrest O.
Mealey and the alleged ill-treatment
he had received while in prison. The
report of the Minister has not yet
been received at Washington, but Is
expected daily.
When the newspapers In this city
published the telegraphic dispatches of
the alleged ili-treatment OF Mealey In
a Mexican prison Consul General Com
ey sent the reports to his Governmen
and asked for information. The mat
ter was referred by the Mexican au-
thorities to the Judge who committed
Mealey to prison and that official Civ
es q version of the affair entirely diff
ferent to the one supplied by Mealey
and his friends.
Consul General Coney yesterday re-
ceived a communication from Santi-
ago A. Suareg. Judge OF the Federal
III AsoahufIds WHO
Mealey TO prison. In writing of the
accounts published in America of the
alleged ill-ireatment of Mealey, based
on reports and letters written by the
detained man and his friends, Judge
Suarez writes in part
You may be assured that all that is
stated In the corresp spondence pub
Ilshed In the American newspapers is
false and absolutely devoid of foun-
dation. The American citizen. ". II.
Mealey, was arrested by order OF the
Federal District Court of the State of
Coahuila. charged with disobeying the
orders of the court. and principally
for having taken and retained unlaw
fully In his possession part OF the
records of the mining agency of Mon
clova and for having committed per
Jury before the said District Court
and before the Secretary OF the Inter
ior.
When Mealey was arrested he was
assigned to the best quarters in the
public Jail and was installed in the
rooms OF the warden of the prison He
was entirely apart from the other
prisoners and was shown all consid-
Grafton during his detention. He was
given his liberty under bonds under
due process Of law. These facts age
personally known to the United States
Consul in this city.
The criminal proceedings instituted
against Mealey have nothing to do
with the civil suits that Mealey has
brought against the mining company,
Norias de Bajan. These Law suits
were decided before the courts Of the
State of Couhuila, have been appealed
and are now pending before the Su-
preme Court of Justice Of the repub-
lie.
II Is also entirely false and absolute
ly absurd that Mealey. as stated in
American newspapers. was given the
alternative of renouncing his rights
to the disputed mining property or be-
ing placed and kept In jail
beg TO assure you that all the
criminal proceedings instituted ana
carried out against Mealey are per-
fectly and strictly In accordance with
the laws of the repubuc of Mexico now
in force.