Newspaper Page Text
I
ITEARST’S SUNDAY AMERICAN, ATLANTA, GA„ SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7,
ER
23 DIE-
SURVIVED POT TO DEATH
Rebel Suspected of Setting Explosive
Put on Stick of Dynamite and Torn
to Bits—Federals Suffer Crushing
Defeats Throughout the Republic.
Woman Mexico Refugee Here
+•+ +•+ +•+ +•+ +•+ +•+
Tells of Escape From War Zone
+ *|*i^ •!*••!• +•+
Huerta Once Husband’s Employee
Special Cable to The American.
MEXICO CITY, Der. 6.—Details of
terrible atrocities in connection with
,he blowing up of a Federal troop
train, with a loss of 123 lives, have
been bought here to-day.
Lieutenant Colonel Falcon dt> la
Pena commanding the train, suffered
a horrible death. His ears were cut
off his tongue torn out and his eyes
gouged out. Twenty women who es
caped death in the explosion were
slain. , . , , _
The rebels were later repulsed. The
rebel who was believed to have set olf
the dynamite which wrecked the train
was captured. He was placed on a
stick of dynamite and blown to atomc.
The destruction of the troop train is
only one of many reversals suffered by
1 the federals. according to reports here
to-day. Monterey 4s said to have
fallen'. Details are lacking, but It has
been known that the rebels were pre
paring for an attack.
Federals Crushed Attain.
Federal forces, according to anoth
er dispatch, have suffered a crushing
defeat and just escaped annihilation
north of Zacatecas, between Fresnillo
and Calera. The Federals have fallen
back on Calera, but aTe being hard
pushed.
Seven hundred rebels and federal
troops are fighting hand to hand In a
mountain pass near Yesea, territory
of Topic, One hundred on both sides
have been killed, according to reports
received here to-day. Rebel forces are
gathering to attack Aguas Calientes.
Eighty soldiers of a detachment
sent against them were killed.
The Banco Mercantile, leading
financial institution of Monterey, was
closed to-day. It had a capital of
12,500,000. The gold and securities of
the hank were sent to the United
States recently for safe keeping, as
its officers expect ail financial insti
tutions to he looted.
Banks here are refusing to accept
bills Issued by the Banoo Minero, of
Chihuahua, many of which are in
general circulation. It Is reported
that the bills of some other State
banks also will be refused after Mon
day.
Distrustful of Paper Money.
As a result persons are becoming
distrustful of all paper money except
that issued by the Banco Nacional
and the Banco JLondres y Mexico.
There are rumors that the Govern
ment has not sufficient funds to meet
the payments of department em
ployees on December 10. The regular
pay days are the 1st, 10th and 20th
of each month. The army also is
paid on these dates, so if the Govern
ment should default trouble is feared.
The Chamber of Deputies this aft
ernoon approved the bill granting a
concession to a Belgian syndicate for
the building of 6,000 kilometres of
railway in various parts of Mexico
to be decided upon from time to time.
The bill now goes to the Senate and
will probably he approved there.
Traffic has been suspended on the
National Railway lines between
Linares and Monterey and also be
tween the capital and Cuernavoca
because of fighting at Tres Marias,
in Morelos. The fighting began at
an early hour this morning and was
still progressing at last reports. The
rebels are reported to greatly out
number the federals, but were not so
well supplied with ammunition.
Rebels Invade South California.
Fighting is also reported at Parres,
Huitzilac and Cruz de Pierda, in
Morelos, and at Itlxco, In Puebla.
Constitutionalists have invaded
Lower California. A private dis
patch received here to-day said that
350 rebels, mostly Yaqul Indians,
armed with two Hotchkiss field guns,
crossed from Sonora to the east coast
of Lower California, where they
burned the town of Santa Gertrudis
and killed twenty-five civilians. They
started toward San Juan, but met 400
federals and in the fight which fol
lowed the Government forces were
routed with a loss of 110 killed and
fifty wounded.
Mexican Soldiers Who Cross
Border Are To Be Detained
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.—Mexican
Federal soldi«r» who cross the border
In flight after the pursuing forces of
General Villa will be held indefinitely
by the United States.
This is the new policy of the Ad
ministration announced to-day. It ig
expected that the entire Federal col
umn routed by Villa will come into
the United States.
Heretofore it has been the policy
to return, from time to time, rebels
and Federals alike who crossed or
were forced to cross.
As the whole of the northwestern
frontier of Mexico is in the hands of
the rebels, the new policy will bear
most heavily on the soldiers who are
now being forced to flee by the Car-
ranzistas.
