File No. 312.52/489.
Vice Consul Bevan to the Secretary of State.
Tampico, December 11, 1914.
Sir: I have the honor to advise the Department that on the 3rd of December this office was notified by the Spanish ex-Consul that three Spaniards were arrested in Victoria, Tamps., and were sent to Tampico and detained at the military headquarters in this city. An official letter was sent to the chief military official, Colonel Francisco Gonzalez, requesting information relative to their arrest and detention. The colonel replied that he was ignorant of why these Spaniards were arrested and sent to Victoria, and referred me to the governor of the State in Victoria. Thereupon a similar communication was addressed to General Caballero, the governor of the State. Up to the present time this letter remains unanswered.
At five o’clock in the afternoon of December 7th, I made a personal visit to the Jefature de Armas to see Col. Francisco Gonzalez in regard to the matter. He advised me that he had received no instructions as to what disposition was to be made of the case of the Spaniards. I then saw the three Spaniards, Vicente Vidal, Eduardo Sabugal, and Julian Zorrilla and had an interview with them. They assured me that they had not the slightest idea as to why they were [Page 836] under arrest. I went with them to their private room and asked them again in confidence, advising them that it was best that I know everything in regard to the case, but they remained firm in their statement that they knew of no charge against them.
The next morning at seven o’clock, I was advised of the execution of Eduardo Sabugal and Vicente Vidal. I went immediately to see Col. Francisco Gonzalez, who stated that he had received instructions after midnight to have the two Spaniards executed at daylight that day. I requested to know on what charge they were sentenced to death, but he showed me a telegram from General Caballero ordering the execution, and said he knew nothing more than he did two days previous.
I immediately sent another message to the General requesting to be informed on what charge the men were executed. A despatch reporting the case was also sent to the State Department. The following day I received a message from the Governor stating that he had in his possession documentary evidence proving that the Spaniards were complicated in a movement in favor of General Carrera Torres, who is in charge of the Villa forces now stationed at Juanave, State of Tamaulipas. I am now waiting for instructions from the Department, and will not request copies of the governor’s evidence against these men unless instructed to do so by the Department.
The local conditions in Tampico at the present time are worse than they have been for many years. There is hardly a day passes that some Mexicans are not taken out and shot. All their property is then confiscated by the authorities. A number of the local military chiefs have banked in El Paso and in Laredo amounts ranging from $50,000 to $80,000 United States currency since they entered Tampico in May of the present year.
The Spaniards, Eduardo Sabugal and Vicente Vidal advised me the afternoon before they were shot that they had property in Victoria worth over $100,000 Mexican Cy., and they were willing to give bond for that much pending the trial of their case.
It may be that these Spaniards were indiscreet enough to become mixed up in the local politics, but I can hardly believe that they would go as far as to plot against the Carranza Government.
Any future developments in the case will be promptly reported to the Department.
I have [etc.]