Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President, Transmitted to Congress December 2, 1895, Part II
Mr. Pringle to Mr. Olney.
Guatemala, September 26, 1895. (Received Oct. 10.)
Sir: I have the honor to transmit a copy of summary of testimony in the Renton case. I regret that the translation should be so poor, but have not had time to go over it for revision and do not wish to delay sending it.
I have, etc.,
Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.
Mr. Bonilla to Mr. Pringle.
Mr. Chargé d’Affaires ad interim:
Complying with my promise in previous notes to the legation of the United States, I have the pleasure to transmit the inclosed authenticated copy of the summary instituted to discover the authors of the crime of assassination committed at Brewers Lagoon, Mosquito district, on the person of the North American citizen Charles W. Renton.
As you will see by the documents which accompany it, the authorities of the place where this act was perpetrated have used every effort to throw light upon what happened, and will continue in their efforts to exhaust all the methods of investigation, so that justice may be satisfied and the culprits discovered.
I will soon send a copy of the continuation of the case and the sentence pronounced by the superior judge of the respective department.
With many assurances, etc.,
estimony.
Port Burchard, June 23, 1893.
Judge of the Peace, Present:
It being the object of the international administrations of the North American Republics and that of Honduras to learn the causes of the assassination of Mr. Charles W. Renton, and being that you, in the fulfillment of your duty, ordered the corresponding examination to commit the authors of said crime, please furnish me with the testimony of said examination to send to the minister of foreign relations of this Republic as an important document in his dispute with the Government of the United States. Hoping that you will comply with this request, I am,
Your humble servant,
L. Irias.
Substitute Court of Peace,
Acting,
Iriona, June 25,
1895.
Furnish the testimony requested and transmit the same to the minister of foreign relations of the Republic by medium of the principal commander of this port.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
E. S. Rodiriguez.
Lorenzo F. Mejia.
Judicature of the Peace by Ministry
of the Law,
Port of Iriona, June 3,
1895.
Not having found same, furnish the testimony of the process instituted to investigate the assassination of Mr. Charles W. Renton and to discover the guilty parties.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
E. S. Rodiriguez.
Rafael Castellanos.
Upon the same day appeared Senor Gregario Torres, 29 years of age, unmarried, a farmer, a native of Manto, and a resident of Brewers Lagoon, in this jurisdiction; was duly sworn according to law, and having been advised of the penalties of perjury was examined as to what he might know of the murder of Mr. Charles W. Renton, the forcible abduction of the wife of Renton, and the whereabouts of his valuables; and said that after an absence of seven months from his house in Brewers Lagoon he returned to it the 29th day of April, 1894; that upon his arrival he found several [Page 922] articles that had belonged to Mr. Charles W. Renton scattered about, which caused him to inquire the whereabouts of Renton, of the woman with whom he lives, and the neighboring sambos all told him that Fernando and Edgar Eude (Yuth), and Sandham, Johnson, Isert, and Kittel had killed Renton, explaining the deed in the following manner: That Kittel, armed with a Winchester rifle, had reached the gate of Mr. Renton’s pasture and had opened it without his (Renton’s) permission; that Renton had told him that he should not open the gate, as he had prohibited him doing so before; that Kittel, notwithstanding, did not desist, and continued to pass through the pasture. Renton followed him, prohibiting him to pass in front of his house, but that Kittel, not heeding this prohibition, continued his passage without stopping; that Renton then got angry and went toward Kittel to restrain him, and told him that he should never again open his gate, and that to prevent passage through the pasture he had built a road both in front and in back of the house, outside of the pasture. Kittel then returned to his house, where he found Fernando Eude, and being soon joined by Edgar Eude (Yuth), Sandham, Johnson, Isert, and Mr. Dawe, and soon all went in the direction of Renton’s, each one with his firearm. They sent Johnson ahead to open the gate of the above-mentioned pasture. As he did so, Renton, who was milking a cow, arose and entered his house, got a Winchester, went outside and fired one shot in the air. At the same time, all fired simultaneously at Renton from different positions, and he fell, wounded; his wife was also wounded in one hand. Following this the same parties conducted Renton to the house of Isis Cruz, which was found vacant, and where Sandham, Fernando, Kittel, and Johnson remained guarding him. Mr. Dawe and Isert then returned to El Cayo, and Edgar Eude (Yuth) took charge of transporting Mrs. Renton to Tabacounta, threatening that if she returned from there they would also kill her; that the persons who conducted Mrs. Renton were this same Eude, the sambo Roberto, and a servant of Renton, Cruz Lacayo, a Nicaraguan, whom they also threatened to kill should he return; that regarding Renton, he was in the custody of this guard until 8 o’clock of the evening of the same day that he died, and that he does not know where the body was buried.
He added that Kittel afterwards told him in private conversation, and upon accusing him (Kittel) of the part he had taken in the death of Renton, this latter having been his best friend and protector, that Renton begged him to let him go, but that he answered him that if he did they would kill him (Renton), he (Kittel) being the guard at the time; that regarding the effects of Renton he could speak from positive knowledge of the following: That six years ago he (the witness) had brought Renton from the ranch of Don Jose Julia, port of Truxillo, 111 heifers of from 2 to 4 years old; from the ranch of Williams, his fellow-countryman, Patuca, 15 cows; from California, 9 thoroughbred heifers and I thoroughbred bull; in all, 131 head of cattle and 2 mules; that of the cattle he sold something like 60 heifers to a man in Belize at the end of 1893, keeping the rest and their progeny in excellent condition, and that Mrs. Renton told him that he (Renton) also saved the money for the cows he sold. He also had a house 10 varas long by 5½ wide, built of lumber, with glass windows and well furnished; also many chickens. The house was located near the village of Brewers Lagoon. That of these animals he first saw the two mules in the possession of the Brewers Lagoon Wood and Produce Company, and afterwards saw them roaming wild in the fields near his house; that of the cattle he had only seen five oxen and five cows roaming in the fields; that he had been told that Mr. Edgar Eude had captured the chickens and had left them in charge of a sambo woman, in whose possession he had seen a portion of them. The iron with which the cattle were branded, and which was used to designate the property of the Rentons, was RV, the first of Mr. Renton and the second of Mrs. Renton. That the persons able to give positive information of what he has said are Macario Mercado, Roberto Montecino, and Francisco Arrollo, also the sambos Maria, Sucricamaeren, Cuca, Finglas, and Damasa.
