No. 750.
Mr. Bayard
to Mr. Connery.
Washington, November 9, 1887.
Sir: I have received your No. 255 of the 26th ultimo, in regard to the murder of Leon Baldwin.
Your course in not presenting the case to the Mexican Government until instructed to do so by this Department was proper. Cases may of course arise in which urgent circumstances might require a minister to apply to the Government to which he is accredited for some immediate action to prevent a wrong from being accomplished.
In the case of Mr. Baldwin, however, the question was simply one of asking reparation for injuries alleged already to have been done, and it was proper to await the instructions of the Department before presenting that claim.
In connection with this murder, I herewith inclose copies of two notes from Mr. Matias Romero, the minister of Mexico here, dated the 29th ultimo and 2d instant.* In the former it will be observed Mr. Romero states that his Government made prompt investigation of the matter and that the governor of Durango reports the killing by the inhabitants of all the assassins. The latter transmits an extract from the Diario del Hogar of Mexico City, under date of the 1st ultimo, containing a report as to the condition of affairs in Durango arising in consequence of the acts of the highwaymen under the lead of Eraclio Bernal. I purposely omit the printed extract referred to by Mr. Romero for the reason that the newspaper in which it appears is no doubt readily accessible to you.
I am, etc.,