Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-06-28
MExlco's SIBERIA.
now the Mexican Government Disposes
OF Political Criminals.

How the Mexican Government Disposes
OF Political Criminals.
For many years Yucatan has been
The Siberia of Mexico. whittier are ex-
lied the offenders whom the Govern.
ment does not know what to do with
since the amended constitution OF the
LIBERAL party practically does away
with capital punishment. 1t is handy
In case of political prisoners. and
troublesome people generally-who
might turn up again if banished else
where-for from that bourne none has
ever returned. 1t has been the fashion
to conduct such obnoxious persons
under military guard 10 the frontier
OK Yucatan civilization, or to some
out-of-lhe-way landing place along
the COAST and simply let them go.
what becomes of them none can
tell. The interior is known to
be populated by war.like peo-
pie, who have towns and cities and
a certain degree of somi.barbaric civ
llizatlon. Whether they cnslave new,
corners or naturalize and make citi.
zens OF them, or put them to death is
food for conjecture. Probably the
mystery of it adds to the punishment
its greatest tcrrors' However, it is
well-known truth that among the un-
fortunates condemned to Yucatan few
reach their destin alton, the soldiers In
charge having secret orders to give
tho prisoners opportunities to escape
and to shoot them down the instant
The seeming chance IS acted upon.
Especially dangerous is the eastern
shore of Yucatan, and should any
traveller be SO mad as to land there 1t
would rs certainly be the end of him
as if he were dropped into hados AS
for redress. his friends might as we'll
appeal to the winds as to the Mexican
Government, the latter having even
less control. The chief tribe of
Eastern Yucatan Indians are
known as the Chan Santa Cruz
having o city of that name In the
southern part of the peninsula, about
thirty-six miles west OF Ascension bay
and some SKY miles below Lake
Bacalar The lake is about fifteen
miles long, and on it's western shore
the Indians have their seaport also
named Bacalar-where they 90 to
trade with British Honduras via the
Hondo river
Recently they determined to free
themselves, once for all. from Spanish.
Mexican control. They named their
stronghold Chan Santa Cruz (''Little
Holy Grossly, and chos9 its site be-
cause near Il spring of cleah cold
water they found a great tree upon the
bark of which n small cross had beer
carved. The leader of the revolters,
priest-wisc, induced the others to be.
Iievc that the cross was of Heavenly
origin. cut by an angel who had
descended for the express purpose
OF guiding them in their con.
tinuation Of hostilitics against thu
Mexicans, Being so fortunate as
TO discover ventriloquist among
his followers. the cunning leader tool
him into confidence A big churcl
was built great cross set up within
1t, and the venriloquist instructed tt
throw his voice so that it would SOUND
as coming from the wood thereof, urg
ing the people on to bloody deed,
against the Mexicans Believing thai
the mandates issued voritably from
the cross, and must, therefore, be o
DIVINE origin, the people blindly obey
ed Them
Bat In the very next battle tn
ventriloqaist was killed. and for Ion,
time the cross was speeches. FINAL,
another fellow was taken into con
fdcnce, and, being no ventriloqnst
he disguised his voice In sharp
squcaky tones, and spoke only a
night when the church was in com
plcte darkness, so that none could Sc
man standing near 1.-THE holy speal,
ing cross" The deception was ker
up many years, and the mysteriou
voice was worshiped and obeyed-s
little does it require TO start ne,
al ,.r.. , i n