The testimony was then confirmed by witnesses and signed.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
Gregorio Torres.
Leonardo Irias.
E. S. Rodiriguez.
On the 4th of the same month came Senor Stephen Zacharias, 48 years of age, married, an artisan, a native of Jamaica, a citizen of Belize, and a resident of Brewers Lagoon; was duly sworn according to law, and upon the reading of the penalties of perjury was examined upon the same points as the preceding witness, and said that in the first part of the last year he was in the house of Mr. Charles W. Renton, of Brewers Lagoon, when Mr. Dawe, Fernando Eude, Kittel, and Johnson arrived, and after some words of recrimination Mr. Dawe fired a shot from his rifle at Mr. Renton, who answered with a shot from the rifle he had; following this, Eude, Kittel, and Johnson continued firing at Renton; Renton also kept firing at his assailants; but at this time neither one nor the other was hurt.
[Page 923]Mr. Dawe, Fernando, Kittel, and Johnson then retired to the ranch house of the company, where Mr. Dawe gave him (the witness) a letter and an order to carry to Sandham, Isert, and Edgar Eude, who were at El Cayo, to come and kill Mr. Renton. These parties immediately went with him to Brewers Lagoon.
Having finished this errand, the witness retired to his house, which is somewhat distant from the houses of Renton and the company; that the following day he returned to Renton’s house and did not rind him there, hut wounded in the house of the sambo Roberto; that the wound was produced from a ball from a firearm, which entered through the false ribs of the back and passed out in front a little above the stomach; that upon entering he asked Renton who had wounded him, and he answered in these words, “That white man,” without designating what particular one. “Does your wound pain you much?” he continued. Renton answered that it did not. That at that moment he found Renton had laid upon a bed, and was guarded by Mr. Dawe, Kittel, Fernando and Edgar Eude, Isert, and Sandham; that he likewise saw Mrs. Renton wounded in one hand; that immediately after he (the witness) left for El Cayo in company with Mr. Dawe and Johnson, who was wounded in one leg, which wound they told him had been received in the same encounter; that the following day he was sent by Mr. Dawe to Brewers Lagoon with 150 silver dollars for Mrs. Renton, but upon his arrival in that village did not find her, so he gave the money to Isert to take to Mr. Dawe, whom he would find in El Cayo; that he did not find Mr. Renton upon his arrival at Brewers Lagoon, and having asked Kittel his whereabouts this latter answered that maybe he had gone off somewhere; that he further thought that Mr. Edgar Eude had gone as a guard conducting Mrs. Renton and Alfonso Lacayo, a servant of Renton’s; that for this trip Mr. Eude took with him five companions, the sambo Roberto, and Thomas McCoy, who is now in Belize; that the same day he spoke with Renton he witnessed Mr. Dawe, Sandham, Kittel, Isert, and Fernando and Edgar Eude set fire to Renton’s house, having first taken out all the furniture, boards, shingles, cattle and deer hides, grindstone, tools, and everything they could use, and carried them to El Cayo, where a good many still remain; everything that they had been unable to take out and the walls were burned; that he did not know Renton’s cattle, with the exception of two oxen he had seen roaming loose, but that he did know two mules he had seen working for Fernando Eude, and Kittel, Mr. Dawe’s foreman; that he had been told that Kittel and Sandham are in the house of Mr. Coleman, Guanqui, Nicaragua, and that Fernando Eude is in Bluefields, a port of the same Republic, awaiting the results of the present investigations; that the only persons he knows who witnessed the deed are the sambo women Maria, Sucricamaeren, and the mother of the latter.
His declaration was read to witness, but he did not sign it, not knowing how.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
Leonardo Irias.
E. S. Rodriguez.
The same day appeared the sambo woman Maria, of legal age, unmarried, a servant, a native and resident of Brewers Lagoon, in this municipal district, was duly sworn according to law, advised of the penalties of perjury, and examined through her interpreter, Don Dario Gonzalez, who was also sworn and advised of the penalties of perjury, and said: That it was now about one year and two months since the disappearance of Mr. Charles W. Renton; that at that time she (the witness) was living on the island known as “the other side of the lagoon,” from where she went to the village of Brewers Lagoon. Upon her arrival there she met Señor Binn, who told her that the “Englishmen” of El Cayo were murdering Renton; that hearing this she went along the shores of the lake to the house of the old woman Cuca, taking care not to be seen or surprised on the way; that almost at the same moment that she entered the old woman’s house Mrs. Renton arrived, wounded and crying, and asked the witness to go and bring her a small trunk which she had in the house of the sambo Isis Cruz; that she condoled the misfortune of Mrs. Renton, and went on the above errand; that upon entering the house of the above-mentioned Isis Cruz she saw Mr. Renton wounded and lying upon a bed, guarded by Edgar, Fernando, Kittel, Sandham, and Isert; that the wounded man spoke to her and asked her to draw near, but being afraid went to get the trunk she had been sent for; that as she was leaving the wounded man stretched out his hand and bade her good-bye in a strong voice, which indicated that he still had great vitality; that she then left and returned to the house of the old woman Cuca to join Mrs. Renton; that when she was giving the trunk to Mrs. Renton, Roberto returned from a trip to Caratasca, where Mr. Renton had sent him; Edgar Eude (Yuth) arrived at the same moment, accompanied by Roberto Finglas, Williams, and Damaso, and compelled Mrs. Renton to follow them and embark immediately, the witness following some distance behind, and saw them do so in the following manner: Kittel, Fernando, Sandham, Isert and (Yuth) Edgar forcibly put her in a canoe, in which Edgar Eude (Yuth), Finglas, Roberto, Williams, and Damaso also embarked, the other four remaining on land to guard Mr. Renton; that she afterwards thought that they left Mrs. Renton [Page 924] at the other side of the Yamanta, between Casatasca and Ilaya; that as the witness was very much afraid, she returned to the island from whence she came at about 7 p.m. of the same day, without learning the ultimate whereabouts and condition of Renton; that she afterwards thought that he had disappeared, but was ignorant of the manner of his disappearance; that when she went for the first time to the house of the old woman Cuca Renton’s house had already been burned, but that she did not know who did it; that in the lifetime of Mr. Renton she knew that he had in the house a great many deerskins, a greater number of cattle hides, many carpenter’s tools, crockery in abundance, one large grindstone, three rocking-chairs, three rolls of native matting, one woven-wire bed, and a lot of other furniture; the house was built entirely of wood, with glass windows; was about 10 varas long by 5 wide; the corridor and kitchen were also built of wood; that he also had a fine flock of chickens, several of which she has seen in the possession of the mother of Valeroso, and knew they were given to her by Edgar Eude (Yuth), her son-in-law; that she was sure they had taken the roof as well as the lumber of the house to El Cayo, and supposed they had only burned what they were unable to take away; that she was also certain that Mr. Renton had a large number of cattle and two mules, which latter she saw working for Fernando, Kittel, and Johnson; that she thought Renton had sold part of the cattle to a man in Belize, but did not know the quantity sold nor the number that remained after the death of Renton, and that she had been told by several different sambos that they had been slaughtered by the men of El Cayo; that as regards the assassination and other things about which she had been examined the following persons, having been present, could be witnesses: Sucricanaeren, Cuca, Williams, Roberto, Finglas, Montecino, Macario, and Francisco Arrollo, and that she knew nothing else.
