Bisbee daily review., 1907-04-19
ARE PROVINCES IF
 MEXICO
Mountainous Districts of Sina- loa and Durango Are Said to Be 0yerrun By Brigand Bands,

DURANGO, Mex, April 1S.-The mountainous sections of the states of Durango and Sinaloa are oyerrun with brigands. This outbreak of outlawry is the worst known since the days fol lowing the last internecine strife of the people of this country, when con ditiOns were disturbed and little at- tempt at preserving law and order was made. .a -,,a p3u.
 Brigandage has always prevailed to some extent in the mountains lying be- tween Durango and the Pacific port of Mazatlan, and the rough trail connect ing these two cities has long had the reputation of being the most danger ous to travel in Mexico. It became necessary few years ago to increase the force of rural guards, or country police, in the unsafe region in order to cope with these bands of outlaws For a time their depredations were lessened. but during the last few months the banditti have in creased to such an extent as to make travelling through any portion of the region GOV ering territory of width of seventy five miles and length of more than two hundred miles absolutely danger ous No less than nine bands of bri- gands are operating in the region named. Ranchmen and peaceable set tiers are in a state of terror.
 There are now two full regiments of rurales operating in the turbulent ter ritory, and they are showing the ban dits no mercy. Many of the outlaws have been killed during the last two weeks and others are being trailed into the mountain fastnesses, where they make their rendezvous. Many members of the rurales were bandits in former years, and they know all of the wlles and desperate tactics of that class. But, more than this, they know of the mountain trails and the hiding places of the outlaws and are able to give quick and effective pursuit when an outrage is committed.
 No Quarter for Brigands.
 It is said to be President Diaz's or der that no quarter be shown to bri- gands. No prisoners are taken. It is a warfare to the death. There are many rich mines in the turbulent sec ton, and their operation is being seri- ously hampered by the attacks of these outlaw bands. A number of mining camps have been raided by the bri- gands during the last few weeks. Peo- pie have been shot down when any show of resistance was made, and stores robbed of money and supplies which were cooly carried away upon pack mules by the bold bandits.
 The number of murders that have been committed by the robbers during the last few months will probably nev- CT be publicly known. News has been received here of no less than twenty such crimes at their hands. and these are only a partial list of their victims. On some of the remote ranches whole families were murdered. The brigaDds do not hesitate to wreak their venge- ance upon the rurales. Only a few days ago six rurales were asleep in heir camp in the mountains, when they were attacked by the outlaws. whom they were pursuing. and all of the rurales were killed before they could reach their guns.
 Encounters between parties of ru- rales and the banditti are of almost daily occurrence. Several of the. ban dit leaders have been killed in those affrays recently, but it seems that there are always others ready to take their places. and there has as yet been HO dcClcdsc bHOHu III OulidNEy. Ouc of the most notorious of these bandit chiefs was Porffrio B 0baspo. who op- erated at the head of select band of only three men. They had commit ted many bold robberies, and a num- Der of murders in the vicinity of ConI- taes. and were said to be planning a raid upon that town when they were overtsken by small force of rurales. The bandits were sheltered behind some rocks in the mountains and the battle lasted for some time. It re- suited in one of the ruraIes being killed and two wounded Obaspo was shot through the body and died on the spot ASa
 Nunez Is Replaced.
 Gersrdo Nunez Is another bold ban dit leader who was recently captured and shot He and his band recently at tackled the ranch of Jesus Uranga Saenz, at La Estancia Blanca, situat- ed within fifty miles of Durango. They took Ssenz and all of his servants pris- oners and bound them with ropes. Then they ransacked fbe building and