No. 391.
Mr. Morgan
to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
[Extract.]
Legation of
the United States,
Mexico, April 17, 1883.
(Received May 3.)
No. 602.]
Sir: Referring you to my dispatches relating to the
seizure of the Adriana and the arrest of her captain, mate, and crew by the
Mexican authorities at La Paz, charged with smuggling, I now transmit a copy
of a letter addressed to me by Captain Caleb, elated 19th March last,
[Page 634]
which I received on the 12th
instant. In this letter he states the facts connected with his arrest, with
which you are familiar, and the treatment which he has received at the hands
of the authorities. I have replied to him, assuring him that everything had
been and was being done to relieve him from the trouble he is in.* * *
I have also requested Consul Viosca to ascertain whether any case has
occurred in which parties similarly situated have been admitted to bail,
and, if so, I have suggested that application should be made to admit the
crew of the Adriana to bail.
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure in No.
662.—Extract.]
Captain Calob to
Mr. Morgan.
La Paz,
Lower California,
March 19, 1883.
Sir:* * * We have done nothing wrong; neither I
nor my crew. But the custom-house people got two men, one a Mexican and
the other an Italian, to testify falsely that goods had been smuggled
from my vessel while she was lying weatherbound near the coast above
Cape St. Lucas. I cannot understand these people. I know nothing of
their language. They threw my crew and myslf into prison, as though we
were murderers, and have treated us as though we were murderers. The
reason, they say, is that two or three packages were taken from my
vessel while lying under the lee of a high point, during a heavy
norther, which had split our vessel and done other damage, starting a
leak. I declare most positively, as I have declared here under oath,
that I did no smuggling. I did not own a dollar’s worth of goods and I
had a full cargo. I owned the half of the vessel only and the provisions
on the “ranch list.” I had nothing to smuggle, and, as I have said here,
the only testimony they got was that of an Italian and a Mexican boy.
The Italian had been my cook, and had threatened me before I discharged
him. It is understood here, generally, that the custom-house men paid
these fellows to testify.
It must be so, as they ran away as soon as they had testified. They make
another point. It seems that while we were weather-bound we were near
the pearl-fishing grounds, and that at the same time there was a small
fishing boat of two or three tons anchored about a mile and a half from
us. The custom-house boat, seeing us, came on board, and after staying
awhile and being well entertained, the officer and men bade us good-by,
and started for shore. Soon after we saw them go alongside of the
fishing boat, and a little after take it in charge and brought it to my
vessel, and then let the men go who had the boat, setting them ashore.
Then they came back and seized my vessel by force of arms. It seems
there were some goods in the fishing boat, two or three packages; what
they were I don’t know. They now charge that these goods must have come
off my vessel, although they allowed the men in the fishing boat to
escape, putting them ashore themselves, and from
this beginning they have brought us to what we are now, and avow their
intention to ruin us and sell all we have, and keep me here till I am
carried to the grave-yard.
* * * * * * *
Very respectfully, &c.,
GEORGE CALEB.
Master Schooner
Adriana.
