Carta de Ricardo Flores Magón, Librado Rivera y Antonio I Villarreal al Presidente Theodore Roosevelt

Nº 126

AHSRE L-E-932 (2) F. 28

The Angeles Herald, Los Ángeles, California

31 de mayo de 1908.

Carta de Ricardo Flores Magón, Librado Rivera y Antonio I Villarreal al Presidente Theodore Roosevelt

Los Angeles, may 28, 1908

Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, Washington, D.C.

“Dear Sir– On the 23d og August last we were arrested in Los Angeles charged with having resisted an officer. This case was dismissed and we were then carged with libel and sought to be extradited to Missouri, and this case was dismissed. We were then carged with murder and larceny in Mexico, and this charge was dismissed. There was absolutely nothing in any of the carges, and the prosecution knew there was nothing in them. The aim of the prosecution was to getr us to Mexico, where we would be killed because we were opposed to the tyranny of President Diaz and his associates. We were then charged with having conspired to violate the neutrality law in the United States.

“If we have done anything in violation of the laws of this country we are willing to be punishec for our actions; we are willing to stand trial before a jury in this country and are confident that any jury will find that we are not guilty. What we fear, however, in that of we will not be tried there, but spirited over the line into Mexico, where we will be shot.

“Our reasins for this anticipation have very good grounds. Among them is the fact that many men who are in sympathy with us and who lived in this country for many years prior to the firstt day of Semtember, 1906 –the time alleged in the complaint against us, in which we are charged with violating the neutrality law– were spirited over the line and are now in Mexicoi, and some on them, we are informed, have been killed and others imprisoned and are still in prison. They have done nothing in Mexicio; some of them had bnot been there for years, being residents of this country; but they were taken there without any charges of any nature or character whatever having been brought against them.

“Manuel Sarabia, one of the men who habe been imprisoned here for months, was kidnaped from Arizona by the Mexican officials, who were aided in their conspiracy by officials in Arizona.

“Another reason is thar Captain Furlong od the Furlong detective agency of St. Louis swore on the atand that he arrested us without a warrant and thar he was employed by the Mexican government to do it.

“W. F. Zwckley of Los Angeles makes an affidavit that Furlong told him that he was not so much interested in our case and the charges fir wich we were bwing tried as he was in getting us over into Arizona: that all he and the Mexican government wanted is to get the defendants down into Arizona, and then they will see that they get them across the line.

“Now, Mr. President, we lay these facts before that, having been called to your attention, they will be sufficient to insure us a trial by jury in Arizona. We are willing to go to Arizona for trial if you wik only say apenly and in the public oress that you will see to it that we have a trial in Arizona upon this charge. Will you make this statement to us byletter over your signature?

“Thanking you in advance, we are yours very truly.

Ricardo Flores Magón

Librado Rivera

Antonio I. Villarreal.