Mexicans' trip to jail secret to aid justice

Nº 60

AHSRE L-E-921 F. 043

St. Louis Post Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri

21 de noviembre de 1906

Mexicans' trip to jail secret to aid justice

Hearing of alleged Revolutionists Was behind closed doors in Private Office.

One denies identity

Man Accused of Writing Editorials Says He Is From South America.

To be heard Thursday

Federal Commissioner to Take Up Question of Extradition to Mexico.

Aaron Lopez Manzano and the man who the Federal authorities say is Librado Rivera, alleged members of the Mexican revolutionary Junta, who, after preliminary hearings before United States Commissioner Chase Morsey, behind closed doors, were sent to Ironton, Mo., to jail, will be tried at 10 a. m. Thursday before Commissioner Morsey.

The preliminary hearings were held in, Commissioner Morsey's office behind closed doors. No report of them was given out. The reason given by the Federal authorities for this is that if news of the arrests or of the hearings would be defeated. They say that another Mexican, for whom a search is being made, would escape if news of the arrests it of the hearings were given out.

Manzano, 22 years old, and without relatives in St. Louis, is charged with opening a registered letter not addressed to him. He was arrested Nov. 13. The other man who was arrested Nov. 5 or 6 at 123 Convent Street is charged with murder and robbery alleged to have been committed in Mexico. His trial is to determine whether he shall be extradited. He asserts, and his statement is borne out by women of the mexican colony, that he is not Rivera.

Rivera was a member of the St. Louis Mexican Junta and was a writer for the Junta paper, Regeneración, Manzano was a compositor in the office of Regeneracion. When the members of the Junta fied or were arrested and the newspaper was suppressed, Manzano believing himself immune from arrest because he was only a typesetter in the newspaper office, remained in St. Louis, he lived at the Rivera home at 125 Convent street.

A few days before his arrest he complained to chief of Detectives Desmond that he was being followed by a man. Chief Desmond told him to go to the Mexican Consul, Senor Diebold, in the Common wealth Trust Building.

On Nov. 13 he was arrested at the general delivery window of the Post office by Deputy United States Marshall W.W. Noll. He had just received a letter addressed to senor D. Cacilio M. Romo from a lock box. Noll saw him open the letter and take a $2 bill out of it, he says. The office asked him his name and then asked what right he had to open the letter.

He replied that he had been given permission to open letters addressed to a private box, the key of which he had in his possession. His arrest followed. The preliminary secret hearing and his commitment to the Ironton Jail followed.

Members of the Mexican colony and particularly the women declare that the man is being railroaded to Mexico to be shot for opposing the present administration there. They point out that the men cannot be extradited for political offenses and say that other charges, like that of murder and highway robbery against Rivera, are made in order that the men may be extradited.

The man believed by Federal authorities to be Rivera says his name is Koro and that he is from Argentine Republic. He said he came to the United States in February last, and he was turned over to Immigration Inspector Dunn and was sent to the City Hospital for observation. In the hospital he was invented by another Mexican as Rivera and his secret hearing and commitment to the Ironton Jail followed. No details of the charge of murder and robbery made against him have been given out by the authorities who might know those details.

Deputy Marshall Williams, who, with Detective Joyce, made the arrest, says, now that the man is Rivera, although at first they believed his denials. They declare that he came to the house by stealth to see his wife and his two young children.

The officers went to the house disguised as employees of the gas company and a real gas company employ accompanied them. They all wore badges of the gas company. When without knocking they entered the house the man was there. They say he ran, but they caught him.

The awe men will be brought from Ironton for the trials Thursday by a will go to Ironton, Wednesday night.

Antonio Villarreal, brother of the Gonzales sisters, Andreas and Teresa, is under arrest, in El Paso, Tex. He is charged with murder in Mexico. Extradition papers were applied for, and, acting upon a protest from Mexican Liberals, Gov. Ianham announced that he would not issue extradition papers until an investigation had been made.