Mr. Squiers to Mr. Hay.
Habana, November 7, 1903.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit to the Department copies of correspondencea this legation has had up to date with the foreign office and a leader of Americans at Puerto Principe (Camaguey), one Richard Hargrave, over the murder of an alleged American, E. A. Murray, while locked up at the police headquarters there for drunkenness and refusing to pay a cabman in whose coach it appears he had ridden for some hours on the day of his murder, October 18.
From all accounts it appears that this man Murray was locked up in the same cell as was a demented negro named Manuel Fuentes, and the judicial authorities at Camaguey have this man under prosecution as the murderer. It seems to be the belief among the Americans at Camaguey that Fuentes is not the real culprit, and that he has been made the scapegoat for some one else, possibly a Government officer. The Americans at Camaguey engaged the services of an attorney to assist in the prosecution of the case, but his participation was refused on the ground that Hargrave, the leader of the Americans, was not the legal representative of Murray. The ruling of the lower court was appealed against before the audencia of Camaguey, but I have no information that a hearing by that court has taken place.
Be the murderer who he may, it would appear that the police officers at Camaguey are guilty of criminal negligence in confining a drunken man in the same cell with a demented man, and that the Cuban Government coincides in this is evidenced by an order of the secretary of government here to the civil governor of Camaguey to start an investigation toward fixing upon that responsibility.
I have, etc.,
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