The testimony was read to the witness through her interpreter. She verified but did not sign it, not knowing how.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
E. S. Rodriguez.
Leonardo Irias.
On the 5th day of the same month appeared the sambo Roberto, of more than 25 years of age, unmarried, a laborer, born on the shores of the Guanqui River, frontier of Nicaragua, and a resident of Brewers Lagoon, in this jurisdiction, was duly sworn and advised of the penalties of perjury through his interpreter, Don Gregario Torres, who was also sworn and explained the penalties of perjury, and said: That it was now one year and three months, a little more or less, that the witness went to the place of Mr. Charles Stephens, in Caratasca, carrying a message from Mr. Renton; that upon his return to Brewers Lagoon he met Kittel, Sandham, Fernando Eude, Isert, Yuth (Edgar), and Johnson, armed with rifles, and the first two inside of the house of Isis Cruz and the others in the door as guards; he also saw Mr. Renton lying upon a bed, but did not ascertain whether or not he was wounded, as he was afraid to go near; that a few minutes after his arrival at the house of Isis Cruz Mr. Eude (Yuth) told him to make ready to follow; that the witness excused himself, saying that one foot pained him and that he had not dined, but that in place of accepting his excuse Eude threatened him with his rifle and told him if he did not go he would kill him, and made a gesture as if to execute his threat by pointing the rifle at him; that he submitted to force and placed himself under the orders of Eude, with whom he went to the shore and entered the canoe in which they carried Mrs. Renton prisoner; explaining the meaning of the word or term prisoner, witness said that he considered her as such, as at the shore she had resisted getting into the boat, and that Fernando, Sandham, Kittel, Johnson, and Yuth (Edgar) told her that if she did not embark they would kill her, and that Johnson and McCoy seized and placed her and her little daughter in the canoe by force; that Mr. Yuth (Edgar) acted as captain and chief of the trip, forcibly carrying along Damaso, Williams, Finglas, and the witness as sailors; that in this manner they crossed the lake and disembarked at Mocovila, from where they were conducted along the shore of the lake to Caurquira, a place beyond Caratasca; that at this point Mrs. Renton, the little girl, and Alfonso Lacayo (who, having been the personal servant of Renton, had been taken along as prisoner) were delivered to the sambos Guave and John Escoban; that from Caurquira they returned to Brewers Lagoon; that upon their arrival there they did not find Renton; that shortly afterwards his fellow-countrymen (sambos) told him that the men who remained—Kittel, Sandham, Fernando, Isert, and Johnson—had been guarding Renton until late in the night, and that by dawn of the following day all had disappeared, and that they (his fellow-countrymen) supposed they had killed Renton, because the latter was unable to escape on account of being badly wounded, and could not move himself without assistance; that when he arrived at Caratasca Renton’s house had already been burned and only the last remnants of the pillars were [Page 925] smoking; that before his trip to Caratasca he left Renton enjoying the best of health and occupying his own house in Brewers Lagoon; that the house was of wood, in very good condition, about 10 varas long and 5 wide, with glass windows, and having inside the following furniture: One good wooden bed, four zinc-lined trunks, one rocking and two common chairs, a great deal of crockery, deerskins, and many cattle hides, many carpenter’s tools, a grindstone, and some other house furniture, a Winchester rifle, a double-barreled shotgun, and a revolver, which he had been told had been afterwards found in the possession of Kittel and Fernando; that he also had a small flock of chickens, some of which he afterwards saw in the possession of (Yuth) Edgar’s mother-in-law; that a short time before Renton’s death he knew a small number of Renton’s cattle and two mules, which latter he has since seen roaming wild; that as regards the cattle, he was told by his fellow-sambos that several had been slaughtered by the men of El Cayo; that he knew nothing more.
The witness was read his testimony through his interpreter. He declared it in order, and confirmed, but did not sign it, not knowing how. He added that the Englishmen, referring to the assassins of Renton, had told him as well as the other sambos who had witnessed the deeds that if they testified against them before the authorities or anyone else that they would kill them.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
Gregorio Torres.
Leonardo Irias.
E. S. Rodriguez.
Following the above witnesses came the sambo woman Loris, of more than 40 years of age, single, servant, born in Cropunta, and residing in Brewers Lagoon, in this municipal district, was sworn and advised of the penalties of perjury, was examined through her interpreter, Don Gregario Torres, who was also sworn and advised of the penalties of perjury, and said: That in the last year she was working on the island known by the name of “the other side of the lake,” when her son Finglas passed, carrying some clothes, and at that time told her that Kittel, Fernando, Isert, Yuth (Edgar), and Johnson had killed Mr. Renton and that Mr. Yuth (Edgar) carried Mrs. Renton to Caratasca; that several days after she returned to her house at Brewers Lagoon, but did not meet Renton, his wife, nor any of those whom she had been told were the assassins of Renton; that Renton’s house had already been burned; that this house was lined with boards, with floor and roof of the same material, glass windows, and a corridor and kitchen of wood; that she was acquainted with the following objects in the interior of the house: Four zinc-lined trunks, two large and two small, one large wooden bed of good qualify, three rocking and one common chair, many carpenter’s tools, because Renton was a carpenter, one grindstone, one rifle, one double-barreled shotgun, one revolver, and other house furniture, piles of deerskins and cattle hides; that he also had a small flock of chickens, which she saw in the possession of Yuth (Edgar), and of which he gave some to the daughter of the witness, who now has them; that, furthermore, shortly before the death of Renton she knew that he had a great many cattle, as he had “rounded them up” near her house, but since that event she had not seen any of them, and learned from her fellow-sambos that the men of El Cayo had slaughtered several; that she also knew Renton’s two mules, and that she saw them for some time in the service of Johnson, but that she had since seen them roaming loose; that she knows nothing else.
