File No. 312.52/164.
Consul Letcher to the Secretary of State.
Chihauhua, February 12, 1914.
Department’s January 23 and February 7. General Chao, acting governor, informed me yesterday very frankly that no investigation of the killing of the two Spanish brothers on December 13 [12] has been made and further that they had been executed by superior military order, meaning by order of Villa, under the law known as the Juarez Decree of 1862 which has reference to foreigners taking up arms in domestic conflicts. As far as I can learn the Spaniards who were executed were not implicated in political or military measures adverse to the present authorities.