General Wood received dispatches
to-day from General Bliss relating to
the movement of General Villa and
his army, which recently captured
Chihauhua, but left the city to pur
sue the Federals, who were endeav
oring to reach the frontier with refu
gees, among whom it was thought
probable there were several Ameri
cans.
General Bliss gave no details, but
some of the officers here believe the
zeal of General Villa to capture the
retreating column of Federals is ac
counted for by Villa’s belief that the
Federals are taking with them all the
money that was left in Chihuahua,
and that he is more anxious to cap
ture the money chests of the Feder
als than the Federals themselves. If
he gets the money, the policy of the
United States will be to hold and feed
the Federal army indefinitely on this
side of the border.
15,000 Idle Workmen and
2,000 Refugees at Capitdl
Special Cable to The American.
MEXICO CITY. Dec. 6.—The 15,-
ft 00 idle workers in the Capital were
supplemented to-day by the arrival
of 2,000 refugees from Monterey and
Saltillo, many of whom are abso-
SHOOFLIES
for the baby.
This Style, Plain Wood
$2.00
Better Finished, With Cushion
$3.00
These fold up fiat, so
they can be packed away
or moved easily.
Toy Drums, 25c and 50c.
Better ones for $1 and $2.
Mall orders filled same day re
ceived.
BRADLEY’S
29 South Broad Street.
four Floors of Toys
lutely destitute. How they are to be
taken care of has not yet been deter
mined. In the present state of the
Government finances, it will prob
ably be left to private organizations,
or the foreign representaives in the
Capital, to provide for the refugees.
I Although It has been announced
| that there is no money in the treas
ury at present to pay the army, ef-
| forts to stimulate enlistment con
tinue. A bill providing for general
conscription In the Federal district
and some neighboring States has been
drafted and will probably be passed
by Congress. Under the provisions
of this measure recruits will be
chosen by lot. All males of military
age will be liable to conscription.
2,000 Women Lose Jobs.
Some 2,000 women were'thrown out
of work to-day when the order sus
pending the making of clothing for
the army went into effect.
The report of a severe defeat, ad
ministered to the Federal forces north
of Zacatecas, was current to-day.
It was also reported that the Fed
eral garrison was about to evacuate
Monterey, because the rebels were
closing in upon the city and had al
ready cut off supplies. The refugees
who arrived to-day reported that at
the time they left entrenchments had
been constructed, covering all ap
proaches te the city.
Fear Santa Maria Attack.
The uprising in the south is rap
idly becoming more menacing. Gen-
ovevo De La O, the notorious bandit
leader, has assembled a large force
on the Mextco-Mnrelos border and Is
threatening an attack on Santa Ma
ria. He appears to be working in
conjunction with the Zapata forces
now surroundlpg Cuernavaca. Za
pata's forces have been increasing
with great rapidity in the past few
weeks and it is feared he may reach
the Capital before Villa ventures
south of Chihuahua.
General Maure. former colonel of
the Twenty-ninth Infantry, under
Blanquet, has been made military
commander of the Capital.
Blafiquet is said to be gradually
gaining the ascendancy in the Cabi-
I net. Three portfolios are expected
to be vacant soon, as a result of this
ascendancy.
Mrs. Frank
Larson and
her son Harold,
who was horn
in Mexico.
They were
snapped on the
street by an
American staff
ph otographer.
HEXED
French Likely To
Spurn Huerta When
He Seeks War Funds
French Financier Says If Money Is
Loaned It Will Never
Be Repaid.
Large Fraction of Meat Supply
of United States Practically
Wiped Out.
EL PASO, Dec. 6.—The cattle in
dustry In Northern Mexico, which was
the source of a large portion of the
meat supply of the United States, lias
been practically wiped out by the
Mexican revolution, and many of the
largest cattle raisers have been forced
out of business.
Yearling steers are now selling for
$30 and $36 here, and 2-year-olds for
$40 to $47, and the supply is small.
Before the revolution $20 was a good
price for a yearling and $30 for a 2-
year-old. The high price and scarci
ty of Mexican beef, coupled with the
poor condition of the ranges through
Texas and the epidemics of black leg
which have raged among the cattle in
these two States this year, are going
to have an important effect on the
American market, and cattlemen here
prophesy that beef will be higher
than ever before.
<*o
Special Cable to The American,
PARIS, Dec. 6.—That the Huerta
Government will be disappointed In its
hopes for raising capital In France
was the gist of the opinions expressed
by financiers to-day relative to the
coming visit of Adolfo de la Lama.
