The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-25
MEXICO'S JOAN or ARC DEAD
FELT THAT SIZE WAS DIVINELY
CALLED TO AID THE YAQUIS.
Charged with Inciting the Rebels, h Was
Forced to Flee Her Native Land-In
aTrance Eight Days, During which b
Said She Obtained the Power to Heal.

Teresa, the Joan OF Arc Of the Yaquis,'
Is spreading into the remote villages OF
northern Mexico, and from thousands OF
lips are rising prayers for the repose OF
the soul Of the girl, says a telegram from
Ell Paso, Tex, to the Indianapolis Netes.
Exiled from her own land, forced TO fee
to escape death or q worse fate, the simple
hearted maiden took refuge In the United
States. 1t was in Clifton, Ariz., that she
found her final home, and 1t was there
that she died recently.
Her last days were unlike her first. Broken
in spirit by what she deemed persecution,
and DESTROYS Of avoiding unnecessary
publicity which might arouse the further
enmity Of the Mexican Government against
her, Santa Teresa died In a humble adobe
howell, with none Of her early friends near
her.
She was buried quietly from the Cath
Ole church with no ceremony or ostenta-
ton. "Teresita," as her friends lovingly
called her, never won the recognition In
her last days that she did in her younger
days. And Of this she was glad. Hell
friends say that her heart was broken and
that she only wished peace n quiet.
Santa Teresa was banished from Mexico
on a charge Of melting an insurrection
among the Yaquis, al irresponsible tribe
Of northern Mexico, whose position was
somewhat analogous TO that Of the Ameri-
can Indians, inasmuch as they had fire.
quently been driven from their lands by
the advance Of moro stalwart people.
The Mexican authorities say that, like
Joan Of Arc, she felt that she was divinely
called to aid the Yaquis in their uprising.
Her friends declare it false, and say that
her divine mission was simply to relieve
suffering which was physical, and not to
interfere with the civil status OF the people
among whom she was born. They point
to the fact that the instruction had begun
before her divine call" or ~"vision," and
that it continued without interruption
after she had gone.
Not many years ago, in the hills OF SIN
alao, near the little town OF Ocorino, there
was born in the most humble circumstances
a little Mexican girl. October IL, 1870,
was the exact date. She was the natural
child Of Thomas Urea, a man OF the peon
class not gifted above his fellows. Her
mother was Carjetana Chavez, also a woman
Of average qualifications in the lowest
class. Urea died some years ago. The
mother Of the child still lives in Nogales,
AriZ.
Her mother reared her during tho arst
year, of her life. but when she was II years
OF age she was taken by her father to a
ranch in Coburo, Sonora. In the year
1897, when she was II years Of age, b was
taken with a cataleptic At. For eight days
she was in a trance. At first she was be-
lieved to be dead, but the signs Of life be-
came more apparent with each passing
day. When on the last day she reRained
consciousness her whole nature appeared
to have undergone a change.
At almost the same time similar mani
festations were present, though in a less
marked degree, In two other children In
the same district Of Sonora-a girl. Bar
barita Perez Pieddras de Iumbre, and a
Yauui boy Of IL years. Both were In a
cataleptic trance, but they never gained
in any respect the same prominence as
Teresita.
The girl, when she had emerged from
her trance, decla red that she had been
endowed with power from above to heal.
She was listened to the more attentively
because of the change which was manifest
in her nature. She went about among
the poor people OF her village who were
crippled or suffering from disease. and by
laying her hands upon them, 80 they de-
clared, they were freed from their all
ments. Some marvellous cases Of this sort
are narrated as absolute fact. She Wrought
such wonders hat the people affectionately
termed her saint and the Church agreed
that she should be called -SIint Teresa"
Fame of her hsaling powers spread rap
idly and marvtl lous stories gained oircula-
ton. Pilgrimages to Cobora began. At
times not less than is 900 strangers were in
the city at onoe. They brought their
blankets with them and slept Upon the
ground, and when daylight came pressed
the maiden Of seventeen began her daily
ministrations. They declare that her fac
shone like that Of the saints in the pictures
in their churches, and she gained power over
their simple minds.
In telling Of her trance she said that while
her body RENE ined on earth her soul made
a Journey to Purgatory and brought back
much knowledge of the world to come. In
speaking she had a ohildlike simplicity, tell
ing Of her alleged experiences in a manner
that had extra ordinary weight. She never
resumed her cataleptio state, but she sew
eral times had -~ecstasiee,' when she was In
a state Of great spiritual exaltation n ex-
Meanwhile revolutionists were busying
themselves in Sonora among the Yaquis.
The authorities we're greatly aroused and
decided that drastic measures wers neose-
sarv to curb the insurreotionists, who We're
Qally gaming power lHe TSNOluliOu Hdu
been two years in progress, having begun In
| 1885, when Teresa began her m~inistrations.
No one character in all northern Mexico was
attracting such attention. and the authori-
ties turned to Teresa, accusing her Of in
citing the rsbels. They told her to leave
of her public ministrations. She paid no
heed. Daily shs healed" hundreds, and the
throngs continued to make Cobora their
Mecca.
In 1891 such power had been gained by the
girl that the authorities decided to appre.
bend her. Learning OF their purpose and
deeming resistance Impossible, Teresa took
to flight. J.
She was not without her champion. In
Cobora she had strong u~oherents, who de-
clared that her power was being eSerted
only in bringing comfort and Joy to the suf-
fering and not In working against the State.
Among her earnest followers was Lauro
Agpirre, then a captain in the Mexican
ARMY. Aguirre was outspoken in his sup
port OF the girl-too much so for his personal
safety. He wac obliged al much the same
time as the saint TO fee from the republic.
Senior Aguirre and the saint both came
to FL Paso. Aguirre founded a paper which
he called La Rcformd Social, and which he
edited in a vigorous manner, being out
spoken in his denunciation OF many exist-
ing governmental practices in Mexico.
Santa Teresa pitched a tent in the MeXi-