411.12 Gomez and Rubio/33
The Consul at Nuevo Laredo (Wormuth) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 18.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that the remains of Manuel Gómez and Emilio Cortés Rubio who allegedly were shot and killed by one [Page 714] Deputy Sheriff Guess at Ardmore, Oklahoma, were taken across the border from Laredo, Texas, to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, on June 11, 1931, having arrived at Laredo at 2:00 P.M., accompanied by Colonel Charles E. Clowe as personal representative of the Governor of Oklahoma and also by the son of the Governor, Messena Murray, and by Salvador Cortés Rubio, brother [cousin] of Emilio Cortés Rubio. At the request of our Ambassador at Mexico City and of the Governor of Oklahoma, and accompanied by Vice Consul Williams, I met the train upon its arrival at Laredo, Texas, and communicated the contents of the telegrams received from our Embassy and from the Governor of Oklahoma to Colonel Clowe and the Governor’s son, who thereupon, without crossing the border to Nuevo Laredo, returned one to Oklahoma City and the other to Houston.
There was no demonstration either at Laredo, Texas, or Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and the number of persons meeting the train at Laredo, Texas, did not exceed twenty five. Most of these were Mexican officials including the Consul of Mexico in Laredo, Alejandro V. Martinez and members of his staff. The transfer of the necessary documents accompanying the bodies of the two deceased boys was made with the assistance of Consul Martinez and it is believed that he deserves the commendation of his government for the tact and diplomacy exercised by him throughout this incident. The courtesy and consideration of the Governor of Oklahoma in sending a personal representative and his own son to accompany the bodies of the deceased made a deep impression upon the public both of Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo and undoubtedly exercised an influence in preventing any exhibition of anti-American feeling on the part of the Mexican population of the two cities.
It may be of interest to the Department that Salvador Cortés Rubio, brother [cousin] of Emilio Cortés Rubio, expressed the most friendly feeling toward the United States and stated that he did not hold the people of the United States to blame for the regrettable fate of his brother [cousin] and that he expected to return to school in the United States.
It is deemed necessary to correct two newspaper notices that have come to the attention of this office. One of these appeared in the San Antonio Express of July 12 stating that Colonel Clowe and Messena Murray, the son of Governor Murray, visited Nuevo Laredo before returning as heretofore stated. This statement is, to the personal knowledge of myself and Mr. Williams, absolutely incorrect, inasmuch as we were personally present with Colonel Clowe and Mr. Murray from the time of their arrival at 2:00 P.M., until their departure at 3:30 P.M., on the same day, in the meantime making an official call upon the Mayor of the city of Laredo. It is deemed necessary also [Page 715] to correct a statement appearing in La Prensa, the leading newspaper in Mexican vernacular published in San Antonio, Texas, of issue of June 12, 1931, in which it is stated that the American Consul was not present on the arrival of the train although requested to meet the train by the Governor of Oklahoma. This statement is of course incorrect, even according to the report in the same column of the same newspaper given by the local correspondent appearing directly above the statement in question which was a United Press statement. The correspondent of La Prensa by special telegram gave correctly the names of those receiving the funeral cortege, and among such names appears that of myself and Vice Consul Williams.
Newspaper clippings of the local newspaper relative to the reception of the funeral cortege are herewith transmitted.14
Respectfully yours,
- Not reprinted.↩