The witness was read her testimony through her interpreter: verified but did not sign it, not knowing how.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
Gregorio Torres.
E. S. Rodriguez.
L. Irias.
The same appeared in this office, the sambo Valeroso, of legal age, unmarried, a workingman, a native and resident of Brewers Lagoon, in this municipal district, was sworn and advised of the penalties of perjury, was examined through his interpreter, Don Gregorio Torres, who was also sworn and reminded of the penalties of perjury, and said: That his brother Finglas told him that Mr. Sandham, Fernando, and Edgar Eude, Kittel, Isert, and Mr. Dawe had last year killed Mr. Renton; that he also told him that Yuth (Edgar) had carried Mrs. Renton to Caratasca; that he knew Mrs. Renton’s house in Brewers Lagoon; that it was entirely made of wood, roof and floor of the same, glass windows; that it was about 10 varas long by 5 wide, with a wooden corridor and kitchen; that it contained various furniture and the following: Four zinc trunks, two large and two small, one large wooden bed of good quality, three good cane chairs and one ruined cane chair, one rocking-chair, two [Page 926] Winchester rifles, one revolver, a great many carpenter’s tools, and one grindstone; that he had a small flock of chickens, of which Mr. Edgar gave several to the witness’s sister Quicbel; Mr. Renton also had deer and cattle hides; that he also knew many cattle belonging to Renton, of which he saw Mr. Dawe slaughter several after the death of their owner; that the mules which belonged to Mr. Renton are roaming wild; that this is all he knows.
The witness was read his testimony through his interpreter; said it was correct, and verified, but did not sign it, not knowing how.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
E. S. Rodriguez.
L. Irias.
The 6th of the same month appeared in this office the sambo woman Sucrica Mayren, of legal age, unmarried, a servant, a native and resident of Brewers Lagoon in this municipal district, was sworn and advised of the penalties of perjury, was examined through her interpreter, Dario Gonzales, who was named for that purpose, as witness does not speak the Spanish language, and said: That it was now one year and two or three months that one morning just as the sun was rising she saw from the door of her house Kittel, Fernando Isert, Yuth (Edgar), Sandham, and Johnson leave the house of the latter and go toward the house of Renton; all placed themselves at the foot of a mango tree near Renton’s; that she heard them call out in loud voices, “Oh, Renton! Renton! Oh, Renton!” that at this call Renton came out, and all immediately fired at him with their rifles (as all of them carried rifles); that the witness, filled with fear, then retired and did not see what followed these first shots; that following this she saw these same people conducting Mrs. and Mr. Renton, the latter walking unassisted, to the house of Isis Cruz, where Renton was laid down upon a bed, and Fernando, Kittel, Isert, and Johnson, rifles in hand, remained in the door of the same house until after sunset; that at this hour the witness, being afraid of these armed people, left for another nearby village; that being away she did not know what they afterwards did with Renton; that during the day Mrs. Renton went to the witness’s mother’s house to show them the wound she received and which she (the witness) saw in the back part of one hand; that about the time for the angelus, Mr. Yuth (Edgar) took Mrs. Renton to his canoe, that Yuth, a little girl of Mrs. Renton’s, and Alfonso Lacayo also embarked, carrying by force as sailors (paddlers), Finglas, Damaso, Williams, and Roberto; that she does not know who set fire to Renton’s house, but that she saw Fernando, Kittel, Sandham, Isert, and Johnson there when it was burning; that the house was built entirely of wood, roof and floor also of wood, glass windows; that the house was about 10 varas long and 5 wide, of but one story; the kitchen was also wood; that Renton had inside among other furniture the following: One good wood bed, four chairs, one rocker, and three common cane, four zinc-lined trunks, two large and two small, a lot of crockery, many carpenter’s tools, and one grindstone, two rifles and two revolvers, deer and cattle hides; that he also had a small flock of chickens, a lot of cattle and two mules; that of all this she has only seen since the death of Renton the mules roaming loose in the woods.
The witness was read her testimony through her interpreter, said it was correct, verified but did not sign it, not knowing how.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
Trinidad O. Bustillo.
E. A. Rodriguez.
In Brewers Lagoon, the 10th of the present month of June, appeared Sebastian Montecino, 28 years of age, single, a laborer, a native of Marcala, and a resident of this district, was sworn and advised of the penalties of perjury, was examined as to his knowledge of the present case, and said: That on the 16th day of March he, together with Macario, Mercado Sencion Jiminez, Francisco Arrollo, and Mercedes Castillo, was coming in a boat on the Patuck River from Awataba, and arrived near the house of Renton, but as they were about to disembark a man, who seemed to be an Englishman, covered them with a rifle and commanded them to halt, and ordered one of thern to come ashore, so Sencion Jiminez went ashore to talk to him; this latter at once ordered him to return the little boat in which he came ashore, but that Jiminez did not do so, and returned to the boat without being detained; the witness and his companions then made a circuit to land at the southwest end of the lake; they were preparing their dinner, when they saw a column of smoke arising in the direction of Renton’s house; they immediately reembarked to go to the assistance or to ascertain the cause of the fire, but upon rounding the point near the village of Brewers Lagoon they saw several men walking along the shores of the lake at about the point from where the witness and his companions came, and then they (the witness and his companions) returned toward the Patuck River. He added that the day before he had been in Renton’s house and saw that he had on old American, Mrs. Renton, and the [Page 927] little girl as companions; that at the same time he also saw in the house a sewing machine that he had known before and many deer and cattle hides; that this is all he knows.
The witness was read his testimony, said it was correct, and confirmed, but did not sign it, not knowing how.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
Leonardo Irias.
Carlos Cerna B.
At 3 o’clock in the morning of the 13th of June present appeared a man, and who was not compelled to make oath, but warned that he should tell the truth in the declaration they were going to take, and having offered to do so, they inquired his name and other particulars, and he answered: J. Grosvenor Dawe, 33 years of age, married, a merchant by profession, a native and resident of London, England.
