The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-05-15
LAREDO CALM AWAITING RAID
.MEXICAN TOWN EXPECTS THE
DE Los SANTOS BROTHERS..
Few Think II worth while 10 cross over
to Texas. as tho killing viii ne Brief
General says He's Prepared. but
No Attack May Come; VINO Knows:


cooked for the ping ping Of rifle reports.
Then when night came and there had
been no singing bullets Nuevo Laredo
simply shrugged its collective shoulders.
said "Mahana!' and promenaded around
and around the plaza by the Jail where the
band played. SO calmly does the sleeping
Mexican town across the Rio Grande from
here await the onslaught Of the DE los
Santos brothers and their 700 men
They will come when they will come
There will be fight. probably right there
in the plaza where the band is playing
tonight The town will doubtless be
captured and the dead men will be buried
That will be all
on the su rface AZ least these are the
indications of temperament shown across
the bridge. On this. the American side,
things are far different, Discussion
which no man darcs 20 indulge in in
Mexican Laredo. approaches frenzy
here. Wild rumors which are whispered
over the bridge. are nosily passed from
mouth to mouth AT this end Of tho long
span. and all day long shifting group OF
Mexicans. centred around the approach
to the bridge on tho Laredo side smok ing
cigarettes and shading their eyes against
the sun. were on III" lookout for some
dust cloud to rise over the green speck led
mesa across tho river
Laredo looks forward to the attack
upon IN" new town across the boundary
with a nervous expectancy thai worries
considerably TO! Glenn. who is In com
mand Of the garrison nj Fort Mcintosh
More partisan than Mexican Laredo.
more eager to see a fgh' and be in a fight
In this town. geographically part of the
United States. but in sentiment and spirit
a. rabidv revolutionary as any OF the
insurrscto towns in the centre Of Mexico
A Mexican with silver on his horses
bride and silver threads woven in the
upturned rim of his sombrero rode ja,in-
tily through this town to day unhindered
in fact pressed upon by men eager to
slap his thighs or shake his hand He
was pointed out 10 strangers az a chief of
one Of the De los Santos brothers bands
He had Just crossed the river somewhere
down below and came into Laredo 20 see
about slipping some guns over the line
maybe
Nobody could question his right to
Jingle his silver bride through Laredo q
streets h"cause nobody had caught him
fording the river and probably nobody
would catch him going back.
just where Pauvila and Francisco
de los Santos are hiding their band is
a matter open to unending speculation
A Mexican rode into town from the south
this morning and said he had seen a
column " 400 mounted men riding
against the skyline on the mesa eight
miles south of Nuevo Laredo. Bit he
was a Mexican with all the Latin sus-
ceptibility To paint romance with romance
Other and more reliable and non par
tisan Information is 10 the effect that the
two brothers have their men in the wild
country between Laredo and Guerrero.
forty miles to the south on IN. Rio
Grande. They are of beaten roads and
in the neighbo-hood cf ranches owned
by insurrecto sympathizers. They arc
reported to be living of the country,
driving their own cattle with them ami
picking up -four and onions where they
can.
Some Americans here whose business
II has been and now IN TO spot gun runners
have their nerves on raw edge because
the expected fight ~ Nuevo Laredo has
not been pulled of on schedule" These
have not been in the country long enough
to;earn that nothing. no, even battles ar.
by schedule, One extra bottle of puaue
in the De los Santos camp or in tho
De los Santos hrorhers themselves nigh,
he the agent II firing the whole force INTO
the attack. Again. III" attack may not
come for week, or not AT all.
II il reliable informant who saws
| that last night secret warning Of inn
pending attack was conveyed by mpsSan-
ger to \uevo Larado and quietly passed
from family Ia family. Consul Garrett
| the American representative. over IN.
river. was one who got th. tip. His
house faces the plaza near the jail # tho
4 Eighth Regiment and might be in the
hottest # the firing.
! People began 10 move over the bridg.
last night with household valuables even
| down 10 chickens. t,imbled into express
wagons and carts. But not many came
after all. The majority hehev" that the
fight Will be short when il comes. and
,hey have determined To stick behind
| their own walls.
Gen Estrada. the commander Of the
Nuevo Laredo garrison. seems Ia he th.
| least perturbed of all in Nuevo Laredo
| When one crossed the bridge to pay his
respects to the General thl, morning one
found the warrior in "A barnike Office
room of the charte with his Major. The
latter. by the way, is said 10 be a distant
relative Of the two Santos boys. who have
jumped the reservation.
| The commander Of the garrison WAS
dressed in n tobacco fecked suit Of crash
cloth He wore no collar He is an
elderly looking man with a patriarchal
beard and his courtesy is true Castilian
When do you think you will be at
| tackled" he was asked
Gen Estrada smiled and spread out his
hands.
How can say Maybe Tomorrow
| And you have made your preparations
TO resist"
"ASsuredly," he answered But We
! hardly know how many will come or from
what point Perhaps they do not come at
all Who knows"
The commander wanted To know what
was the latest news from Washington
Was there any possibility Of inter, en-
ton?
Il hope the editorial tone Of the New
York papers Is against intervention" he
said III would be great misfortune for
both countries
Gen. Estrada was asked if two Pull
, man cars full Of Red Cross nurses and sur
goons that came in from Mexico city this
morning indicated anticipation Of trouble
| at Nuevo Laredo,
Hardly any need for that here vet, he
said Il understand they are bound for
Jusrea"
Hardly had ono left the Generals pres
ence when tho interpreter hastened to say
with his hand over his mouth poor old
! fool he knows not 50 much as his meanest
soldier. The army of liberation will toast
/ him on a fork"