P . .\PEHS OF Mrn.rnE.\U Bcox.\P,\llTE LA.:1un
223
stakd b]efore his his [sic] death rthat Comrny] tlid not intend killing [him but tha·1t it was an accident aJHl jn [stificrl asl I Jiaye heard. I do not belieYe rthat he ha]tl the slightest intention of perp[etrat- iug] the rked, - however it is uot [my intcutioll] to _go into details, as y[ou projhahljy lrnlw heen a1hised by otflwrs] of the circum- stances of the ca,-;e :- neither am I going to ex1,use crime or a breach of the peace but call your attention - a,; the only repre,-;entatiYe here of our country, and the prisoner',;;, to the hclples,; po,;ition of the young man, whose case has beC'ome somewhat complil'ate1l hy a futile attempt on his part to c;;rapc, and unfortunately three of the crew of the Ameri- can bark .T. H. :\lorn are imolwd in hi:- attempt at ai<ling and abetting 'l'h(• .T. H. I }fora rearly] for sea aml h[m··jing lost by fewr thrl'e of lwr uwn an11" three more being .imprisoned with Comray, it will 1lclay the pro;;1'1·11ting of her Yoyagc; anrl if Justice will ad- mit of it, make a ~trong appeal to the supreme GoYernment to allow them to depart in the J. H. )[ora, and in the case of Conway, let me urge you tu giYc him not only the sympathies of a countryman, bnt also the material aid that your Con:-ular position demands of you towards ~·our countrymen: and I am [couvince]cl rthat] your ability to aet will e[xNt eonsi<lerabl]e influence, if not to cffe[ct his acquit]al> at least to ameliorlate his senltC'nce. I am wel[l aware] Sir, of our treaty obligations as [well as] the international requirement [s respeding the I soYereignty of inde- penclen[t 11atio11~, whieh] make it imperative [to re]cogn[ize su]ch others - 111u11icipal rC'gulation[s - a]ml no interferanee by force can for a rnome11t he a<lmitte<l, u11less flagra11t injustice demands it I ha,·e n•mained here !011ger than I otherwise should have done had you haYe be<'n here, and liav not interfered, although I have watched the case anxiously, as it is said americans are not held in high esti- mation by this people, and I have heard that the presence of the "Cyane" has had a beneficial influen [cc] As my stay can not be protracted [beyon] d th re timle necessary to receiYe [an answer to] this cornmunication, I trust you will be enabled to afford me assur- ances that the ca~es of Conway and the three men will be carefully looked after. l\Cr. Comnly I am told about t,rent:i' three years of age - a Lawyer by profe:-sion whose friends in California are influential all(l one of them wil I probably be its next Gorernor-. His thoug-htlessnrss and indiscrl'tiun has redueell him to the position of a criminal and from being ternlcrly rea[retl a]ml a[ccusto I med to the society [of Gentle- mJen he is srnldcnly brought [down to the lev l el of the robber and assass[iu. Sur]ely our sympathies should be [aroused] to action to save tho,;e who are [not skjeped in crime, arnl it becomes [your dn]ty and mine, as officers of [the govC'm]ment to assist our country[men in] the[ir tim]e of llC'ed, and as I must lea,e, let me engage your effectiYe aid in behalf of our unfortunate countryman who is ignorant of the language, as ,rcll as the laws of Costa Hica. I ham the honor to be Very Hespectfully Your Obdnt Servnt. signed Snml. Lockwood C'o1mler F S S Cyane
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