Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-28
MURDERED
BY AGENT
OF MEXICO
CROWLEY KNEW DANGEROUS
GOVERNMENT SECRETS
TRIED TO USE KNOWLEDGE FOR
PERSONAL GAIN
Had Been in Confidence of High Mex.
lean Official and Knew Too
Much for dag COM
fort

That Eli H. Crowley was paid
agent of the Mexican govern
ment and met his death at the
hands of another Mexican agent
was established beyond doubt
yesterday by those qualified to
know.
That blackmail attempted by
Crowley, who was in possession
of delicate and dangerous secrets
of the Mexican government, was
the motive was also determined.
The meager details given to the policf
when they requested information from
Crowley soon after he was shot
strengthens their belief that the mar
met his death at other hands than that
of a disgruntled employe.
The detectives who were detailed to
investigate the shooting are convinced
Crowley was killed by some man acting
under instructions.
According to reliable information
Crowley was a secret agent of the
Mexican government. He is said to
have endeavored to engineer a scheme
whereby, under the pretext of securing
employment for Guadalupe Ascensio
who is accused of being a revolutionfst
TO offer him employment in Chihuahua
Mexico at a salary of $40 a day for the
express purpose of getting him within
.lr, 0f x1yhn
would be Immediately arrested and
thrown into prison and possibly shot
To this end, Crowley, 1t Is alleged
opened an employment agency on Sar
Fernando street. The name used In
conducting this place was not his own
After One Man Only
Advertisements were inserted in 6
Mexican publication stating that Mexi-
cans were needed at several places. The
object in opening this office was fol
the purpose of getting Ascensio.
Crowley even went to the house where
his intended victim lived and endeav-
ored to persuade him to accept employ
ment in Mexico His efforts were In
vain, and then Crowley took another
man, who was also an agent of the
Mexican government, into his confident
and asked that this agent use his In
fiuence on the man to get him to enter
MGXlCO. 1IOWlcy was dlOWCd LhN
money for conducting the San Fer
nando employment office and was also
allowed money with which to coax his
man into accepting his offer of EN-
ployment.
The intended victim was wary of the
bait, however, and refused many
tempting offers of positions at ex-
travagant wages, well knowing that
once he set foot in Mexico he would
never leave there alive.
Crowley was on terms of intimacy
with an official of the Mexican repub-
lie. He is said to have had free access
to this officials office, where he read
government documents that were sup
DC ed to be of a secret nature. Crow
ley was so much in the confidence OF
this Mexican official that he had the
office of this officer arranged to suit
himself. He soon acquired great
amount of information that would be
of much value to many people. The
Mexican officials became aware of the
fact that Crowley knew more than he
should know and were this information
divulged 1t would create considerable
unpleasantness. 1t is believed that the
employment agent knew this and made
demands on the officials for money,
telling them that unless they paid him
considerable sum he would tell what
he knew.
Knew Dangerous Secrets
1t is well-known fact that several
Mexican officials have gone to a sud-
den death on account of their attempt
ing to secure money under the threat
that they could divulge information re-
garding the manner in which certain
transactions are conducted by the
Mexican government.
nrrIAx 4 te. ,to taI hi 6nnt
because he was a dangerous man to
have possession of secret information,
which if divulged would place the gov
ernment of Mexico in a ticklish posi-
tion.
J. p. Perry, the man who did the
shooting, is said to have been acting
under orders of the same officials as
those whom Crowley had served.
An incident is cited of the swift
death that is meted out to those who
try to obtain hush money for their
knowledge. The chief of police of a
prominent Mexican city obtained pos
session of certain government docu-
ments. He knew the value of their
secrecy. He informed a higher official
that he had the information and de-
manded money to keep quiet. The chief
was told he would receive a settlement
the following evening. A few hours
found dead with several bullet holes in
his body. He had received his final
settlement.
1t is now believed that Crowley was
waiting in his office for a settlement
for keeping his mouth shut when he
was shot down.
This far the police have not appre-
hended the man who committed the
murder, as the description given them
by Crowley was. one that might apply
to almost any dark skinned person of a
medium build.
Coroner Calvin Hartwell will hold
an inquest today over the body of Eli
H. Crowley, who was shot in the
stomach at his office on East Second
street and who died Wednesday night
at the California hospital where he
was taken for treatment.