Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-04-06
AMERICAN LEADS
YAQU| INDIANS
He Is Considered to Be Mex
ico's Most Dangerous
Foe.
JOHN DIVER HIS NAME
Hard to Understand Why Mexico Does
Not Send Enough Troops to
Crush lndians-WouId Amer
icanize Sonora.

lean organizer and leader of the Yaqui
revolutionary movement. as the man
most To sc feared at present The hos
Utility of the Yaquis under the direction
Of Dwyer does not cause SO much alarm
to the government as is generally be-
licved. since 1t would require only GER
ain additional efforts on the part of the
military organization to overcome the
Yaquis, even If that meant their exter-
animation. What really perpleXes Pres
lident DiaZ and his admirers is the ques-
\ ton: What is Dwyer aiming at?
! 1t is q curious fight that the Yaquis
nave been making The rebellion is as
\ active now as when it started five years
i ago. The Mexican government admits
that the 800 Yaquis' who, it was as
serted, composed the entire fighting
are Still in the field, although in those
Eve years more than 5000 Mexicans,
soldiers and civilians. have been killed
by them and sl6,O00,000 has been ex-
pended by the government to destroy
them.
The mystery which is supposed to
surround the person and the policy of
John Dwyer appears easy to unravel
compared with the conduct of the Mex
can government. 1t is hard to explain
why sufficient troops have not been
sent to Sonora TO conquer the Yaquis
It is generally believed that Dwyer and
the Yaquis are fighting for time in the
nope that with the death of DiaZ there
vii be a change in the government of
Mexico and that they can snatch vic
DRY from the ensuing complications
In Revolt Since 1899.
Such Il policy can be understood; it
is harder to understand why the Next
can government does not end the rebel
ion by vigorous measures now. Per-
aav)s the best explanation of the gov
arnment's attitude is that it does not
deem it wise to call the attention of the
American people TO the Importance of
the Yaqui movement by organizing a
volunteer army to suppress it.
The rebellion seemed to be hopeless
at the outset. The Sonora Indians,
made desperate by the perfidious man
ner in which Mexico had dealt with
them. apparently resolved to risk all
what was contemplated, according to
those who viewed the situation from
Neutral ground.
5000 Yaquis in the Field.
But the Yaquis deceived those who
thought they knew them best. From
the day they raised the standard of re-
volt, February 10, 1899, they have con-
sistently carried on their plan of cam
paign. Defending the clearings which
+ tHey Hldue III tHe DuSIl, lney nave re-
manned entirely independent of Mexico.
When battles are fought between
them and their foes 1t is not because
the Mesicans enter the bush in pur-
suit of them, but because they sally
forth to attack the Mexicans. In this
way it would appear that the Mexicans
aud not the Yaquis have assumed Il de-
lfensive attitude. AS a matter of fact,
the Yaquis strike only when it is neces-
sary to prove to sympathizers in Ari-
IONA, Texas and California that their
revolution is still alive.
Dwyer has been the guiding spirit of
this plan of campaign. In this way he
has directed the movement since it's
Inception.
Mexico asks: What are the resources
of this man? His financial resources
are small. His main dependence is on
the fact that he has established a CO.
operative System among the revolu-
tioniSts
AS there we're 10000 Yaquis in the
ranged for one-half of these to work
for six months at mines, ranches and
railroads and to send their earnings to
those in the field, who would relieve
them at the end of the period. AS a re-
suit the fighting Yaquis and their fami-
lies have always been provided for.
The MeXicans could not break up the
ciliary visits to the peaceable Yaquis
and deported those suspected to Yu-
catan. This made hostles of many
Inquis otherwise peaceably inclined,
who preferred to die in the Yaqui val
ley rather than in the swamps of Yu-
catan. General Luis e. Torres, in de-
scrbing the situation, said:
My Yaqai servant may be sending
his earnings to the hostile Yaqus but
If he Is deported a dozen good Yaquis
will take to the field out of terror or in
dignation the next day"
The government abandoned it's prof.
ect of suppressing the cooperative sys-
TEN and th as since been grmly es-
tablished.
1t was comparatively easy to provide
arms and ammunition. Most Yauuis
possessed rifles and revolvers before
the outbreak. To those lacking arms
the council OF war, which has always
had fund of 100000 supplied them,
obtaining them through juntas in Bis
be A. T.. III Paso. Tex, and San
Francisco. and through captures from
Mexicans.
Every one Of the 5000 Yaquis in the
field has a rifle and revolver in good
condition. camp was founded at
Sores. in the Bacatete mountains, to
make gunpowder and reload shells.
Thus Dwyer provided for the main
tenance of the revolution for long
time.
FiIibusters Wher Diaz Dies.
The question is asked who is John
Dwyer? Stories published in the United
States indicate that he is mysterious
individual. Western newspapers declare
that John Dwyer" is a myth, name
used to conceal the real identity of the
leader of the Yaquis
Others opposed to Dwyer cast discrdit
upon him either by ridicule, saying that
lie has proclaimed himself to be the
king of the iaquis or by calumny call
Ing him villain cutthroat and bandit
But where he is best known. i'm Sonora
ana Arizona he is known as a mining
engineer. who has given several jolts
to various promoters of mining enter
prises by adverse reports on their prop
critics. He swatted the late Whitaker
Nrights operations in Australia. In
mining circles in London, New York
and San Francisco he is regarded as a
dangerous man.
revolution is not APPARENT. No one be-
| lieNes he is working for pure love of the
| Yaquis. Though he declares that his
aim is the annexation of Sonora to
| the United States. 1t is not glory that
| he seeks.
1t may please him to bring the Next
| can government to grief considering it
III the same light as wildcat min
| ing company. as might be judged by
| his assertion that the government of
Mexico is syndicated government of
| villains. for villains and by villains. :"
But his more recent utterances make
1t doubtful as to whether he seeks to
upset the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz
| Questioned as to the time when he
would be prepared to send American
filibusters into Sonora. he replied:
when ready and asked when he