"If De la Lama is coming to France
to raise money for Huerta, he will
assuredly meet with disappointment,"
said a leading financier. "He has as
little chance of being successful as
had Aldape, who has probably dis
covered already that French banks do
not care to lend money without guar
antees.
"If President Wilson's belief that
Huerta is now on his 'last legs' is Jus
tified. we feel that any money ad
vanced would never be repaid.”
The despairing efforts of Huerta to
obtain funds here are being activeiv
combated by the Constitutional com
mittee.
many others to be selected and as
signed to duty If there Is no hitch
between now and early next week on
the general plan. The great majority
of the supervision will be drawn from
civil life in Porto Rico.
The election Is to take place on
December 15. It Is said to-day that
of course the United States has an
Interest In the safety of the ports
where customs collections are being
made for the United States, but that
the special plan Is comprehensive, and
if it is successful will be the first
revelation of the Administration's
new policy with regard to the Latin
Republics.
Band of Freebooters
Gives Juarez Scare
EL PASO, TEXAS, Dec. «—The
band of mounted and armed men
seen near Palomas was identified to
day as a gang of freebooters under
Maximo Castillo. They number only
about 160. Consequently Juarez
breathes easier to-night. Fear was
expressed last night that the troops
were those of Orozco and Salazar
and that an attack on the city was
planned.
Venustiano Carranza, head of the
Constitutionalist party, has made no
sign of a move to come to Juarez,
but it is announced by General Bena
vides. representative of Villa, that he
may be here inside of eight days.
Americans believe Villa has let Car
ranza understand that he prefers that
he stay In Sonora, for a while at least.
Villa always has had a predilectljn
for glory that is not reflected, and
without Carranza here the whole
stage Is his.
Juan N, Medina, erstwhile chief ,»f
staff to Villa, to-day signed a writ
ten statement renouncing all connec
tion with Mexican military affairs,
Secret of Wilson’s Mobile Speech
Regarding Latin-American
Policy Is Out.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -The se-
cret of the Administration’s new pol
icy In Latin-America wan revealed
by (t high Administration official to
day, who paid the supervision of the
coming elections In San Domingo by
the United States was the first step
In carrying out that policy.
Heretofore It has been understood
that the President took Nicaragua as
the Illustration of his policy In his
Mobile speech.
It is stated to-day that he re
ferred to San Domingo and that the
appointment of J. M. Sullivan as the
new Minister to Ran Domingo was
for the purpose of launching the pol
icy.
It Ip said that Minister Sullivan Is
a witness to a written contract in
Ran Domingo by which the present
President, Bordas, and the revolu
tlonlst generals. Uewpedes and Va»-
quez. agree to hold a lega.l election
and that If the United States is satis
fled that the election was fair and
free this country will support that
government at all hazards now and
In the future.
It was stated to-day that the plan
for Ran Domingo would undoubted
ly be carried out in the case of Mex
ico when the Huerta Government
shall fall and the leaders get to
gether, probably In conference with
Charge d’Affalree O’Shaughnesav or
Mr Lind.
The novel feature of the Ran Do
mingo plan Is that Americans will be
sent from Porto Rico to supervise the
elections and a United States naval
squadron will he on hand to protect
all concerned.
There are twelve provinces In Ran
Domingo. Each has an election cen
ter and there are outlying election
precincts. The. State Department has
provided so far only for two agents
to report on the election. There art»
British Warship on
Way to Aid Subjects
VERA CRT.TZ, Dec. 6—The British,
flagship Suffolk, with Rear Admiral
Christopher Craddock on board, sailed
to-day for Tuxpam. It Is understood
that the mission of the Suffolk is to
render any needed assistance to Brit
ish subjects in the oil region who may
wish to get away.
The Mexican transport Progreso
sailed for Tuxpam witt 800 men to
reinforce General Maas, now operat
ing against the rebels In the oil re
gion.
Everybody After
Hot Springs
Liver Buttons
People Coming for Miles Around for
Wonderful Constipation Remedy That
Is Better, Safer and Surer
Than Calomel. t
To he up your liver, dean your bowels
of foul waste, drive out poisonous gases,
end constlpaHon and feel fine and full
of energy' in twenty-four hours.
Throw away calomel. It’s dangerous,
you know it. everybody knows it.
HOT SPRINGS DIVER BUTTONS
are different. They are harmless, act -
gently but surely on the bowels, and
do not cause a particle of after misery
and are fine for children as well as
grownup* *
T’ e are Joyfully laxative and more,
the., u^e fine for laziness, dizziness,
blllouBU'wf sick headache, sallow skin *
and malarfa.
