No. 503.
Señor Navarro to Mr. Evarts.
Legation of Mexico in the United States,
New York, October 18, 1880.
Mr. Secretary: I have the honor to inclose a
copy of two communications which have been addressed by the governor of
the State of Chihuahua to the department of foreign relations of Mexico,
and which contain an account of some fresh outrages that have been
committed on Mexican soil by the band of otlaws which is headed by
Robert E. Martin. These copies have been sent to me by my government,
with instructions to transmit them to your Department in support of, and
as a sequel to, the complaint contained in my note of the 28th of August
last, not doubting that the Government of the United States will issue
orders for the apprehension and punishment of the persons composing the
aforesaid band, which has for some time been a source of great annoyance
to the inhabitants of those frontier districts.
I renew, &c.,
[Inclosure l.]
[A stamp containing the words: “Mexican Republic, Government of the
State of Chihuahua.”]
No. 69.
The political chief of the canton of Galeana, in a communication of
the 12th instant, writes as follows to the secretary of this
government:
“On the 1st instant I received a letter from the municipal president
of Janos, of which the following is a copy:
“‘On the 30th ultimo this presidency was informed that cattle and
horses were being stolen from Agua Fria, two leagues distant from
this place, and that the thieves were driving the animals in the
direction of La Soma Blanca, or Salto del Ojo de la Pelotada. I
immediately ordered as large a force of citizens as possible to be
organized in order to go in pursuit of the thieves, and succeeded in
securing the services of fourteen men, who started with all speed.
On the 31st, in the afternoon, this presidency received information
that the theft was much larger than had been supposed. I, therefore,
ordered sixteen more men to go for the purpose of protecting those
who had started first. To-day, August 1, the party returned,
reporting that the first fourteen men overtook the thieves at San
Luis, to the south of the Sarampion Mountains; they had stolen
eighteen horses belonging to the citizen Juan B. Zerzaya; these they
sent forward on the gallop, when they became aware of the approach
of their pursuers; there remained eighty-five head of cattle, which
they were unable to send forward; it was evident that the theives
were Americans, because they were heard conversing with one another
by the pursuing party, when the latter were a very short distance
from them; they made a stubborn resistance, opening fire upon their
pursuers, so that the latter were obliged to assume a defensive
attitude; a fight ensued, in which one horse was wounded in the
fore-leg; it being impossible to remove this animal, he was left on
the field. It was observed that one of the thieves was severely
wounded, and eighty-five head of cattle were abandoned, which were
brought to this presidency, together with a mule, a saddle and
bridle, and some other articles of small value which had been
abandoned by the wounded man above mentioned. The cattle have now
been returned to their rightful owners, and this presidency has
taken such measures as were in its power to prevent a repetition of
similar acts. I beg you, Mr. Political Chief, to be pleased to bring
to the knowledge of the supreme government of the State the critical
situation in which this section of country is, to the end that it
may communicate the information to the national government; and I
beg you, sir, to take such measures as may lie in your power to
afford us assistance, and to send as large a force for our
protection as can be spared by the governor of the State, for if
this is not done, the situation of our people is an utterly
defenseless one. I have the honor to bring this to your knowledge
that you may communicate it to the governor of the State.’”
I have the honor to communicate to you the foregoing, for the
information of the President of the republic, informing you, at the
same time, that the party of American outlaws referred to belong to
the band which is under the leadership of the notorious criminal
Robert E. Martin, and begging you to take measures for the speedy
pursuit and punishment of the said band; for, otherwise, between
these outlaws and the Indians,
[Page 790]
cattle raising, which is even now seriously
prostrated, will he crushed out entirely on the northeastern
frontier of the State.
Liberty and the constitution!
Chihuahua, August 18,
1880.
LUIS TERRAZAS.
To the Secretary of State of Foreign
Relations, Mexico.
A copy. New York, October 18, 1880.
JOSÉ T. DE CUELLAR,
Secretary.
[Inclosure 2.]
[A stamp containing the words: “Mexican Republic, Government of the
State of Chihuahua.”]
No. 70.
The political chief of the canton of Galeana writes to the secretary
of this government, under date of the 12th instant, as follows:
“The citizen municipal president of Janos communicates to me, under
date of the 11th instant, the following information: ‘A few days
since, an American, who is an agent of the owner of the estate
‘Corralitos,’ came to this place with a party of fifteen men,
requesting several citizens to join him in pursuing thieves from the
United States, who, as he said, had been stealing cattle from
various citizens of Mexico, and who were believed to be but a short
distance off. Several persons volunteered to accompany him, and
joined his party; after having been out two days, they came upon two
or three Americans who were well fortified in a sort of stockade,
which they had built; these at once opened fire upon the pursuing
party, who returned it; the result being a lively fight, in which
Sabas Talamante, and a negro who accompanied the men from
Corralitos, were wounded; two horses were also wounded and one
remained stuck in a mud-hole. The American in charge of the party
then resolved to return, finding: that he would be obliged to expose
the lives of some of the men who were with him if he persisted in
capturing the outlaws; on their return, when near this town, they
fell in with two horses belonging to Don José Cásares, which had
been stolen and already reshod: they had been in the possession of
the thieves when the firing commenced, but had taken fright at the
noise of the shots, and galloped off in the direction of their
home.’ I must further inform you, citizen secretary, that the same
mail which brought the communication which is here transcribed,
brought the news of a similar occurrence at Ascension. It appears
that several citizens of that town who were in pursuit of thieves
from the United States who had been stealing horses, overtook them,
when a fight ensued, in the course of which several men and horses
were wounded.”
I have the honor to communicate to you the forgoing for the
information of the citizen President of the republic, and to inform
you that the party referred to belong to the band under the
leadership of the notorious criminal Robert E. Martin.
Liberty and the constitution!
Chihuahua, August 18,
1880.
LUIS TERRAZAS.
To the Secretary of State,
In charge of the Department of Foreign
Relations, City of Mexico.
Correct copies.
Mexico, September
11, 1880.
JULIO ZÁRATE,
Chief
Clerk.
A copy. New York, October 18, 1880.
