[Inclosure.]
Mr. Zulick to
Mr. Bayard.
Executive Department,
Prescott, Arizona, May 9, 1888.
Sir: Referring to the matter complained of
by Mr. Matias Romero, the minister of Mexico, regarding the outrage
committed upon Manuel Mejia, a Mexican citizen, at Phoœix, Maricopa
County, Arizona, I have the honor to report that the authorities of
the Territory and of Maricopa County have used earnest endeavors to
discover and punish the perpetrators of the outrage complained of.
The facts establish that this wrong was committed under the cover of
darkness by disguised persons, whose apparent object was to force
from him a statement of who (they believing that he knew) were
implicated in the murder of Barney Martin and his family. In my
letter of January 20, 1887, I gave a detailed statement of this
brutal murder, and Mejia’s circumstantial connection with it, he
having been found in close proximity to Stanton’s house in
possession and riding one of Martin’s horses. As I heretofore stated
to the Department, Charles B. Genung and Tom Bryant, who were
suspected as the parties committing this outrage upon the person of
Mejia, were duly arrested and held to bail to answer the action of
the grand jury of Maricopa County, which body, under the direction
of the district attorney, fully investigated the charge, but the
evidence of identification being insufficient, failed to find an
indictment. Under our system of judiciary, and that which,
certainly, is recognized all the world over, no more could have been
done. The parties claimed to be identified by Mejia were duly
complained of under oath, arrested under process of law, held to
bail on a good and sufficient bond to appear and answer the action
of the grand jury in Maricopa County, and that body, composed of
true and tried men, under the solemnity of an oath to present none
or fail to present any through fear, favor, or affection ignored the
bill and discharged the parties. They, doubtless, discharged these
men because of the absence of sufficient proof to justify an
indictment. They were a competent judicial authority, regulated and
acting under the forms of law, and I respectfully, but earnestly,
assert that their action is not fairly open to the criticism that it
resulted in a “notorious disregard of justice,” as stated by
Minister Romero. Respecting the arrest without warrant of a
competent magistrate, and the detention for several days by Deputy
Sheriff Blankenship, of Mejia, the circumstances should be fully
considered. A foul and brutal murder of a respected citizen of
Maricopa County, also his wife and two boys, aged nine and eleven
years, had been committed for the sole purpose of a robbery of
several thousand dollars, the price of his ranch, which was in his
possession. The four bodies were burned, and the charred remains of
the murdered victims were discovered about a week afterward. The
tracks of the assassins led to the immediate vicinity of Stanton’s
and Mejia’s houses, which were the rendezvous of a lot of Mexican
outlaws, with whom Stanton was generally reported to be a
participant. His reputation was of the worst, he having a record in
crime. Stanton and Mejia were both arrested, and subsequently
released, the evidence not being sufficient to hold them. Public
indignation was greatly aroused; it was in the midst of these
exciting incidents that the unfortunate acts complained of were
committed. Certainly, Mejia’s being found in possession of the
horse, the stolen property of the murdered man, was a circumstance
in itself sufficient to justify his arrest under due forms of law,
and fully warranted a sworn complaint upon which to base an order of
arrest. The neglect of the deputy sheriff to formally execute this
sworn complaint is greatly to be regretted, but I can scarcely think
this failure to do so when being in full possession of facts to
fully justify it constitutes as serious an offense as is charged.
The omission was not occasioned by any desire to violate the
personal rights of Mejia, who it was supposed at that time was an
American citizen, much less to reflect any discredit upon a citizen
of the Republic of Mexico.
Please convey to Mr. Romero the assurance that all has been done
possible to do under the unfortunate circumstances, also that the
authorities of this Territory and of Maricopa County stand ever
ready to faithfully maintain and enforce the rights of every person
within their borders, irrespective of nationality.
I am, etc.,
