The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-08-17
G.. Z. ThurstOn, Who Was
Shot by Smugglers.
NEPHEW OF GEN. BAKER.
Killed While In the Performance Of
His Duty; Was EmpIoye of
Uncle Sam.

Washington, d. c.. Aug. l3.-Charles Z
Thurston. whose father lives ut l72S
Goodrich avenue. st. Paul, is IL victim of
the policy of the United States in aid
ing Santo Domingo to collect her customs
and pay her debts. Thurston was shot
by smugglers Aug. 6, and died two days
later.
Thurston was an employee of the gem
eral receiver of customs rs deputy col
lector at the town of Commentator, near
the Haitien frontier. While in the dis
charge of his duty in the customs dis
trict, in the company of John Milburn, a
Porto Rican, who was Inspector of GUS
toms of the district, and near the town
of Las Matas, Thurston and his compan-
ion were attacked by smugglers. Milburn
was killed instantly and Thurstan fa-
tally wounded.
Thurston had an interesting career as
had become a fovorite of Colonel Cotton,
the collector of customs, who was ap-
pointed upon the recommendation of the
United States government.
Thurston served with credit in the
Philippines, and later came under the no.
tice of Colonel Cotton, and was given a
position in connection with the Santo
Domingo customs service. 1t was while
serving in that capacity, and endeavor-
ing to protect the revenues of the coun-
try from smuggling across the borders
from Haiti, that he encountered the
smugglers and fell in the melee which
followed.
The Americans in the service of the
Santo Domingo government are there to
collect the revenues for deposit as a
part of the agreement made with this
government for the segregation of funds
for discharging the debts of the island
government.
Charles p. Thurston was the second son
of C. f. Thurston, l72S Goodrich avenue,
and had been i'll the government service
since the Spanish American war. He was
twenty nine years old, having been born
May II, 1877. Since early boyhood he
had been resident of st. Paul, gradual
ing from the central high school in 1898.
He was with the First National Bank of
this city four years and at the end of
that time left for the west. When Nc
Kinley's call for troops came he enlisted
with California regiment, but the rcgi-
ment was mustered out before it saw
service. He enlisted short time later
with Tennessee regiment, in his de-
termination to see service. After three
years of service, spent mostly in the Phil
ippines, he was mustered aut, entering
the customs service in the islands.
Then the Boxer uprising came and he
was again prompted to enlist, serving
all through the Chinese campaign with
General Chaffee. He again entered gov
eminent service at the close of the Boxer
campaign, as inspector of ports III the
islands, his work consisting mainly of
revenue work on the small islands.
Leaving this service he returned home
by way of Paris and London, but shortly
returned to the islands, again going into
the customs service. He returned home
again in short time, entering the gov
eminent service as deputy inspector Of
customs of the territory between Winni-
peg and Haleck.
L When the St. Louis exposition opened
he was placed in charge of the govern
ment's Philippine exhibit. He received a
telegram from Colonel Cotton, under
whom he had served in the Philippines,
telling him that he was holding a po-
sition for Thurston in the Dominican
customs service. Thurston accepted and
left for Santo Domingo. Since that
time he had been constantly under Col
onel Cotton, who had become his fast
friend and admirer.
ThuIston was of daring disposition
which probably endeared him all the
more to Colonel Cotton. He was in the
affray when Morris, another American,
was shot to death by the Haitien SNUG
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