The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1909-10-22
GARDNER SEES DE LARA



(concluded.l
time. To be accurate, Il was about
a month after the arrest OF Magon.
Ntilareai and Rivera The real ren-
son for my arrest was the fact that
J had stepped Ia aud taken up the
work OF publishing a little paper
which ~ the organ Of the Mexican
liberal party. and which was being
published previously by the three
nen now in the penltentiary.
My arrest was without warrant,
m was that of my pradeceHsora.
Like them was held for many days
without any charge. At first they
held me pending word from Mexico
City. for which purpose the law per.
mItA 90 days
When no charge was filed was
simply rcarreated and started IN on
another period OF 90 days. Finally
word came from the Mexican gov.
eminent that I waA wanted IN SO.
nora for the theft Of some fire.
wood.
such is Justice.
Now what were the facts az 20
this chnrKef While praefieing Law
al Cananea one OF my clients. a
poor woman. came to me for progea-
sional advice as 10 her right 20 uno
certain forest wood. advised her
that abe had q right TO use is. Nov
u happens that The well known
American mine owner. Col. VIM. G.
Green. claimed ownership OF this
wood, and he had me arrested for
advising the womaa 10 use Il.
The value OF the wood was a.
The affair hsa occurred four years
previously and had been adfudi.
Gated Ia the Mexican courts. Even
" there had been anything to the
charge Il was ouslnwed Hut this
was the beat they could do. and
after being Illegally imprisoned for
three months and 10 days. was
at that time released
n seems TO me that n mere out.
line Of the facta IN my caAs and ia
the case OF the three Mexican liner.
ais now IN the Arizona penitentiary
should be sufficient 10 show the
American people what ia behind
these arrests.
Desperate Measures.
THE Mexican government IL
adopting desperate measures 20 con.
troll the press and TO keep down any
criticism Of the Diax government.
But most remarkable are these evi.
dences Of American cooperation
with the Mexican government In
the methods OF Dlax.
The Mexican jails are today
crowded to overfiowing with politl.
cal prisoners Even Americans have
been Jailed. was forced 10 leave
Mexico to save my life. The first
thing that brought the III win Of the
Mexican government on me was the
publication OF little paper called
ri Democrat While a student nj
the university at Mexico City was
associated with MACON and others
Ia that enterprise. This little paper
urged a return 10 the constitution
OF 1857. One day the paper was
raided and Magon was put Into fail.
was fortunate enough TO be away
ON pleasure trip when the raid
occurred. and escaped arrest.
Serious Trouble.
MY serious trouble came later,
when practicing law at Cananea,
In the state OF Sonora. had gone
there to superintend a mine in
which I had a large interest. l had
been a Judge of Parral In the state
.of Chihuahua before went there.
My practice as a lawyer came TO
be largely among the men EN-.
ployed In the mines at Cananea,
mines owned by Col. Green.
From giving professional adj.
vice to men desiring TO form unions
came 10 address meetings OF the
men, and finally gave a series of
lectures on the constitution of
Mexico. This brought me into dis
favor with Col. Green and with the
Mexican authorities, and when
strike broke out In 1905 | was
charged with being an agitator,
and. in company with 200 others.
Was arrested and ordered TO be
shot. Ny friends moved in my
behalf. and a telegram was sent by
President Diaz asking why DE
Lara had been arrested. The gov.
ernor Of the state thought he had
made q inlBtske, and at once came
20 NC with apologies and released
me.
Safety In Flight.
"Then II was learned that the
Telegram was one of inquiry only.
and / was told that my only safety
lay I'm flight. This proved to be
true, and with difficulty | reached
tho United States. Here ! natural
ly supposed would enjoy i'm
munity from Mexican persecution.
1T has been commonly supposed
that there are no political crimes
IN the United States, and the peo
pie Of the United States have al.
ways been unwilling that Russia.
Italy, or any other nation should
be permitted TO extradite persons
charged with political offenses.
In my case. however, you see
how this supposed freedom from
persecution has worked. My friends
are railroaded to the penitentiary
and am continuously arrested
without cause.
Perhaps II is because the peo-
pie OF the United States do not