The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-08-31

gradually exterminated, and thousands
OF Mexican regulars and rurales have
found bloody graves in pursuing an
elusive and death-dealing foe.
The Yaquis enlisted in large num-
bers in the ranks of the revolutionists
who started to overthrow the Diaz
government along the northern border
the early part of July.
Notwithstanding recent announce
ments in the press dispatches from
Mexico that the Yaqui Indians had
agreed to surrender to the Mexican
forces, they have resumed their hos
tilities against the Mexican troops and
all others they may have CHANGED to
encounter.
The last Yaqui struggle for indie
pendence has been going on for ten
years, and hardly has parallel in the
history of the Indians wars of North
America. For ten years the Yaquis
have fought army after army of Mexi
can troops, whipping them in many
bloody engagements, and have often
outgenraled and defeated the famous
rurales of the Mexican government.
The negotiations for a treaty of
peace between the Mexican govern
ment and these wild men of the hills
were almost completed the early part
of June, but fell through.
The treaty of peace had gone SO far
that 500 of the red warriors surren-
dered their arms to representatives of
the government near TORN, though at
that time there were still over 5000
hostiles remaining in the mountains.
FIGHTING FOR OVER A CENTURY
The Yaquis have conducted an in
termittent warfare, off and on, for
more than $50 years with the Mexi-
can government. At the beginning Of
this conflict, over a century ago, the
Yaquis were powerful nation, and
were able to put an army of 10000
men in the field.
Although they received Christianity
from the Spanish pioneer priests, they
steadfastly refused even when Mexico
was a vice royalty of Spain, to sub
nit to Spanish rule. When Spain was
driven from Mexico they assisted the
soldiers of the revolution in achieving
independence, but afterward turned on
their allies. Whenever they were de-
feated in the field by the Mexican
troops, they retreated to the noun
tains, and waged an unrelenting guer-
| rilla warfare. These struggles were
most bloodthirsty, and quarter was
neither given nor asked by either side.
When exhausted by long struggles
there would be a short interval of
peace, but either the Indians or the
government of Mexico would again
precipitate the conflict. They have
robbed and murdered ranchmen, min
ers and prospectors without number,
and have been, with few exceptions,
able to escape to tho hills.
In return, they have been shot, tor
tured, hanged and deported by the Me-
xican government. Several times large
numbers of Yaqui families have been
deported to Yucatan and Oaxaca, near
Central America, where they were vir-
tually slaves on immense plantations
owned by Mexicans.
1t is impossible to estimate the mum
Der of Yaquis who have been slain il
battle or executed by the rurales. Half
grown boys are conuemned to dealt
as often as the men. During the pas
two years these Indians have ambush
ed and killed over 300 persons, ant
the Mexicans have killed or deported
nearly 1000 of them,
ENORMOUS COST OF THE WAR
The cost of this prolonged warfar
has been tremendous. The actual los
of life can never be actually computed
The property loss, by a conservative
estimate, during the past two years /
easily over $5OOOO,OOO.
The rurales and other MeXica
troops have been known to tortur
prisoners in order to make them Civ
information against their fellows, bu
in every case this has been entirel
without success, They will not, unde
any compulsion betray their friends
But, curiously enough, after they an
captures they make not the slightes
attempt to escape their fate The