Francisco-javier Leon to Rumsey Wing, August 19, 1873

Señor Leon to Mr. Wing.

The undersigned, minister for foreign affairs for Ecuador, has had the honor to receive and lay before His Excellency the President of the republic your excellency’s esteemed note of date 12th of the present month, in which your excellency informs the undersigned of the outrage that on two occasions has been committed by the disinterment of the body of Mr. W. C. Doval, an American citizen, who died in this city on the 16th of July last, and who was interred in the Protestant cemetery in this city; and also that the marble tombstone on the grave of Colonel Staunton was stolen from its pedestal.

The undersigned, previous to the reception of the indicated note of your excellency, was informed by Mr. Arthur A. Rogers of the particulars of this event, and, in virtue thereof, hastened to give the most stringent orders to the police authorities to inquire into the facts set forth.

In effect, these formalities having been completed, it appeared that no trace whatever existed of the mentioned crime of exhumation except the forcing of the lock of the door.

The undersigned, doubting the exactness of the assertion in this respect, and subsequent to the reception of the dispatch which he has now the honor to answer, ordered anew an examination of the facts, and the direction of the “procès-verbal,” an authentic copy of which your excellency will find inclosed.

As this throws no light upon the perpetrators of the grave crime now being investigated, the undersigned hopes that your excellency will be satisfied with the activity and zeal of the government in the elucidation of the affair, which, were it certain, the government would have deplored like your excellency—a scandalous act of profanation, committed in the heart of a republic essentially humane and respectable.

In addition, the undersigned assures your excellency that he has the impression that, up to the present time, no information has reached him of any act of this nature, when all possible means would have been used looking to the punishment of the guilty parties.

With assurances, &c.,