Mr. Day to Mr. Hengelmüller.
Washington, January 31, 1898.
Sir: Referring to the correspondence heretofore had with you in regard to the killing and wounding of certain Austro-Hungarian subjects at Lattimer, Pa., on the 10th of last September, I have now the honor to inform you that under the direction of the Attorney-General, [Page 81] Mr. Henry M. Hoyt, Assistant Attorney-General of the United States, has been sent to Wilkesbarre, Pa., to attend the trial of Sheriff Martin and his deputies, which is set for next week. Mr. Hoyt has been instructed to make full report to the Department of the result of that hearing, as well as to furnish me with a statement of the facts as he shall gather them.
In this relation I may observe that, in your note No. 222 of the 24th instant, you seem, notwithstanding the explanation given in my note of January 8, to adhere to the misconception that the governor of Pennsylvania had declined to furnish this Department with the reports of the occurrence that were in his possession. As I had the honor to state in my aforesaid note of the 8th instant, I cheerfully deferred to the expression of the governor’s belief, which I fully shared, that the premature publicity of those reports pending the trial of the inculpated officers would be inexpedient. At no time did his excellency refuse or decline to put those papers in my hands for such use as I might deem proper. It seems appropriate to revert to this in order that our future consideration of the matter may not be colored by any inaccurate assumption as to the precedent circumstances.
Accept, etc.,