Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-27
FEAR KIDNAPPING IF SENT TO
ARIZONA
CHARGED WITH TAKING PART IN
CONSPIRACY
Held in jail Four Months on Different
Complaints That Have Been
Dismissed One After
the Other

rfdors around the federal offices on the
fourth floor of the Tajo building where
the four Mexican prisoners, Ricardo
Flores Magon, Antonio villareal, Librado
Rivera and Gutierrez de Lara, were taxi
en- for trial after weeks of confinement
In the county JAIL
Nearly four months have elapsed since
the first three prisoners were taken into
custody in q sensational manner by
three local detectives. Since then the
men have passed through the custody OF
the police courts to the superior courts
and now are being examined before the
United States authorities.
Many complaints have been brought
against the men by representatives of
the Mexican government who have been
seeking to get them across the border
Mono of the charges SO far alleged have
been proved and one by one they have
Nratiiitsaiiiii;y, tiiitsaiiii;y, been dismissed by the various
Judges before whom the prisoners have
appeared and pleaded In most cases the
Mexican government representatives
have not tried to prove rne charges al
legged and after taking advantage of all
the time allowed them by the extradi-
4ion law to prove their cases have not
presented any proof but have dropped the
charges and filed new complaints aileg-
ang new offenses for which the Mexi-
cans were again returned to prison.
Charge Conspiracy
This process has been continued until
the alleged revolutionists have finally
arrived before the United States author
tiles. Yesterday they appeapred before
U. s. Commissioner William N. Van
Dyke, who will decide whether or not the
new men may be taken to Arizona for
trial. The charge under which they are
I~n4 ha1z 1{ "a 4.
epiracy to violate the neutrality law.
The complaint in question alleges that
Magon, Villareal and Rivera are cocoon
spirators with certain Douglas (Arizona)
Mexicans who, in July, August and Sep
tember of 1906, are charged with having
conspired to send an armed force into
Mexico directed against the Mexican gov
ernment. This charge or conspiracy to
invade a friendly nation with an armed
force Is an offense for which extradition
may be granted and upon which counsel
for the prosecution is attempting to Sc
cure the extradition of the men to Arizo-
ma for trial.
Five or six officials members of the
Arizona Rangers and others from Arizona
are in Los Angeles and were present dur
ing the examination yesterday. Captain
II. II. Ryning former leader OF the
Rangers and now warden of the terri
torial prison at Yuma, is in the city and
was present at the hearing yesterday
morning. He has a reputation for having
stopped more filibustering enterprises in
TO Mexico during the past ten years than
any other officer.
Officials Hear Trial
Billy Olds, lieutenant of the rangers,
was also present at the trial. A. A Hop
kIns, undersheriff of Tombstone, Arizona, |
remained in the room throughout the ex
animation and was referred to a number
of times by witnesses as having taken a |
prominent part in putting a stop to the
alleged conspiracy to invade Mexico. A. |
T. Come, immigration inspector of
Douglas, was also present. This Arizo- |
na bunch has the reputation of having |
rounded up more criminals than any |
other group of officials in any part of
the country. We all work together on
these cases." said the immigration Of |
ficer.
U. S. Prosecuting Attorney J. B. L. |
Alexander. Of the district of Arizona. |
was present and acted with U. S. District
Attorney Oscar Lawlor as joint prose-
cutting attorney in the hearing. Those
Mexicans are raising a terrible rumpus
down there on the Arizona border" he
said. and I have sent some of them to
the penitentiary, also.
More interesting than the trial itself
WcIC SOlut VI tue DypldyS among
the group of anxious onlookers who
surged outside the doors attempting to
get glimpse of the prisoners. Sonora
Conception Rivera, wife of Librado Ri |
vera. was there waiting a chance to |
speak with her husband whom she had
not seen since he was taken from st. |
Louis. She was trying to get up courage
to tell her husband of the death of their |
little child
Wife Meets Husband
Finally the broken hearted wife and
mother was admitted to the room where
her husband was waiting for Commits
eioner Van Dyke. She had with her their
little son. Antonio Rivera, years of age, |
and the little girl, Refugio. aged years. |
When the husband welcomed her warmly
and asked after her missing child she did
not have the courage to ada to his af-
niction by telling him Of its death. He
took her sobbings as an indication of her
sorrow al his Imprisonment. The anxious |
woman waited in the corridors all after |
noon to be rewarded only by a fleeing |
glimpse of her husband as he was being |
hustled into the elevator, handcuffed to
the other two prisoners.
Mrs. Rivera arrived from st. Louis |
Sunday and is stopping at 631 New High
street. Her fare to this city was paid by
the Los Angeles labor council. Since her
husbands arrest she has been sewing |
and dressmaking to earn a living for her
self and children.
Manuel Sarabia, the young man who
In July, 1907, was taken from the Jail in
Douglas and carried across the border in |
an automobile and there delivered to the
Mexican authorities. was also one Of the
witnesses waiting to learn the fate of
the accused men. Sarabia talked freely
about his kidnauing
Il was in jail on false charge of kill |
ing three men in Mexico said the man.
who is very small of stature. what they
wanted me for was because / am an
enemy of the Diaz administration. Con-
stable Shrophire of Douglas and the
Mexican consul, Antonio Maza, were the
men who forced me into the automobile. |
When I attempted to cry out they
stuffed a handkerchief into my mouth. |
They took me across the border to Aqua
Prieto and there delivered me to eight
Mexican soldiers I was strapped on a |
mule, my wrists handcuffed, and we rode
all night TO Naco From there I was
turned over to twenty soldiers, who took
me to Cananea. While in the Cananea
jail they told me they were going to kill
me and / thought il was true, for thev !