BarbarousMexico JOHN KENNETH TURNER

AMERICAN PERSECUTION OF ENEMIES OF I)lAz 273
was sought on charges of "murder and robbery" during
the space of a few months were Librado Rivera, Pedro
Gonzales, Crescencio Villarreal, Trinidad Garcia, Demetrio
Castro, Patricio Guerra, Antonio I. Villarreal, Lauro
Aguirre, Ricardo Flores Magon and Manuel Sarabia.
There were others, but I have not definite knowledge of
their cases. Some of the prosecutions occurred at St.
Louis, others at El Paso, Texas, others at Del Rio, Texas,
and others at Los Angeles, Cal.
An uprising of a Liberal club at Jimenez, Coahuila,
formed the basis of the charges in all but one or two of
the cases. During this uprising somebody was killed and
the government postoffice lost some money. Wherefore
every Mexican who could be convicted of membership in
the Liberal Party, although he might never have been in
Coahuila nor have ever heard of the rebellion, stood in
danger of extradition for "murder and robbery." The
United States government spent a good many thousands
of dollars in prosecuting these manifestly groundless
charges, but it is to the credit of certain Federal Judges
that the prosecutions were generally unsuccessful. Judge
Gray of St. Louis and Judge Maxey of Texas both characterized
the offenses as being of a political nature. The
text of the former's decision in the Rivera case follows:
The United States vs. Librado Rivera.
City of St. Louis, ss., State of Missouri.
I hereby certify that upon a public hearing had before me at
my office in said city on this 30th clay of November, 1906, the
defendant being present, it appearing from the proofs that the
offense complained of was entirely of a political nature, the
said defendant, Librado Rivera, was discharged.
Witness my hand and seal.
JAMES R. GRAY,
United States Commissioner at St. Louis, Mo.