The copper era., 1905-04-13
AWFUL CONDITIONS
 IN URES COUNTRY.
Douglas ProspectOr Driven Out of Coun-
 try Malpuche on Marpath.

John St. Clair returned from trip
 into the country near tres, Sonora.
 He expected to stay for some time.
 but because of the Yaqui troubles he
 was obliged to give up his trip into
 the mountains. He stated that never
 before in the history of the Yaqui
 deprcdatiOns have the people been 90
 thoroughly frightened as now. The
 ranche, and farms are now abandoned
 and the people have gone to the town l for protection.
 The old chief Malpuchc is at the l head of the most hostile band of h. dian> and he. with his men. are kill
 ever they can find them. The mail
 routes into the small settlement, are abandoned and provisions are hard to get. In some of the small settle
 mcnts it is necessary for q large party of the men to 20 to the larger
 towns and convey four and other food to their homes. while they leave
 strong guard over the women and children. While Mir. St. Clair and hi, partner were in the mountains.
 not far from tres, they heard q num- Der of shots. They went in the di- rcCtiOn, of the frin" and found two McXiCaus shot down: one of them
 was dead and the other was mortal1v
 wounded. The Mcxicans were taken
 into CrcS, where the wounded man
 died. Before he died he stated that
 he and his friend were surrounded by
 Indians, who shot them down from
 the thick brush. \ party of soldiers
 went at once on the trail of Nal
 puchc and his cut throats but were
 unable to locate him. A few days before this murder seven MeXicans were killed while going from the country to the town, and their bodies left for coyote food.
 The YaquiS are fighting Apache style and are capturing women whom they force to accompany them on their raids. One woman was cap turcd only the other day: her hus- band was shot before her eyes and 1 she was taken prisoner. She Is still ! captive. Malpuchc has fifty or more | men with him and though the soldiers 1 are trying to cntrap him, they have | failed so far to get him or any of his | men.
 One of the soldiers stationed at i tres told Mr. St. Clair that a short i time ago a large force of cavalry | drove the ho>tilcs into a box canyon i made d stand off until night and then. 1. taking advantage of q flank move l mcnt of the soldiers, escaped from the ! trap and were far away when morn l ing came. Malpuchcs' men attacked ! d party of Americans about two 1 weeks ago. bat withdrew when the ! prospcCtorS opened fire on them.
 The country through which the In dians are operating. is rugged and ! thickly covered with brush and i> favorable to the Indian mode of . fighting. which iS from ambush. The soldiers are afraid of an ambush whenever they take the Yaqui,' trail, aS the Indians have sent word to the soldiers that they will kill them all if they come into their country.
 He inquired the cause of the last outbreak and was told by people liv- ing in the Haqui country that just before the Indians went on the war path d priest went among them and told them to come into town and go to church and confession. Two hum drcd and twenty NdquiS accepted the and went into town and confessed and asked to become mem- hcr> of the church. Some of the IaquiS confessed to having taken part in raids and twenty of them were taken out and killed bv the This betrayal of them bv the priest so enraged them that they took to the warpath, vowing on all people not IaquiS As good as their word the EaquiS have taken awful revenge on the in- habitantS of the country; have killed burned and pillaged and have thrown ! the Wholc tres country into panic. It is not safe for travellers or pros pectorS to 90 into the mountains in the country south ot Hermosillo and NogaleS without strong guard of soldiers. Mining is at standstill and several sales of property have been abandoned because of the fear , of the Indians. When asked where , the Indians got their high power rifles Mir. St. Clair said that he was . told that some Americans are furn- , shing guns and ammunition. Car tridgeS are worth their weight in : gold to the Iaquis and some Ameri- , cans with lust for gold and adven- , ture are supplying the ammunition ' Such i> the belief of the people of the terrorized district.-American
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