Questioned if he knew the man who, at about 6 or 7 o’clock of the morning of the 16th of March of last year, accompanied Isert, Kittel, Sandham, Johnson, Fernando, and Edgar Eude, and from the foot of a mango tree, and upon the appearance of the latter in the door of his house in the village of Brewers Lagoon fired simultaneously at him with the rifles they carried, he answered that he did not know.
Questioned if he knew Mr. Charles W. Renton, if he knew that he had been killed by rifle shots fired by some persons, he said that he knew and dealt with Renton, and whom he saw for the last time March 15 of the last year, upon which date Renton fired two shots at him from his rifle, which he answered with two shots from his revolver, but that neither one were hurt; that after this he returned to another village near Brewers Lagoon, where, being sick, he remained in bed; that on the morning of the following day he returned to El Cayo, accompanied by Mr. J. V. Johnstone, who seemed to him to be wounded in the left leg.
Questioned if he knew who wounded Mr. J. V. Johnstone, or if he could explain the cause of his wound, he answered, that by himself personally he knew nothing, but that on the road to El Cayo Mr. J. V. Johnstone, of the United States of America, told him that he had been wounded the day before (March 15,1895) in a conflict which he, Kittel, P. Johnson, and Fernando Eude had had with Mr. Charles W. Renton, but did not know which one of the four had wounded him; that after he had assisted and completely cured him of his wound he sent him to his house in Tocamacho Lake; that he afterwards thought he had sunk in the Lake of Tocomacho.
Questioned if he knew that Mr. Renton and his wife had disappeared the 16th day of March of last year; explaining the cause of the disappearance, he said that he had learned from different persons that Renton escaped, without knowing the direction he had taken, and that Mrs. Renton had gone to the Cape Gracias a Dios, Republic of Nicaragua.
Questioned if he knew or supposed who had set fire to the wooden house Mr. Renton had in the village of Brewers Lagoon, responded that he did not, but that it had been purposely set afire, but did not know by whom.
Questioned if he knew who carried, and by whose order, to the residence of El Cayo some deer and cattle hides belonging to Mr. Charles W. Renton, also a grindstone, some carpenter’s tools, a considerable quantity of shingles and sawed boards, and replied that none of the articles mentioned had been taken to El Cayo with the knowledge of the witness.
Questioned by whom and by whose order were the cattle belonging to Mr. Charles W. Renton slaughtered and the meat taken to El Cayo, he answered that they had slaughtered none of Renton’s cattle, nor had they taken them to El Cayo; that he knew five of Mr. Renton’s cattle, of which four were in Ocotal, and that the others had been given to Nicomedes Pineda, he being acting superintendent of Iriona; that he thought Renton had sold all his cattle except the five he had mentioned, and that he thought they consisted of one thoroughbred American bull and three or four native cows.
Questioned if he knew that Mr. Renton had been wounded on March 16, 1894, and by whom the wound or wounds were caused, and responded that he had heard said that Renton was wounded, but did not know by whom.
The examination was here suspended, to continue it later if necessary.
The witness was read what he had said, confirmed it, and was signed by
Hermenejildo Munguia.
J. Grosvenor Dawe.
Carlos Cerna B.
Leonardo Irias.
Upon the same date appeared Macario Mercado, 36 years of age, married, farmer, a native and resident of Juticalpa, and having been sworn and advised of the penalties of perjury, said: That on the 15th day of March of last year he went to the house of Mr. Charles W. Renton to leave him his rifle and to execute a commission; that [Page 928] leaving there he went to El Cayo, from where he returned the same day; that on account of the had weather he and his companions—Ascencion Jiminez, Sebastian Montecino, Francisco Arrollo, and Mercedes Castillo—passed the night at the mouth of the Sigre; that early in the morning of the following day Ascencion Jiminez heard some shots in the direction of the village they had left the day before. This incident worried them somewhat, as they thought that it might be Dr. Tamaya, who had occupied the village. For this reason they made their embarkation a little distance in the lake to observe at long range what had occurred. As they were drawing nearer the shore they saw two men, one of them Kittel, walking along the shore in the direction of the road, each carrying a firearm like a rifle. As they drew nearer the village a tall man, white, with an acquiline nose and a red beard, came close to the shore of the lake and pointed his rifle at him and his companions, at the same time demanding in a loud and rough voice that they should halt, and at the same time ordering that one of them should come ashore. Jiminez lowered himself into the water to go and talk with him, but, having gone a few steps, the same man ordered him to return to his boat and ordered them to go away. Jiminez begged him to allow him to go ashore, as he had to leave a message with Mr. Kenton; that then Mr. Alfonso Lacayo, who was near by, told him that they had gone and that he was prisoner. The witness and his companions then made for the point at the northeast end of the lake, from where they saw, at about 11 or 12 o’clock, an immense column of smoke from the direction of Renton’s house, and shortly afterwards saw a boat leave there and head for El Cayo. Thinking that all danger was past, they returned, not without precautions, to the village for the purpose of getting the rifle the witness had left for safe-keeping in Renton’s house, but that as they drew near to the shore Alfonso Lacayo spoke to them from out of a clump of tick and asked them why they were returning, as he had seen various persons set fire to the house from different directions. Finally they arrived at the shore where Lacayo had hidden himself, and he told them that Mrs. Renton was wounded in one hand and that Mr. Renton was dying from another wound produced by the men of El Cayo, and that he was a prisoner; that the witness and his other companions invited him to go with them, but he excused himself, saying that they had offered him 200 pesos to go with Mrs. Renton, and that they should go immediately or they might kill them. The last words were pronounced while he was fleeing precipitately toward the village. That Mr. Renton’s house was built entirely of wood, even to the roof and floor, and glass windows, about 10 varas long and 5 wide; that he knew in the interior a sewing machine, many deer and cattle hides, two rifles, one .44 and the other .38, one double-barrel breech-loading shotgun, and one revolver, caliber .44, a small store of dry goods, one sack of flour containing 100 pounds, one iron stove, and a lot of household furniture; that of the animals he only knew one milch cow, two mules—one buckskin and one gray—and two dogs; that several days after the disappearance of Mr. Renton and the burning of the house he found the rifle he had left with Mr. Renton in the possession of Kittel, from whom he took it almost by force. He added that of the persons he saw set fire he knew Kittel and the man who had ordered them to stop.
The witness was then read his testimony, declared it to be correct, affirmed and signed it.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
Macario Mercado.
L. Irias.
Carlos Cerna.
