Señor Aspíroz to Mr. Hay.
Washington, May 18, 1899.
Sir: Mattie Rich wounded her husband, John B. Rich, at Ciudad Juarez, in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, several days since, and thereupon the couple, both of whom, as it appears, are American citizens, proceeded to El Paso, Tex., where Rich died of his wounds. The authorities of that place have imprisoned the aforesaid Mattie Rich, and the Mexican consul at El Paso has made application for her preliminary arrest.
As this is a case of homicide, for which provision is made in Article II of the convention concluded by the United States of Mexico with the United States of America for the extradition of criminals, which is now in force, I have the honor, in pursuance of instructions received from my Government, to inform you that the competent judge of my country has issued a warrant for the arrest of the aforesaid Mattie Rich, who is charged with the above-mentioned crime, and to promise you that the surrender of Mrs. Rich will soon be asked for by this embassy, which will present the warrant of arrest and a copy of the testimony, duly authenticated, on which the complaint is based.
I therefore beg you to be pleased to issue orders to the end that Mattie Rich may be apprehended and kept in safe custody for such time as may be necessary, until this embassy shall exhibit to your Department, with a formal demand for extradition, the documents required by the convention in question, which it will do within the forty days fixed in Article X of that convention.
I reiterate, etc.,