125.61383 J 41/43: Telegram
The Chargé in Mexico (Summerlin) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 10—3:57 a.m.]
33. Jenkins case. The local papers today feature a lengthy and apparently inspired interview with Attorney General Mitchell of Puebla to the effect that it has been proven that Jenkins was not abducted, that there is no doubt but that he soon will be convicted by the Puebla State Criminal Court of,
- 1,
- Rebellion, in that he supplied the rebels with money and ammunition;
- 2,
- Attempted fraud, in that he pretends that the Mexican Government should refund his ransom and the money he claims was stolen from his safe;
- 3,
- Perjury;
- 4,
- Theatening and bribing peons to deceive the Mexican Government; and
- 5,
- Contempt of judicial authorities;
and that he will be sentenced to a long period of imprisonment in the penitentiary and will not be expelled from the country as-reported.
Continuing, Attorney General Mitchell accused the Embassy of bad faith and of attempting to deceive the Mexican authorities by furnishing them an “invented” copy of a letter which Jenkins wrote his wife during his abduction from which the following paragraph, was omitted:
“The Puebla newspapers say that bandits have abducted me; it would be better to say they were rebels in order that the responsibility of the Mexican Government may be greater.”
This is an imperfect quotation from Jenkins second letter to his wife which was opened and read on October 22 last in the Foreign Office in the presence of the Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Jenkins representative; it was then given to the latter with the understanding that it would be delivered to Mitchell when called for subsequently.
I am reliably informed that Mitchell had a 2 hour conference with the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs day before yesterday and gave this interview to the press yesterday.