Following above witness appeared the sambo woman Cuca, of more than 60 years of age, single, a servant, a native, and a resident of Brewers Lagoon, jurisdiction of Iriona; was sworn in accordance with her belief and advised of the penalties of perjury; was examined through her interpreter, Don Gregario Torres, and said: That she had arisen very early one morning of the year just passed to take a little canoe she had a little higher up the lake, and that upon her return to her house she heard a discharge of riflery, followed by another; that these shots were fired by Mr. J. Grosvenor Dawe, Kittel, P. Johnson, Fernando, Sandham, Edgar Eude, and Isert from the foot of a mango tree in front of the house recently constructed by Don Pascual Ordonez against that of Charles W. Renton, and that after the last discharge the same seven individuals went to the house of Mr. Renton, from whence they brought as prisoners Mr. Renton, Mrs. Renton, Alfonso Lacayo, an old Englishman or American, and a little girl of Mrs. Renton’s; that of these five prisoners, Mr. and Mrs. Renton were wounded, the first on the side of the left nipple, and the second in the back part of the left hand; that Renton, his wife, the little girl, and Lacayo were taken to the house of Isis Cruz; Kittel, Sandham, Fernando, and Johnson, with their rifles, remaining in the door as guards, and Mr. Dawe, Mr. Isert, and Eude entering with the prisoners; that somewhere about 11 or 12 o’clock noon Mr. Dawe and Isert went to El Cayo, taking with them the old man above mentioned, and that the rest stayed at their post; that about 6 o’clock in the afternoon Edgar Eude took Mrs. Renton, [Page 929] the little girl, and Alfonso Lacayo to embark them, and taking as sailors the sambos Finglas, Damaso, Roberto, and Williams; that ail these embarked in the direction of Patuck; that Mrs. Renton having been embarked by force and Mr. Renton remaining in the custody of Fernando, Kittel, Sandham, and Johnson, made her very much afraid, and she took a small canoe and went to the other village of Brewers Lagoon; that for this reason she did not know what ultimately became of Mr. Renton; that she knew from her nephew, Finglas, that the party with Mrs. Renton had arrived at Patuck about 2 o’clock in the morning; that as she had locked herself in her house she only witnessed what she had already stated; that through the cracks of her house she could only see the smoke rising from all parts of Renton’s house, and that she did not see the person who started the fire; that among other furniture in Renton’s house she knew the following: one sewing machine, one iron stove, four zinc-lined trunks, which were brought and placed in the house of Isis Cruz, one rocker, two common cane and one small chair, many deer and cattle hides, a lot of crockery, many carpenters’ tools, and one grindstone, which she afterwards saw in Kittel’s house; that at that time she also knew some cattle, but did not know how many, also a small flock of chickens, which she has since seen in the possession of Eude’s mother-in-law; that she also saw about 200 pounds of rubber.
The witness was read her testimony, through her interpreter, and having said it was correct, verified, but did not sign it, not knowing how.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
Gregorio Torres.
L. Irias.
Carlos Cerna B.
The 15th of the same month Arthur Isert, who has been detained in jail, was brought before the court, and without being compelled to make oath was cautioned to tell the truth in the statement about to be taken, and having offered to do so was asked for his name and other particulars. He answered that his name was Arthur Isert, 45 years of age, married, a civil engineer, a native of Pittsburg, Pa., United States of America; a resident or San Francisco, CaL, and a legitimate son of Henry and Caroline Isert.
Questioned if he knew or presumed the cause of his imprisonment, he answered, because he had been accused of being a participant in the death of Mr. Charles W. Renton.
Questioned as to his whereabouts on the 16th day of March of last year from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., what he was doing, and in whose company, he replied that one day in March, 1894, he was in El Cayo, the residence of the agents and principal manager of the Brewers Lagoon Wood and Produce Company, when he received a letter from Mr. T. G. Dawe, addressed to Mr. Edgar Eude, in which he asked for the assistance of Eude and the witness against Mr. Charles W. Renton, because this latter had “fired shots” at him (Dawe); that immediately upon receipt of this letter Mr. Eude, the witness, and Mr. Sandham went to Brewers Lagoon, where they met Mr. Dawe; that arriving at the village of Brewers Lagoon they found Mr. Charles W. Renton lying down upon a bed in the house of a sambo and that Mr. Renton told him he was badly wounded, but that he could walk, as he saw him walking inside the house a short time after; that in the same house he also found an American named Johnson, a companion of Renton, with a wound that penetrated a little below the skin of one thigh; that they met Kittel and Eude in the door unarmed; that he was there among these men until about 5 o’clock in the afternoon, when he went to El Cayo with Mr. Sandham, Mr. Dawe having already gone there with the wounded man Johnson; having arrived at El Cayo, he did not again leave.
Questioned if he knew who wounded Renton, to where Renton had gone, and where he could be found, he answered that he did not know who wounded Renton, nor did he know where he could be found.
The examination was here continued (suspended), to be taken up later on if necessary. The testimony was read to witness, who said it was correct. It was approved and signed.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
Arthur Isert.
L. Irias.
E. S. Rodriguez.
On the 16th of the same month the prisoner Arthur Isert was made to appear for the purpose of amplifying, without being sworn, the “declaration of inquiry” already taken; and having offered to tell the truth regarding all that might be asked him, was questioned in the following order:
Questioned if he knew who was the man who, about 6 a.m., March 16, 1894, accompanied Mr. J. G. Dawe, Kittel, P. Johnson, Sandham, Edgar and Fernando Eude, [Page 930] and standing all together at the foot of a mango tree in front of the house of Mr. Charles W. Renton, called him with these words: “Oh, Renton; oh, Renton, Renton,” and when he came out of his house in response to this call fired altogether at him from the rifles they carried, he answered that he did not; that when he arrived at Brewers Lagoon he found Mr. Renton already lying upon a cot in the house of a sambo; that Mr. Renton told him he was wounded, and that he saw him with his right hand upon his right side, below the false ribs; but that he did not seethe wound, nor any blood, and did not suppose the wound to be serious, as shortly afterwards saw him walking up and down inside the house.
Questioned if he knew who was the man who, accompanied by Kittel and others of the persons named in the preceding question, and between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., set fire to the wooden house which Mr. Charles W. Renton had in Brewers Lagoon, and if he knew who had taken the movables and furniture from it, he responded that Mr. Fernando Eude, after having bought from Mrs. Renton for a sum of money the house and furniture which belonged to Mr. Renton, resolved to burn it, but after having taken from it enough hides (cattle) to pay 800 pesos which Mr. Renton owed the company for the lumber in the house, that these hides were deposited in the house of a sambo, from where they were sent to the consignation of Mr. Renton’s creditor in Port Burchard, the receipt of which consignment Mr. Dawe has in his possession; that he thought that Fernando alone set fire to the house, as the rest were all far away from there.
