Mr. Hay to Señor
Gamboa.
Department of State,
Washington, October 13,
1904.
No. 521.]
Sir: Referring to Mr. Azpíroz’s note No. 28, of
the 19th ultimo, calling attention to the complaint of the Mexican,
Eulogio Zambrano, that the court of Cameron County, Tex., did not take
into consideration the wounds inflicted on him by Private Sam McKenzie,
of the Texas ranger force, in sentencing the said Zambrano to five days’
imprisonment for theft, I have the honor to inclose herewith, for your
information, a copy of a letter from the governor of Texas inclosing
copies of reports made by the adjutant-general of the State and by other
State officers in the matter.
Accept, etc.,
[Page 477]
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Cravens to
Mr. Hay.
Executive Office, State of Texas,
Austin, October 3, 1904.
Sir: I have the honor to inclose you
herewith the following papers in connection with the matter of the
shooting of Eulogio Zambrano, a Mexican citizen, by Private Sam
McKenzie, of the Texas ranger force, in compliance with your request
of February 16, 1904, and your subsequent communication regarding
the same matter, to wit: (1) Letter of transmissal from John A.
Hulen, adjutant-general, under date October 1, 1904, and (2) copies
of the following documents mentioned in his said letter, which
accompany the same:
* * * * * * *
Owing to the extreme difficulty of securing prompt response to
letters written concerning this matter, there has been an unusual
delay in transmitting the report which is inclosed.
Trusting that everything will prove satisfactory, I have the honor to
be, sir, etc.,
N. A. Cravens, Private Secretary.
[Subinclosure 1.]
Mr. Hulen to
Mr. Lanham.
Adjutant-General’s Office, State of Texas,
Austin, October 1, 1904.
Sir: In compliance with instructions from
you last February, I have the honor to herewith inclose original
documents in the matter of the shooting of Eulogio Zambrano, a
Mexican citizen, by Private Sam McKenzie of the ranger force,
regarding which the honorable the Secretary of State addressed you
February 16, 1904.
* * * * * * *
The inclosed documents clearly show that Ranger McKenzie was
justifiable in the shooting of the Mexican, Eulogio Zambrano; the
character of this man, and that he was a deserter from the Mexican
army.
In submitting this report I can not refrain from stating that such
characters as Zambrano are almost entirely the cause of this State
retaining at a great expense three-fourths of the ranger force on
the Mexican frontier.
I have been unable to comply with your instructions relative to this
matter at an earlier date, owing to my inability to secure the
necessary data.
Very respectfully,
John Hulen, Adjutant-General,
[Subinclosure 2.]
Mr. Hughes to
Mr. Hulen.
Alice, Tex., February 26, 1904.
Sir: In obedience with your request to
report to you the wounding of Eulogio Zambrano by Private Sam
McKenzie of my company of the ranger force, I beg leave to submit
the following report:
On January 23, 1904, Mr. James A. Browne, a resident of Brownsville,
reported to Ranger McKenzie that a gun had been stolen from him.
McKenzie found the gun in a pawn shop, and learned that it had been
pawned by Eulogio Zambrano. A warrant was procured and Zambrano
arrested. When McKenzie started to jail with Zambrano, the prisoner
attempted to escape by running. McKenzie commanded him to halt, but
the man continued to run. McKenzie being crippled in one leg, knew
that he would be unable to overtake him, drew
[Page 478]
his pistol, and fired over the head of
the fleeing man. This failing to stop the man, he then fired two
more shots which hit the man. As soon as the man was so disabled
that McKenzie was able to catch him, he ceased to fire and took the
prisoner to jail. McKenzie surrendered himself and was placed under
bond to await the action of the grand jury, which convened on
Monday, February 1, and adjourned February 10. During this session
of the grand jury this case was investigated, but no indictment
found against McKenzie.
Sam McKenzie was placed with the Brownsville detachment of the ranger
company on acount of his being able to speak the Mexican language,
his friendship toward the Mexican people, and his popularity with
them. He bears no animosity against the Mexican people whatever. He
is their friend and they are his friends. The reason that more
Mexicans than Americans have been wounded and killed by the rangers
in the vicinity of Brownsville is that the number of Mexicans is so
much greater than that of Americans.
Very respectfully,
John R. Hughes,
Captain Company D, Ranger
Force.
[Subinclosure 3.]
Mr. Turk to Mr.
Hulen.
Brownsville, Tex., September 22, 1904.
Dear Sir: I have just learned that there
has been considerable agitation relative to the shooting of Eulogio
Zambrano by Mr. Sam McKenzie, a State ranger, in this city, about
January, 1904.
In this connection, please allow me to state that I was foreman of
the grand jury of Cameron County, during the February term of the
district court, that being very soon after the shooting
occurred.
I take pleasure in saying that the matter was taken up by the grand
jury, and the circumstances of the shooting were thoroughly
investigated, and it was the unanimous opinion of the grand jury
that Mr. McKenzie was fully justified in his action, wherefore the
grand jury refused to return a bill against him,
I witnessed the shooting, and am thoroughly familiar with all the
facts surrounding it.
While we feel that the shooting was entirely justifiable, yet we are
all glad to know that Eulogio Zambrano has at this time completely
recovered, and is now going about the streets apparently a well
man.
Hoping that this will be of some assistance to you in the premises,
and assuring you that if I can be of any further service to you in
the premises, I will take pleasure in so doing,
I remain, etc.,
Aaron Turk,
Foreman Grand Jury, February
Term.
