The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-03-06
BATTLE OF ALAMO
MARCH SIXTH ANNIVERSARY OF
ONE OF GREATEST BATTLES
IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
A TRIO Of PATRIOTS
Wrote Their Names on Their Coun-
try's Roll of Honor in Let
ters that Time VIII
Never Change.

San Antonio, Tex, Mar. 6.-To-
day is the anniversary Of one of the
greatest battles in the history of
America-the final scene in the
Crockett, William Travis and James
Bowie, with their few devoted and
fearless followers, yielded up their
lives. 1t was seventy-two years
ago, on March 6, 1886, that these
heroes wrote their names in blood
on their countrys roll of honor in
letters that time and change will
never dim.
Interest in today's anniversary is
heightened by the warfare that is
being waged over the custody of the
historic old church building, and
which recently led Miss Adina de Ia
vala, leader of one of the factions of
the Daughters of the Texas Repub-
lie, to maintain a siege of three days
and nights in this cradle of Texas
liberty The Alamo still stands pretty
much in appearance at it was
seventy-two years ago. or hum
! dred years before that. From time
to time movements have been set on
foot to make some special use of it,
| with view of making it a national
memorial, and there have been sew
eral attempts by ''enterprising" per-
sons to get hold of it and turn it to
some sort of money making purpose,
| but these have all been defeated.
The latest is tentative proposition
to construct a handsome park about
hotel. In every one of these efforts
to profane what is now sacred
spot patriotic women have been in
strumental in defeating the vandal-
ism.
Now the patriotic women are
| fighting among themselves, and the
end of the battle is not yet in sight.
| The Alamo is now in the hands
| of w. G. Day, state superintendent
of buildings and grounds, who will
[; hold the property until Texas
court decides which of the factions
of the Daughters Of the Republic is
! to manage it.
The fight for the possession of the
building began about two years ago.
when the Legislature appropriated
| $75,000 to repay Mrs, Clara Dris-
coll-Sevier. Just preceding the ses-
| sion of this Legislature a portion
of the old Alamo structure was
| threatened with destruction and
/ Mrs. Sewer advanced a part of her
fortune to save it.
At that time Mrs. Sewer was re-
garded as leading spirit in the
councils of the Daughters of the Re-
public. Miss de Zavala was for
some time secretary to Mrs Sewer
In appropriating the money the state
became the owner of the building
and Alamo property, although the
custody thereof was to remain in
the hands of the Daughters of the
Republic Then came a split in the
organization.
| Both factions had keys to the
doors of the old building At night
fall, on February 10, Miss de Zava-
la slipped within the walls and sent
out her declaration of war.
| Telephone and electric light wires
leading to the building We're cut, and
1.-The first night in the building she
spent in darkness, without food or
water. The following day her sup
porters came with food, which was
passed her through a small opening
in a door.
| And SO she maintained a siege OF
three days and three nights. Then
she surrendered and turned the Ala
mo over to the state.
| The siege of the Alamo seventy
two years ago began on February
z3, 1886, when the Mexican general
Santa Anna, surrounded the old
church with an overpowering force
and began cannonade