They make everybody feed good be
cause’they act ae a general tonic, driv
ing Impurities from the blood and mak
ing the eDtlre intestinal tract clean and
pure in short order.
Little chocolate-coated HOT SPRINGS
LIVER BUTTONS are 25 cents at ail
druggists, and money back, if dissatis
fied. Free sample from Hot Springs
Chemical Co., Hot Springs, Ark.—Advt.
Mrs. Frank Larson, Formerly of Georgia, Graph
ically Describes Stirring Experiences.
iAGED RUTLEDGE WOMAN DEAD
RUTLEDGE, Dec. 6.—Mrs. Lucy
Williams, aped 37, is dead at the
home of her daughter, Mrs. S. E. Min
ing. at Rutledge. She was the moth
er of Mrs. S. E. Mining. Mrs. A. J
Hutchinson and Mrs. W. P. Wallace.
Thrilling tales of the horrors of
the Mexican revolution and of the
depredations of prowling bandits were
told to The Sunday American Satur- •
day night by Mrs. Frank Larson, a
former Georgia woman, who has re
turned to the United States after
spending eight years with her husband
and family In Durango, 100 miles
south of Mexico City. She is visit
ing her sister, Mrs. M; M. McCall, at
an Atlanta hotel, and other relatives
in nearby cities.
Mrs. Larson’s husband is a railroad
contractor. For three weeks she and
her family were marooned in a rail
road camp 90 miles south of Duran
go, while roving bandits stole their
-roperty, killed their servants and at
one time attempted to kidnap Mrs.
Larson’s daughter, Thelma. After
three weeks of terror, during which
they were forced to carry- arms to
guard the cam", they escaped. Riding
for three days through the moun
tains to Durango, they found that city
Invested by the rebels and all com
munication with the outside world
cut off. For a month they were
forced to remain in Durango.
Mrs. Larson, her daughter and
young son, Harold, finally escaped
on a train filled with Federal sol
diers. They were packed in the rear
coach with a hundred other refugees.
Huerta Once Worked for Him.
Mr. Larson and son, Fred, came out
of the war-ridden country a month or
two later, going from Durango to
Vera Cruz on a train that was am
bushed by rebels. They engaged m
the fight that followed. Since arriv
ing in the United States the Larson
family lived at Del Rio and Ran An
tonio. Mr. Larson and his son now
are in San Antonio. 4U „
A peculiar coincidence Is the fact
that Victoriano Huerta, the Mexican
dictator, once worked for Mr. Dar-
son as foreman of a gang of railroad
laborers.
“It was about ten years ago. said
Mrs Larson last night. “Mr. Larson
was building a railroad south of
Mexico City, and Huerta was sort
of foreman, or overseer, over 50 or
more of the laborer?. Mr. Larson used
to say Huerta was a good workman
and a smart man. but that he was
verv quick-tempered and always
pushed himself into the limelight. He
worked for Mr. Larson several years
before he joined the army.
Mfrs. Larson said she and her fam.-
ly expect to return to Mexico when
ever the country is quiet again.
“That probably will not be until
Huerta is eliminated,” she said. “Mex
ico is a fine country and needs only
development, but it will never be de
veloped by the Mexicans, because
they are too ignorant And it is hard
ly probable that permanent peace will
ever come until some intelligent na
tion goes in there and rules the coun
try for them."
Carries Her Revolver.
Mrs. Larson has with her the re
volver and cartridge belt which she
wore during the 51 days she was iu
fear of death on the ride from Du
rango.
“That was the most terrible ride
I’ve ever taken,” she said. “We went
out to Durango on the first train that
had left In 80 days. The front cars
were filled with drunken Federal sol
diers. All the Americans and other
refugees who wanted to leave were
herded into the rear coach. We pass
ed through miles of country where
every telegraph pole was decorated
with the head or body of a rebel or
Federal soldier. The conductor slowed
the train down so we could see them.
The bodies were all tied to the poles
by their arms and legs, and some of
them had had their heads shot off
“The soldiers laughed and Joked at
the terrible eight, and threw empty
cartridges at the bodiea hanging on
the poles, and struck at them with
their rifles and bayonets. The poles
were all very close to the track, and
we could have reached out of the
car window and touched the bodies
with an umbrella We reached Juarez
without being ambushed or without
having any fights, but we were in
terror all the time for fear the train
would be wrecked by the rebels or
that they would attack us.
