Morgan to Be it known that Howard C. Walker, the subscriber of the foregoing protest, now in jail, being sworn before me, the subscriber, according to law, on his oath saith that the above protest is true in every respect, as far as he knows the law, and is true to the facts, in his belief. Sworn to before me in jail, at Minatitlan . Witness my hand and seal of office this 1st day of March, 1884 . JOSEPH D. HOFF, United States, March 21, 1884

No. 249. Mr. Morgan to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

Sir: On the 13th instant I received a dispatch from Joseph D. Hoff, consular agent of the United States at Coatzacoalcos (the dispatch is without date), in which he informed me that H. C. Walker, a citizen of the United States, was under a false accusation of having stolen wood, in prison at Minatitlan, and had been confined since the 19th of March, 1883, without a trial and without any proofs of guilt having been brought forward against him.

Accompanying Mr. Hoff’s dispatch was the protest made by Mr. Walker before that officer, a copy of which I inclose.

On the same day I addressed a note to Señor Fernandez, in which I called his attention to the case, and asked for a speedy investigation thereof.

From his reply of the 17th instant you will observe that he has asked for information upon the subject from the governor of the state of Vera Cruz.

I am, &c.,

Consular Agent Hoff to Mr. Morgan.

There is an American citizen here by the name of H. C. Walker, who has been falsely accused of having stolen wood, and been a prisoner here since March 19, 1883, during which time he has never been brought to trial, nor has his accuser ever presented any proofs whatever against him.

He is at present in jail and seriously sick, and although two physicians here have examined him and given their certificates that his life is in imminent danger if longer detained in jail, and that it is impossible to cure him where he is confined, the judge here has refused to permit him to leave the jail to get cured, although he has been offered hail to any amount he required to present himself for trial whenever required by said judge to do so, and it appears that the judge keeps him in jail because of his personal enmity to said Walker, who has accused said judge to the superior court of this state of injustice.

Accompanying this, I send you a copy of Walker’s protest made before me.

Yours, truly,