File No. 15778/5–6.
Chargé Weitzel to the Secretary of State.
Panama, October 6, 1908.
Sir: I have the honor to advise, in continuance of my No. 360 of the 1st instant relative to the fight between sailors and natives in the city of Panama, that on Saturday afternoon a preliminary hearing was had before judge No. 4 of the circuit, at which several enlisted seamen from the Buffalo and other witnesses testified with particular reference to the identity of the person who is accused of having stabbed Charles Rand, since deceased. As a result of their testimony one Jacinto Escudero, who has been under arrest since the night of the disturbance, has been charged with the murder and removed to Chiriqui jail for safe-keeping.
I am sending herewith a file containing copies of reports, letters, affidavits, and other papers relating to the case.1
No effort, apparently, has been made by the authorities to ascertain the identity of the policeman who is alleged to have assaulted and otherwise brutally mistreated the dying-seaman.
I have, etc.,
- Not printed.↩