No. 488.
Mr. Hay to Señor Navarro.
Department of State,
Washington
,
December 22,
1880.
Sir: Adverting to your note of the 28th of
August last,† I have now [Page 822] the honor to inclose, for the information of your government, a copy
of a letter recently received from his excellency the governor of Texas,
with its accompaniment, touching the complaint of the governor of the
State of Chihuahua, respecting one Robert Martin and others, accused of
committing outrages on both frontiers.
Accept, &c.,
JOHN HAY,
Acting
Secretary.
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Roberts to
Mr. Evarts.
Executive Office, State of Texas,
Austin
,
November 29, 1880. (Received December 6,
1880.)
Sir: I have received a letter from your
office, of 11th of September last, about depredations committed by a
band of robbers, which was said to be operating on both sides of the
Rio Grande, headed by Robert Martin. I received another also of 3d
instant, referring to the same matter.
Upon getting the first letter, I set about finding out about the
grounds of complaint by having the adjutant-general of this State,
Hon. John B. Jones, to communicate with Capt. George Baylor of our
frontier force at Ysleta, near El Paso. For sometime he was engaged
with the United States troops in pursuing Victorio and his band of
Indians, and could not give this subject his attention. Upon
returning to his camp at Ysleta, he made what search and inquiry he
could, and reported the result to the adjutant-general of the State,
General John B. Jones, a copy of which report I herewith
respectfully forward to you.
I beg leave to add that Capt. George Baylor is an officer of
considerable military experience, and a gentleman of fine
intelligence and good character, and was placed in command of our
frontier force in that distant region on that account. He has
heretofore co-operated with the Mexican authorities, civil and
military, in the suppression of any marauding parties on the Rio
Grande, and has made an express arrangement with said authorities
for that purpose. All that any of said officers in that portion of
the country have to do to get his efficient aid at any time is to
call on him and give him the proper information. We have no State
force so near the Rio Grande at any other point. But the same
arrangement can be made with any of our officers of the frontier
force by simply asking their co-operation at any time.
The officers and men of our frontier force, denominated frontier
battalion and special police force, are made by law peace officers
of the State, with power to execute criminal process and make
arrests as other peace officers, and their principal use now is to
arrest criminals who flee to the frontier. But it must be
recollected that they must have legal authority to make arrests of
criminals the same as any other peace officers. I hardly think that
the Mexican authorities understand that. That police force of ours
have no more right to arrest the so-called band of robbers without
legal authority than a sheriff and his posse would have under like
circumstances.
I can say truly, however, that we are using that force most
efficiently in arresting criminals of all sorts found on our
extensive frontier, and with them will give any practicable aid in
our power to break up bands of thieves and robbers that infest the
borders of Texas and Mexico.
Respectfully, yours, &c.,
[Appendix to inclosure.]
Captain Baylor
to General Jones.
Headquarters Company A, Frontier
Battalion,
Ysleta
,
November 20,
1880.
Sir: Your letter in regard to depredations
committed on citizens of Mexico by bands of robbers in Sierra la
Hache, received, and should have been answered sooner, but came
during my absence after Victorio, and since I have been trying to
learn something definite in regard to the matter.
[Page 823]
The man Martin was sentenced here by Judge Allen Blacker to serve a
term of five years in the penitentiary for highway robbery, and
escaped from the guard afterwards with some eight other prisoners,
and has been living in Mexico ever since, moving from one town to
another in the northern portion of Chihuahua, in Conception, Janos,
and thereabouts, and I think, with a mixed band of white men and
Mexicans, has been stealing cattle and horses in Carraletas, Casas
Grandes, and that section, and running them into Arizona and New
Mexico.
There are no mountains named La Hache in Texas between here and
Presidio del Norte that I know of, except the Sierra La Capara is
sometimes so called, 25 or 30 miles southeast of San Lucero, in
Mexico, but I was there when with General Tarasas in September last,
and there was no sign of any band being there. I am satisfied his
band of men are the same who stole cattle from Carraletas and were
followed by men sent out by George B. Zimpleman and four or five of
them killed. I have written to the sheriff of Pima County, at
Tucson, Arizona, about the matter, and may hear something from
him.
Yours, &c.,
GEO. H. BAYLOR,
Captain,
Commanding Company A.