“The 51 days that we were ma
rooned in the railroad camp and in
the city of Durango were the most
terrible I ever have seen. Every
member of my family carried a re
volver constantly, and we kept a
guard posted all the time. Bands of
rebels and bandits visited the camp
and stole our property, on one occa
sion taking £00 head of mules and
horses, several wagon loads of com
and a wagon load of dynamite. We
tried several times to get away, but
were driven back by the gangs of
bandits.
“Probably our most terrible expe
rience was the attempt the bandits
made to kidnap my daughter and
force her to marry a young Mexican
boy. A gang of about twelve of them I
came to the camp one night when Mr.
Larson was at the works and I was
over at the sleeping tents. .My daugh- |
ter was alone in the camp kitchen,
with her brother Fred about 100 yards
away in the commissary. The ban
dits asked for a drink of water, and
then the leader asked my daughter if
she didn’t want to marry a young
Mexican boy to whom he pointed. She
told him she did not, and he grabbed
her arm and said they would take
her. anyway She then told the ban- j
dit chief that she already was mar- 1
ried, and when he asked her where
her husband was, she pointed to her |
brother, who had seen the bandits and
was running toward the house. The
gang then rode off, but next morning
two of them came back and said if
she didn’t go with them they would
kidnap her. We were so badly fright
ened then that we slipped away from
the camp tha.t night and rode through
the mountains to Durango, expecting |
every minute to be overtaken and
shot.
‘Many of my husband’s employees
were shot or forced to join the rebel
army w'hlle we were at the camp. On
one occasion they took a Uhinese cook I
away from us, and later they shot
another of our cooks. He was a
Chinaman, too. We sent him on my
pony one evening to get some water,
and the rebels shot him off the horse |
and stole the animal. Bandits vis
ited our camp almost every day, and |
they stole thousands of dollars’worth
of property belonging to Mr. Larson.
Durango Full of Rebel*.
“We expected that when we got to
Durango we would be safe, but we
found that city invested by the reb- |
els, who were intrenched in the
mountains near by. We had to stay
there a month before we could get
out. and every night we expected the
rebels to attack the city
“Every American went armed, and
plans were made for defense should
the attack be made. An old stone
hospital was turned into an arsenal,
and into it the Americans stored ri
fles and cartridges and all the dyna
mite they could get.
“Bands of rebels and bandits came
down from the mountains and terror
ized the suburbs, and several times
my husband and son were held up
and robbed of their money and revol
vers while riding through the out
skirts of the city. On one occasion
my son was held up and all his cloth
ing taken from him. He finally In
duced them to return his trousers,
and he hfd in the bush until night
and slipped intt^he hotel.”
Buy Useful Xmas Gifts
Myers-Miller Co. Will Divide
Your Payments - - - If You Wish
p\0N’T give vour friends useless Xmas gifts! Give them USEFUL and PRACTICAL pres-
ents! That's the kind you’ll find at Til IS store ! Stop by to see our great assortments
—our store is brimful of pretty and useful things to give. The four specials, mentioned be
low, are EXCEPTIONALLY good values. We have many others that are equally attractive.
Select your articles NOW, while assortments are largest—and, if you wish, we’ll store
them FREE, and deliver them at Xmas time.
If you don’t want to pay cash, then just pay us in small amounts, weekly or monthly.
That will help solve the Xmas shopping problem.
Davenette or Davenport
This DAVENETTE SOFA BEI), or a
DAVENPORT, makes a splendid Xmas
gift. We have the DAVENETTE and
also the DAVENPORT style, handsomely
finished in Mahogany, Golden, Fumed or
Early English Oak—and are selling either
the Davenette or the Davenport $30
Cotton Mattress $5 Extra
Everybody enjoys the comforts of these Mor
ris Chairs. Very fine Xmas gift. Highly fin
ished In Oak or Mahogany. Uphol
stered in Corduroy or Pantasote.
Our price is only
$10
Woman’s Writing Desk
EverV woman REALLY needs a writing desk.
Therefore, why not give one of THESE? They
are well made and nicely finished in Early Eng
lish or Fumed Oak. Our price Is exceptionally
low at $7.50.
Rocker
Every man. woman and child delights in
the comforts of a ROCKER! These Rockers
are nicely made tn Early English or Fumed
Oak. Upholstered In Span
ish leather. Our price is
only
$5.50
MYERS-MILLER
Furniture Company
Successor to C. H. MASON
6 and 8 West Mitchell Street. 2 Doors from Whitehal
Jk
u