Mr. Langston to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Port-au-Prince, Hayti, February 25, 1885. (Received March 11.)
Sir: I have the honor to advise you that the case of Mr. Van Bokkelen, who is still confined in the military hospital of this city, has, during the past week, been fully and ably, on the part of his attorney, argued in the court of cassation.
The decision of the honorable judges has not, as yet, been delivered. It is feared by his friends as well as himself that when delivered it will be adverse to his right and power of making an assignment in favor of [Page 498] his creditors, so as to release himself from prison. The law, however, is clear and unmistakable in this regard.
Mr. Van Bokkelen has been quite unwell latterly, in fact, very feeble; and when, at his earnest request to me to do so, urged and importuned by his wife, I asked the Government to let him come to his home for a time, where he could be properly treated and cared for, giving my own assurance that he should be held at the orders of the Government till his case was disposed of, although I had been promised verbally by Mr. St. Victor that it should be done, the Government declined to do it. But I would not complain overmuch, for during all the time Mr. Van Bokkelen has been in the hospital he has been allowed to go home every evening and for some days he has been passing his entire nights at home. I am doing all I can to make his miserable condition tolerable.
I am, &c.,