Questioned if he knew the man who, as Macario Mercado, Sebastian Monetcino, Sencion Jiminez, Francisco Arrollo, and Mercedes Castillo were approaching the shore of the lake in a canoe, with rifle in hand pointed at them and, seemingly disposed to shoot, ordered them to stop, prohibited their landing, and ordered them to turn back, he replied that he was at the village of Brewers Lagoon arranging the embarkation of the wounded American, John Johnson, for El Cayo when he saw a canoe containing several persons whom he thought were sambos coming through the mouth of El Sigre, but that he did not know whether they landed or not, although Kittel told him he had his fears that they were the same people that came from Caratasca and called Renton to their aid to take possession of El Cayo.
Questioned if he knew where she went or what road Mrs. Renton took the same 16th of last year, who conducted her, whether voluntarily or by force, whether he had seen her since that date, and what was the reason of her sudden departure, he explained that after Mr. Renton had been wounded Mrs. Renton proposed to Kittel, Sandham, Eude (Fernando), and the witness if one of them wanted to live with her, but each one after the other excused himself; that after being thus repulsed she expressed her desire to leave Brewers Lagoon and abandon Renton, as she said he was the cause of that unfortunate incident, because he proposed to take El Cayo by assault and to finish all living there, which she learned by a letter from Caratasca, addressed to Renton and brought by a sambo, which accidentally fell into her hands, in which it said that within two days they should make the assault; that having voluntarily decided to leave Brewers Lagoon, they asked her to name the person who should accompany her, and she chose Edgar Eude, who, with sambo sailors, took charge of the conduction of her and a little girl; that they left in the direction of the cape about 6 p.m.; that three or four days afterwards he saw her at the mouth of the Tabacounta River, that being the last time he saw her.
Questioned if he knew who wounded John Johnson, upon what date, in what part of the body, where he was assisted, if he was cured of this wound, or what was its result, he replied that Mr. Johnson was wounded the same day as Mr. Renton, 16th of March, 1894; that he did not know who wounded him, nor did he know the wounded man; that, as he said before, Mr. Johnson was taken to El Cayo, where he was given the greatest care, and the wound he had in the right leg was cicatrized; that the wound was produced by a rifle ball entering the fleshy part of the thigh without damaging the bone, and was received at the moment that, with knee bent, he was aiming his rifle to fire at Mr. Dawe, in defense of Mr. Renton; that, having been cured of this wound, he went to a house he had at Clama, Tocomacho, where he was drowned sometime afterwards, as he (the witness) had been informed by the neighbors.
Questioned if he knew to where Mr. Renton went, or if he had been seen since the 16th of March, 1894, or if he knew his present whereabouts, he answered that after 6 p.m. and the departure of Mrs. Renton, Kittel, Fernando, Sandham, and the witness each went to their respective residences, and that a Creole negro whose name he does not know remained caring for Mr. Renton.
At this point the declaration was suspended, to be continued later on if necessary, confirmed, and signed.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
Arthur Isert.
Trinidad O. Bustillo.
L. Irias.
[Page 931]Court of the Peace,
Iriona, June 21, 1895.
Communicate with the municipal secretary of this port that he may certify to the entry of the death of Mr. Charles W. Renton, or that the entry is not found in the register, aud name Col. J. Luis Ret man and Col. J, Vertin Canales as experts of the wounds suffered by Mr. Charles W. Renton and John Johnson, and to whom shall he submitted the testimony, that they may form judgment and render their opinion. Notify them.
Hermenejildo Munguia,
L. Irias.
E. S. Rodriguez.
Upon the same date the Cols. Luis Refsman and Vertin Canales were notified of the foregoing decree and said they accepted and signed.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
J. Luis Refsman.
Trinidad O. Bustillo.
L. Irias.
On the 22d of the same month Col. Luis Refsman, —— years of age, unmarried, a merchant, and resident of this department, and Vertin Canales, 35 years of age, unmarried, a pharmacist, and resident of Tegucigalpa, were duly sworn according to law, and advised of the penalties of perjury, and of common accord said: That, in view of the declarations that appear in the present testimony on folios 6 back, 19 and 21 front, 3, 19, and 25 back, 14 front, and 16 and 22 back, and considering the location and the weapon used, they consider the wound of Mr. Charles W. Renton serious, but are not able to calculate if it would cause death, nor in how many days he could recover from it; as regards the wound of Mr. John Johnson, they do not think it serious, and that it could be cured in thirty days, leaving a scar; and that the wound of Mrs. Renton they considered trivial and curable in eight or ten days; adding that, as far as they were able to state in this respect, in case the wound had not been fatal, they should, with medical assistance, have been able to cure it in sixty days. The declaration having been repeated, was confirmed and signed.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
J. Luis Refsman.
Vertin Canales.
Trinidad O. Bustillo.
L. Irias.
Juzgado (Court) of the Peace, Iriona, June 22, 1895.
In virtue of these proceedings and in conformity with article 33 of the constitution and article 910, Code of Procedures, the formal commitment is ordered of Arthur Isert, J. Grosvenor Dawe, A. F. Sandham, J. J. Kittel, Philip Johnson, and Fernando and Edgar Eude (Yuth) for the crime of murder against the person of Mr. Charles W. Renton, the crime of burning the house of this latter, the crime of wounding John Johnson; and against all of the above mentioned, with the exception of Mr. Dawe, for the crime of illegel detention and forcible abduction of Mrs. Renton from this territory to that of Nicaragua.
Send this cause (authority) and the prisoners Arthur Isert and J. Grosvenor Dawe to the judge of the department of Colon; and as regards Kittel, Sandham, Johnson, and Fernando and Edgar Eude, the corresponding orders shall be issued for their capture to the authorities of the departments in which they may be found.
Notify and issue the order to the commander of the garrison for their custody.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
L. Irias.
E. S. Rodriguez.
Upon the same day J. Grosvenor Dawe was notified of the preceding decree, and said that he understood that he was not culpable, and that he had nothing to say, and signed.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
J. Grosvenor Dawe.
E. S. Rodriguez.
Upon the same date an equal notification of the same decree was made to Arthur Isert, who said that he had nothing to say, and signed.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
Arthur Isert.
