Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 5, 1881

No. 513.
Señor de Zamacona to Mr. Blaine.

[Translation.]

Legation of Mexico,
Washington, August 18, 1881.

Mr. Secretary: The consul of Mexico in Arizona has recently sent me a report, accompanied by corroborative documents, among which are official dispatches from the governor of Sonora and the prefect of the district of Arispe, in that State, stating that a caravan composed of sixteen Mexican residents of Babispe and Bacerac, who were on their way to Arizona Territory, was attacked, in the Sarampion Cañon, three miles from the boundary line between the two republics, by a large number of outlaws from this side of the frontier, who robbed the parties composing it of $2,500 in money, and of more than twenty animals. Nine persons, moreover, of those who had belonged to the caravan were missing.

A few days afterwards a train of wagons belonging to Mexicans and Americans was robbed at a place called Soldier Holes, 25 miles from Tombstone, on which occasion it is noteworthy that the property of the Americans was respected, the thieves driving off none but the animals which belonged to the Mexican teamsters. A recital of the incident will be found in the inclosed slip, which is taken from the Tombstone Daily Nugget.

It is far from being my purpose to occupy the attention of the Department of State with a detail of the crimes which it is the duty of the local frontier police to investigate and repress; yet the repetition of cases similar to those just recounted, and the usual inefficient action, not to say inaction, of the local authorities in regard thereto, compel me to bring the matter to the notice of the Federal Government, since the interest which it feels in the improvement of the condition of the frontier districts has just been made manifest by the Instructions transmitted by the Secretary of the Interior to the governor of Arizona, which were communicated to me by the Interior Department with its note of the 6th instant.

It would be well if those instructions could be supplemented by an urgent recommendation to that officer to use all the activity and rigor that are allowed by law against the outlaws known as cow-boys, who have rendered property in live stock so insecure on both sides of the frontier.

I take pleasure in reiterating to you, Mr. Secretary, the assurances of my consideration.

M. DE ZAMACONA.

[Inclosure from the Daily Nugget, August 9, 1881.]

another outrage.

About the middle of last week a train of teamsters, comprising both Mexicans and Americans engaged in hauling lumber from Moses’ mill in Chiricahuas, camped at the well-known watering place, Soldier Holes, some 25 miles from this place, and in the morning the cattle belonging to the Mexicans were missing. During the night some parties unknown, but supposed to be cow-boys, rounded the stock up and drove them off. It is supposed that they were American thieves, from the fact that the oxen belonging to the American teamsters were not disturbed, and the feeling against all Mexicans has been very intense since the Fronteras killing. The Mexicans were afraid to follow the trail, fearing that they would be killed in case they attempted to recover their property.