go home to our families before permanent disease set in upon us. soon, and oblige, Yours, respectfully, P. S.-Please to send the papers back. Please to answer THOMAS SHIELDS, Late Company L, 62 P. V. [Inclosure 16 in No. 388.] Mr. Morgan to Mr. Thomas Shields. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: Your letter of the 4th instant has been received, as well as several others upon the same subject. You were arrested, as I have been informed, for swindling and breach of trust. The judge before whom your case was brought dismissed the charge which had been preferred against you. Under the laws of Mexico the decision of the judge was sent for revision to the superior court at Pachuca; pending his decision, under the same law you were to be detained in confinement, unless you could furnish bond. You furnished the bond required and were released. You remained at liberty for some time, when your bondsman delivered you up to the judge upon the ground that you were about to leave the country, and you were remitted to prison. You are now confined, awaiting the decision of the supreme court at Pachuca, or until yon are able to furnish another bond. So much in answer to your letter as to the cause of your long detention. Since you first called my attention to your case, I have exerted myself in every direction, and by every means which I considered would be beneficial to you, to obtain your release. I have spoken to Mr. Lohse and to Mr. Enciso with reference to it, warning them that they were making themselves liable to an action in damages. I have applied unofficially to the secretary for foreign relations in your behalf. I have sent two messengers to Apam to obtain information upon the cause of your arrest and detention, and to obtain your release if possible. Learning that two Frenchmen were the primary cause of your arrest, I appealed to the French minister to use his influence with them to induce them to withdraw their charges. I have endeavored to obtain a bondsman for you, but all these efforts have been in vain; those to whom I caused application to be made to go on your bond refusing on the ground that as soon as you were released you would leave the country, and thus make them responsible. Finding all my personal and unofficial exertions failed, I addressed a note officially to Señor Mariscal on the 1st instant, in which, after recapitulating to him the facts of your case, I demanded your release. I have this morning received the secretary's reply. I send you a copy of it. You will observe that he declines to consider the case because you do not appear to have matriculated as a citizen of the United States. Upon this subject I have to call your attention to the fact that you have offered me no evidence of your citizenship; notwithstanding which I have acted upon the supposition that you were. You admit that you were born in Ireland, and you do not produce any evidence that you were naturalized. Thinking that there might be a necessity for establishing this fact, I have sent to Pittsburgh for a copy of the judgment of naturalization, and I have also requested the Adjutant-General of the Army to send me a copy of your discharge therefrom. I am, &c., P. H. MORGAN. P. S.-I have also endeavored to expedite the judgment of the court at Pachuca. If you know any other means which I can take for your relief, I beg you to suggest them. P. H. MORGAN. No. 412.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Hon. FREDERICK T. FRELINGHUYSEN, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.: SIR: Referring you to my dispatch No. 388, April 6, I have now to say that a few days after the date thereof I made efforts to obtain counsel H. Ex. 153, pt. 2-2 for Shields and Weber, at Pachuca, through Dr. Skilton, who was formerly consul-general of the United States here and who has large interests in that section. Subsequently I called on Señor Mariscal, who assured me he would write to the governor upon the subject. Not hearing from him, I called on Señor Mendez, one of the leading lawyers here. Señor Mendez agreed to take charge of their case. This morning I had a visit from them. They have been released. I inclose a letter from them addressed to the Hon. Mr. Bayne, which, if you think proper, may be delivered to him. I am, sir, very, respectfully, your obedient servant, P. H. MORGAN. [Inclosure 1 in 412.] CITY OF MEXICO, April 25, 1882. Hon. THOMAS M. BAYNE, M. C., Washington, D. C.: DEAR SIR: We are released from jail, and have had an interview with the honorable P. H. Morgan, and from evidence produced we are satisfied he has done all in his power for us. We make this statement without any mental reservation. THOMAS SHIELDS. 47TH CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ( Ex. Doc.153, 1st Session. IMPRISONMENT OF THOMAS SHIELDS AND OTHER AMERICAN CITIZENS IN MEXICO. MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, TRANSMITTING A communication from the Secretary of State, touching the imprisonment in Mexico of Thomas Shields and two other American citizens. JUNE 20, 1882.-Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed. To the House of Representatives: I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of State, referring a communication from the Mexican minister at this capital touching the arrest and imprisonment in Mexico of Thomas Shields and two other American citizens, to which the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 6th of February last relates. EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington, June 19, 1882. CHESTER A. ARTHUR. To the President: The Secretary of State, referring to the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 6th of February last, requesting him to make inquiry and to report the facts regarding the arrest and imprisonment in Mexico of Thomas Shields and two other citizens of the United States, whose release has recently been effected, as heretofore reported, has the honor to submit the accompanying note of the 18th ultimo from the Mexican minister in this city, inclosing a communication from the department of foreign relations of Mexico "to show the justice with which the Government of Mexico acted in this matter." Respectfully submitted. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FRED'K T. FRELINGHUYSEN. Washington, June 17, 1882. Señor Romero to Mr. Frelinghuysen. LEGATION OF MEXICO, Mr. SECRETARY: Although the incident of the arrest in Mexico of the American citizens, Thomas Shields, Charles Weber, and Philip Salm, which gave rise to a call for information by the United States House of Representatives, has been terminated by the release of the arrested parties, it seems to me proper, in order to show the justice with which the Government of Mexico acted in this matter, and in accordance with what I told you during the interview which I had with you to-day at the Department of State, to inclose to you a copy of a communication which I received yesterday from the department of foreign relations of the Mexican Government, numbered 248, and bearing date of the 2d instant. This document contains important data in relation to this matter, although no mention is therein made of the release of the accused parties, owing to the fact that that took place subsequently. I reiterate, &c. M. ROMERO. Señor Mariscal to Señor Romero. [Inclosure.] AMERICAN SECTION. No. 248. ARREST OF TWO AMERICANS AT APAM. MEXICO, May 2, 1882. In reply to your note, No. 141, of the 19th of April last, relative to the article published by the New York World concerning the arrest of two Americans employed in a factory at Apam, I herewith send you an extract from the antecedents of this case for your information. Thomas Shields, Charles Weber, and Philip Salm, foreigners, who claim to be American citizens, were engaged by the manager of the glass factory at Apam as blowers, their term of service to commence early in August, 1881. Without any good cause they left the factory during that very month, notwithstanding which they were taken back in December of the same year through the mediation of Mr. James Lohse. A month afterwards, as appears from the reports received, they again left the factory and fled to Vera Cruz, where their purpose was to embark, taking with them a certain amount of money and various articles of merchandise. They were arrested at Vera Cruz in pursuance of letters rogatory addressed by the court of first instance at Apam to the judicial authorities at Vera Cruz, an action having been brought against them before the first-named court for swindling and breach of trust, which court is diligently investigating the charges preferred against them. From the inquiries made by the court it appears that the individuals in question have been repeatedly arrested for drunkenness. Although the above information was unofficially transmitted to Mr. Morgan, that gentleman presented a reclamation, on the 1st of April last, to the department under my charge, on account of the arrest of Weber and Shields. He was informed, in reply, that as the persons in question were not registered as citizens of any country, it was impossible to admit his official intervention in the matter, even supposing them to have exhausted all legal methods of redress, which was the proper course for them to pursue. The foregoing report will enable you to form an idea of the legality of the action of the authorities in this case. I renew, &c. MARISCAL. 1st Session. {No. 154. PENSION CLAIM AGENTS. LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR, TRANSMITTING, In compliance with a House resolution, information concerning persons prosecuting claims before the Pension Office. APRIL 4, 1882.-Referred to the Committee on Pensions and ordered to be printed. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Washington, April 3, 1882. SIR: In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives, passed on the 11th of January last, I have the honor to inclose a letter from the Commissioner of Pensions, giving, so far as practicable, the information concerning persons prosecuting claims before the Pension Office requested by said resolution. Very respectfully, The SPEAKER of the House of Representatives. S. J. KIRKWOOD, Secretary. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, PENSION OFFICE, Washington, D. C., March 31, 1882. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report, in response to a resolution of the House of Representatives, bearing date January 11, 1882, referred by you to this office on the 12th of that month. The resolution is as follows: CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, Resolved, That the Secretary of the Interior be requested to furnish this House, at his earliest convenience, the names of all business firms or persons, and the names of each member composing said firms, located in the District of Columbia, together with the business or occupation [in which] each are engaged, who prosecute claims in the Pension Bureau. ED. MCPHERSON, Clerk. |