E. S. Rodriguez,
Court of the Peace,
Hermenejildo Munguia, Acting Judge of the Peace of Iriona.
To you, Mr. Secretary of this town, I make known that in the examination instituted to investigate the assassination of Mr. Charles W. Renton and to learn its authors a decree has been emitted which literally reads:
“Communicate with the municipal secretary, that he may certify to the entry of the death of Mr. Charles W. Renton, or that the entry is not found in the register; and name Col. J. Luis Refsman and Col. J. Vertin Canales as expjerts of the wounds suffered by Mr. Charles W. Renton and John Johnson, and to whom the testimony shall be submitted that they may form judgment and render their opinion. Notify them.
“Hermenejildo Munguia.
“L. Irias.
“E. S. Rodriguez.”
And that you may comply with said decree, I send you the present in the port of Iriona the 21st day of June, 1895.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
L. Irias.
E. S. Rodriguez.
[There is a seal attached, which says: “Court of the peace of Iriona, Mosquito Territory.”]
Office of the Municipal Secretary
of the District of Iriona,
Port
Burchard, June 21, 1895.
In compliance with the foregoing decree of the judge of the peace I certify that in the book of civil register under my charge, and corresponding to this year and the year last passed, that the death of Mr. Charles W. Renton does not appear; therefore I do not subscribe it, as cautioned, and return the dispatch to the court from whence it came.
J. Paiva.
[There is a seal attached, which says: “Municipal Mayoralty, Iriona, OK.”]
In Brewers Lagoon, at 3 minutes past 3 p.m., June 13, 1895,1 went to the ruins of the house of Mr. Charles W. Renton, according to the information furnished by the residents of that village, and recognized an oblong square of burnt ruins which marks the area which the house occupied, the frame of the house consisting of 10 varas in length by 5½ in width, and finding close to this the space occupied by the kitchen and in its center the fragments of an iron stove; in the frame of the house, the melted fragments of a sewing machine, and scattered all over it various melted pieces of the windows and iron. The ruins of a barbed wire fence which surrounded the house also exist, some of the posts charred and others in complete ruins, and the wire on the ground completely rusted. I likewise recognized a pasture of 4,500 varas, which started from the fence which encircled the house, a greater part of its fence being of barbed wire with wooden posts, and several miles of natural fence given by the two rivers, Negro and Sigre, and a deep swamp; noticing that the wire fence had fallen and nearly all broken from its posts; that it was completely rusted and in places broken by the rust and the trees that had fallen upon it. In the same manner I counted 1,020 cocoanut trees, about to bear, of different sizes, and surrounded by weeds which prevent their proper growth and vegetation. This cocoanut grove is located at a point called Bacanovila, between the sea and the lake; there are also other cocoanut groves, one with 300 trees in Kentamoila, and the other with 500 trees at the right of the mouth of Brewers Lagoon; all were found in a bad state of clearing (choked by weeds, etc.), and of different sizes.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
Carlos Cerna.
L. Irias.
Court of the Peace of
Irias,
Brewers Lagoon, June 13,
1895.
For the recognition and valuation of the goods mentioned in the preceding investigation, Gregario Torres and William Webb are named as appraisers, to whom this shall be made known for their acceptance and other effects.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
Carlos Cerna B.
L. Irias.
[Page 933]Upon the same date Gregorio Torres and William Webb were notified of the preceding decree, and said they accepted, and signed.
Munguia.
Gregorio Torres.
William Webb.
Carlos Cerna B.
L. Irias.
Following this the appraisers, Gregorio Torres and William Webb, the first 29 years of age, unmarried, a carpenter, a native of Manto, department of Olancho, and a resident of this place, and the second 40 years of age, married, a carpenter, a native of the Cape Gracias a Dios, Republic of Nicaragua, and a resident of this place, were sworn and advised of the penalties of perjury, and said of common accord: That, although the house built by Mr. Charles w. Renton in the village of Brewers Lagoon does not now exist, but only the charred remains, from their knowledge of it they valued it at $1,700; the pasture, partly fenced by wire fastened to wooden posts by staples, and partly by natural fence, they would estimate as if it had been in the same condition as it had been a short time before the death of Mr. Renton, or at $2,000; the cocoanut groves in different places, amounting to 1,820 trees of different sizes and in a bad state of clearing, at $1,300; 2 saddle mules of good size and service, branded with these letters, at $100 each; 1 iron stove, which was found in melted fragments, at $32; 1 sewing machine, also in melted fragments, at $25; 4 zinc-lined trunks, 2 large and 2 small, at $12 the small pair, and $20 the large pair; 4 chairs, 1 rocker at $4, 2 common cane at $3 each, and 1 common cane in poor condition at $2; 2 Winchester rifles, at $40 each; 1 double-barrel shotgun, at $22; 1 revolver, at $40; 1 large grindstone, in good condition, at $8; 3 dogs, 2 male and 1 female, at $20 all 3; taking all these articles together, in the sum of $5,471.
The declaration was reread; they said it was correct, confirmed it, and signed it.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
Gregorio Torres.
William Webb.
Carlos Cerna B.
L. Irias.
I know two mules, one gray and the other black, branded with these letters, respectively, ——, belonging to Mr. Charles W. Renton; six hens and two roosters, which, according to the trustworthy information of the residents of the village, also belonged to the same gentleman. These animals are in the possession of Gregario Torres, who received them in trust according to law, and subject to the order of the court. The three cocoanut groves, located, the one in Baconovila, between the sea and the lake, another in Kentamoila, and the third at the mouth of Brewers Lagoon, also remain under the care and vigilance of Gregorio Torres.
No one being able to live in this place, and it being very difficult and a matter of much time to gather together the cattle which belonged to Mr. Renton, this operation shall be in charge of Don Victoriano Mencloza, the subcommander, to immediately proceed with the seizure and deposit, making known that the greater part of these cattle have degenerated from their domestic to a wild state.
Signed by the receiver.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
Gregorio Torres.
Carlos Cerna B.
L. Irias.
Corrected, making it complete.
Stephen.
In conformity.
Iriona, July 5, 1895.
Hermenejildo Munguia.
E. S. Rodriguez.
V. Mendoza.
In conformity.
Subsecretary of Foreign Relations.
[A seal is here affixed which reads, “Ministry of foreign relations of the Republic of Honduras.”]