Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-10
HAD HIS OWN WAY

near carrying 1t through, no matter what
part Of the world he may be in." said
Californian who was in business In various
parts OF Mexico for many years I've just
finished reading OF the case Of young
New York clubman who died in the prov
fnce OF Chihuahua recently while on q
pleasure trip through old Mexico. His New
York relatives. not being familiar with
Mexican law, wired to the authorities OF
the town IN which the young man died to
embalm the body and ship 1t to New York.
Then they found out about the Mexican
law which requires that the bodies Of all
foreigners who die in Mexico shall lie tn
TERED In Mexican soil for two years before
being removed to resting places In their
own lands. The dead mans relatives pro-
tested hard against this, but their protesta-
lions were OF no avail. There was no way
of getting over the law. A few years ago
Frank Ives, the famous billiardist died In
Mexico, whittier he had gone in the hope
OF curing his lung trouble. His widow and
relatives made a strenuous fight against
the Mexican authorities determination to
hold the dead billiardist's body In Mexican
ground for the prescribed length OF time,
even invoking, with powerful influence be-
hind them, the aid of our State Depart
remained buried in Mexican ground for
the two years, when 1t was brought to this
country.
"All the same 1 once saw that Mexican
years ago, in Mazatlan. on the west coast
Of Mexico. where / was in the shipping
business at the time.
IAN American schooner that was return,
ing to San Francisco from a three years
trading cruise In the South seas dropped
into the harbor OF Mazatlan. The first
mate, an adventurous chap named JACK
Cooper who had been sailing out OF San
Francisco since his boyhood. and was half
owner Of the schooner and partner III the
trading enterprise. was dangerously sick
with the coast fever. and the skipper. ms
partner, brought him into Mazatlan TOT
medical attention. The skipper was George
Brophy, a huge Californian, who was as
much at home on the back OF broncno as
on the quarterback OF ship. ana SQUARE
him well In San Francisco.
'"The medical officer Of Mazatlan port
took look at the first mate and told the
that he should be taken to the Mazatlan
hospital So to the Mazatlan hospital.
'dobe affair with very primitive accommo-
datfons for patients used to civnizeo meai-
cal attention and nursing, Jack Cooper was
taken from the schooner on the evening
Of the vessels arrival in the port HIS
partner, Skipper George Brophy. STAYED
ashore with him to nurse the mate In the
hospital. But it was no use. The mate
was too far gone and had been too long
without medical treatment. He died on
his second day in the hospital; niue u,
while before he died he said to Br0phy, IN
a lucid interval that presaged his early
George, I'm all In, and It's me to pipe
But don't want to be put away down
we're I never had no kind o use IT
greasers, and wouldn't feel shipshape OF
propIy battened down 1ayfn' in Mexican
eround Now they amt no way fr you TO
Git nv carcas I'D home fr burial less n the
next I'D steamer from Panaman take the
| box that I'm in up to old San Fran: which
1t probably won't. So I want you to pury
T,1cf a
on the schooner on your. way up home, ana
git old Jim the sailmaker to sew me up IN
one O. his handy hammocks and toss me
over the side with forty,pounaer tiea 70
me- I'll thank you t do this, George. and
It'll be a heap better than layin' aroun'
we're in a burial plot filled up with half
breed dead ones-th seas good enough TT
me- That'n be about all-slong. matey,
and then Jack turned over and passed out.
Cooper had forgotten about that two
year clause in the Mexican law, but
Brophy hadn't although he didn't say any
thing about it, not feeling like distressing
his partner in his final moments. Brophy
wrapped his mates body up In q winding
sheet and then he went to see the alcalde
of the town. He explained to the alcalde
that he desired to convey his dead part
ners body to the schooner. in order to give
it a seaman's burial. The fussy alcalde
replied that such a thing would be out Of
calmly but Intellectually with the .alcalde.
The latter said positively that the body OF
the mate would have to be Inferred In the
strangers burying grOund-the equivalent
down there Of our pOtterS field-unti the
two years prescribed by the law had
elapsed
Captain Brophy went to see the Ameri-
can consul. The consul could, Of course,
do nothing, and told Brophy SO.
They're very finical and touchy about
their laws down here he said to the skip
per You'd better let the body stay down
here for the two years.
do tnrNf Iyin Hn dxyiY
wish of my pal? Not any, replied Brophy,
and then he came to see me. I wanted to
help him, but there was no way I could do
It. l was in business in Mazatlan, and I'd
have been chased into the sea by a mob
had l interfered. The Panama steamer
Colfma, bound up for San Francisco, en-
tered the port while we were talking, and
Brophy boarded her and asked the captain
il he would carry the dead mates body I'D
to San Francisco If he Brophy) succeeded
In getting the body on board the Colima.
The Colima's captain, fearing trouble with
the Mexican authorities. said no. and was
upheld by the Mazatlan agent of the
steamship line.
go. K.-then It's plumb up to me, sure
enough remarked Skipper Brophy bring
ing his feet together with click
"At o'clock that evening Skipper George
Brophy dismounted from big mule In
front Of the 'dobe hospital. hitched the mule
body of his friend lay. He carefully Sc
cured the body in the winding sheet. When
he threw the body over his left shoulder
the Mexican doctor and two nurses set up
a howl. Brophy pulled gun with his
right hand and backed toward the door.
Don't you hop toads come a-nigh me-
quietly said Brophy he backed out.
This yere's my friend that I'm a-carryin',
an he's jes' as much my friend dead as
he was alive
THE gun awed the hospital doctor and
the nurses. but they raced around to in
form the alcalde. whose office was only half
a square away The alcalde and half a
dozen of those bare-footed greasef police
men rushed over and surrounded Brophy
just as the latter, after placing the mates
body in front of the saddle. climbed on
board the mule.
Arrest himr shouted the alcalde. jump
ing around. and the half-breed cops pulled
their dinky little swords and made as if to
tackle Brophy. This time Bropdly flashed
two guns. and when he started to wave
them the cops stepped back with q whole
lot Of suddenness.
Z amt a-huntin' fr no mussiness', an
Eounced the skinner in low, clear tones
but amt a-goin' t stand f'r no Kind Of
interference whatever. nohow, vile I'm
performin' a Christian jooty by pal, this
we're dead boy. what would do the same f'r
me In circumstances similar. I'm a law
abidtn' and God fearin' man wherever be
deep water or dry land. but this yere's a
unusual case, and the first ombrey what
I'll hnf Ia