New-York tribune., 1920-03-16
Record Proving
Innocence OF
I Jenkins Stolen
Writer Tells Senate Investi-
! gators Puebla Court Clerk
Offered to Sell Him Evil
dence Clearing US. Agent
Case Declared s'Faked''
Correspondent Says Prose-
cutOr Offered Official
Freedom for Half Fortune
By Wilbur Forrest
Special Dispatch to The Tribune

Special DfSpdtcH 10 INC 1I'VH"o
SAN DIEGO, Calf. March 15--The
Senate committee investigating Mexico
here to-day developed evidence tending
to establish the innocence Of William y.
Jenkins. former American Consular
Agent at Puebla. Mexico, who stu
awaits trial there for alleged conniv-
ance with Federico Cordova, the rebel
leader who kidnapped him.
Gerald Brandon, correspondent OF
"The Los Angeles Times" and recently
expelled from Mexico as a "pernicious
foreigner" told the committee he per-
sonally had investigated the alleged
evidence held by the Mexican authori.
ties against Jenkins and was convinced
it was false.
Brandon charged under oath that
the clerk of the Puebla court offered
to sell him evidence Of Jenkins's in
nocence, which had been stolen from the
court record, for 81 900; that Mitchell,
the Mexican prosecuting attorney,
sent him to jenkins with an oral mes
sage that Jenkins could escape further
up half his fortune.
"Jenkins ie a rich man." testified
Brandon, "and Mitchell had heard that
Jenkins was willing to sacrifice half his
holdings to be absolved of the charges
that he personally aided the rebel
leader in his own abduction"
Brandon added he carried the mes
sage to Jenkins, who denied he ever
made such a statement and Indignantly
refused to be a party to any such
agreement
Senator Fall called Brandon's atten-
tion to an Associated Press dispatch
from Mexico City in today's news
papers that Procopio Palacio, said to
be a lieutenant of Cordova, had "ad
mitted' he carried messages between
Jenkins and Cordova arranging the
kidnapping Brandon told the Senator
he had knowledge that Palacio had ac-
cepted immunity from prosecution as
rebel and had received $4,000 from
the Mexican authorities to testify
against Jenkins. The Mexico City dis
patch made it appear that Palacio had
divulged 'Jenkins's guilt" through
pressure of a police third degree at
Puebla on February 10.
Brandon told the committee he gained
access to the court records at Puebla
and interviews with Mexican officials
there through the statement that he
was friend of Joseph De Courcy,
known by the Puebla authorities as
"an unconditional friend Of Carranza."
"Then, using De Courcy's name as a
passport, the Mexican authorities as
sumed that you were also IAN uncon-
ditional friend of Carranza ?" asked
Senator Fall. eyes, sir" responded
Brandon, until they found out that
/ was not.''
During this period of confidence"
Brandon told the committee, he photo
graphed the court record, showing
where evidence confirming the faisity
of charges against Jenkins had been
removed from this record, and obtained
other proofs that the whole Mexican case
against the American official had been
either forced from witnesses or faxed.
The Tribune correspondent was the
next witness. The testimony was con-
firm ative of an interview with Cordova
in Mexico City. on the night of Decem-
Der 20 1919, in which Cordova said
he had been offered 100000 to accept
immunity and testify against jenkins.
The fact that the Mexican authorities
had forged Cordova's name to widely
published letter alleging Jenking's
guilt was also confirmed by comparison
OF the rebels signature On a document
given to the Tribune correspondent and
the fictitious signature on the forged
letter
Brandon had previously testified that
the Tribune correspondent escaped
arrest and possible Imprisonment for
his invest; cation Of the jenkins case
by narrow margin-crossing the
American border just ahead of Mexican
secret service agents.