The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-04-02
YAOUI INDIANS ARE NOT
so BAD AS PAINTED

- ~NO4e oS dS II WOulQ De 10 huge
all OF Chicago's residents by the car
oarn bandits. Only five weeks ago
was In Sonora, east of Torres and Or
tez' not lar from the region in which
the unfortunate Chicago men-John
kenneth Mackenzie and DR.. Robert Coy
met their death on Jan. 10, and / got
into no trouble. 1 would far rather take
my chances travelling alone In the state
oi sonora than to go along Halsted
street In Chicago at night
This is the calm Judgment of n q
Keno. Chicago mining man, who for
many years has intimately known, lived
ana worked among the Yaqui Indians.
and who little more than a month ago
was following the route so disastrously
Ioiiowea by the MacKenzie-Coy party.
Mr.. Reno, who has watched the growth
and development of the Yaquis for
more than twenty-six years, is Of the
opinion that injury and oppression has
brought about the present distress in
Sonora. He is also fully convinced.
however. that motives of cupidity and
poverty rather than revenge or inten-
tional Staying prompted the murderous
attack on the Chicago men.
The members OF the destroyed party
munition. everything that the Indians
needed" says Mr.. Reno Had they
been accompanied, however, by the
government escort advised and pro-
vided by the Mexican authorities, / be-
lieve the attack would never have
taken place.
The popular impression In regard to
the nature and habits of the Yaqui In
0iQnG fC 1tfnOafhar 70 fato
taken. 1 have lived among these In
dams. off and on. for more than twen-
ty-six years, and have found them very
different.
Yaqui Indians Gentle
"a majority of those Indians are
kindly, humane and even affectionate.
/ have lived and Travelled and slept
alone with small parties of them many
times. I have employed and watched
larger parties of them at work And I
have never seen or known reason to
fear them.
Nor Is the popular present dread OF
the Yaqui country any more soundly
based or rational. OF course. reason
able precautions must always be OBJ
served In traversing a strange or wild
country.
Five weeks ago was deputiZed by
Chicago firm to visit and inspect the
very region in which Mackenzie and
Coy, with the other members OF the
party, lost their lives. / followed the
usual custom, which, in Mexico, is like
this:
The jeffa- politico' or mayor of even
the smallest, least important Mexican
village is the governmental representa-
ffxvn A. E,sx fs- .,lrx
with the greatest courtesy; all possible
information is supplied, and guides and
the government escort either provided
or arranged for. The Mexican army Is
not large. but army officers are plenti-
full Gen. Juan Fenocha is the COM
maDdante federale' in the north part of
the state. and is a splendidly courteous
and efficient official. Col. KotZaliska, q
Russian who many years ago took the
oath of allegiance to Mexico, is another
fine officer. Former Gov. TorreZ, OF
Hermosilla Is now in charge OF the
Mexican troops. Gen. Pemado is In
command at OrteZ.
For the soldiers the Mexicans and
Indians alike have all the respect of the
ordinary law-abiding citizen for police
men. For the governmentally escorted
party they acknowledge respect almost
amounting to awe. Toward the nom
governmentally escorted party they en-
terrain no such feeling. Does the ordi-
nary unlettered resident OF Chicago pay
as much Difference to the civilian in
citizens clothes as to the blue-coated
soldier or starred policeman? The Ill
feeling actually existing, moreover, lies
not between the Yaquis and the white
people. but between the Yaquis and the
Mexicans. White men travelling alone,
unaccompanied by MexicaDs, would
have run far less risk.
Friendly to White Men
Personally believe in exercising all
reasonable precautions Government
ally advised to refrain from making
that particular excursion alone at that
particular time, ] obeyed the advice
and am here to relate the story. But
I so little fear that the now universally
dreaded Yaquis that / shall return to
their region next week My wife, who
has been out there with me- is anxious
to accompany me. and / should not fear
to take her. although, as I tell her, she
would be more comfortable at home.
Several times Mrs. Reno and / have
camped for weeks in the Mexican re-
gion, with an Indian woman to cook
for us.
The idea that the Yaquis are wild,
savage creatures Is quite without foun-
dalton. They are gentle by nature,
fond of family life, virtuous, grateful
for favors, loyal, honest. Like the
Mexican servant or 'moso.' whom, In
some degree, they resemble, they will
not wrong those whom they serve. You
may toss your bag of silver money I'M
der the bed or lean 1t against tree,
and not a coin will be extracted. They
have a special liking for white people,
because the whites work the mines,
give them employment, supply them
with the means of livelihood.
"Only one white man, Col. ]. c. Mar
tin, of San Francisco. had been muir
dered by the YaquI Indians within my
knowledge for many years previous to
the attack on the Chicago men. Col.
Martin was killed between two and
three months ago. When 1 was in
Sonora the last time my party came
upon the CHASTITY place, not far from
where the Chicago men recently were
murdered, where swung seven bodies,
stark and horrible, from a wayside tree.
Another limb, bearing five bodies. had
broken beneath the weight and fallen
to the ground. This made a total of
twelve men killed-eleven Yaquis and
one Mexican-for the Martin murder, a
total not well calculated to soothe
Yaqui feelings.
Still, I do not believe that any
thoughts OF tribal revenge actuated the
more recent killing. / think 1t was
merely some rascals who wanted what
the unescorted party had / have heard
of similar instances among white peo-
pie. / repeat, there is no bad blood be-
tween the Yaquis and the white men.
With yanniG and the MaYfCanS