No. 328.
Mr. Nelson to Mr. Fish.
Mexico, July 16, 1872. (Received July 31.)
Sir: The crime of kidnaping wealthy persons, and maltreating them until the payment of a heavy ransom by their relatives, was introduced into Mexico during the civil wars, some fifteen years ago, and gradually assumed such proportions as to render it unsafe for proprietors to reside upon their estates, even in the immediate vicinity of the large cities. The complete extirpation of this vast evil was the object of a rigorous act of Congress, three years since, which instituted a summary trial and immediate execution of the malefactors guilty of this crime, which in Mexico has received the singular name of plagiarism, (plagio.) This law, which involved the suspension of some of the constitutional guarantees, was intended to last but for a single year, but it has been found necessary to renew it for two further terms, giving rise on each occasion to heated debates in Congress, and to bitter attacks upon the Government for alleged abuses of the law for the persecution of political enemies.
Nevertheless, during the disturbances of the past year kidnaping has increased to such an extent as to form the most marked, as it certainly, is the most repulsive, characteristic of the present time. It is alleged that organizations exist in this city for the direction of kidnaping, under the names of-” Sociedad Terrible and “Italia Roja.”
This crime reached its culminating point in June, when not a day passed without the newspapers being filled with fresh instances of kidnaping and of the horrible atrocities perpetrated by the bandits upon their victims. The alleged indolence of the government, and its incapacity to provide a remedy for the evil, became the daily theme of the opposition press.
On the night of the 27th ultimo Mr. Juan Cervantes, a wealthy gentleman belonging to the old Mexican nobility, dating back to the conquerors and the earlier viceroys, was kidnaped in one of the central [Page 437] streets of the city, on his return from the theater. The enormous sum of $100,000 demanded as his ransom, the distinguished social position of the victim, and the fact that this was the first prominent instance of kidnaping within the walls of Mexico, created an intense excitement, making this event almost the exclusive topic of public interest for many days-The efforts of the city and national governments to discover the criminals were tireless and far-reaching, and after six days of painful suspense they were crowned with complete success. The victim was found literally buried alive in one of the suburbs, and the principal criminals, who were seized in flagrante delicto, were shot the same afternoon, (the 4th of July,) near the scene of their crime, and in the presence of tens of thousands of spectators. Others of the malefactors have since been apprehended, and some of them sentenced to death. The leader of the band, after an active pursuit for many days, was overtaken some thirty miles in the interior, and being wounded in the affray, he committed suicide. His corpse was brought to this city and exposed to public view.
Large numbers of persons of notoriously evil fame have been arrested upon suspicion, and are to be expelled from the republic. The energy displayed by Mr. Tiburcio Montiel, the governor of the federal district, has won the applause even of his enemies.
I am, &c,