El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-10
AMERICANS HELD
BY REBEL GUARD
Trouble Over a Check Given
by North Western; Con-
sui Edwards Held.

The entire office force OF the Mexico
North Western railroad, nearly all of
them Americans and some American
women, officials OF the road, including
+, H. c. Ferris, general manager: T. r.
| Ryan, traffic manager, and c. T. Car
son, general auditor, We're held under
armed guard by order of Col Pascua1
OrOzco for some time Tuesday evening
because the rebel chief alleged that 4
$4,000 check made payable to c. T Car
son and endorsed by him, and issued
by the American Smelling and Refining
company on a Mexico City bank, was
worthless. The rebel leader in JuareZ
wanted money in its place.
Thomas D. Edwards, American consul
IN Juarez, had been called to the rail-
road offices in the afternoon to exam
Inc the alleged worthless check and
was IN the building when the guards
were thrown around the building He
attempted TO leave the building but
the armed rebels would not permit it,
ana II was necessary to telephone to
Col. Pascual OrOZco before the consul
could gain his freedom from the build
ing.
When Col Orozco arrived, he allowed
the employees to be released but com
manded the officers of the road not to
leave the building. The Waters-Pierce
offices in the basement of the North
western building were likewise sur
rounded by the rebel guards at the
time and the employees of these offices,
also Americans, were held prisoners.
Check Was the Cause.
The $4,000 check which had been
given to Col OrozcO, was security for
export duties on ore exported some time
ago by the American Smelling and Re
filming company and the duties on the
expectation amounted to $4,000. In part
payment, the check for $4,000 was
turned over to Col OrozcO. The rebels
attempted to cash the check at FL Paso
banks, but the local banks for some
reason would not issue the money on
it The rebels then wanted cash for
CneCk returned
son, the original custodian. The audi
tor refused to give this as he said the
check was all right.
Consul Edwards was in the building
at the time the guards were placed
there and he pronounced the check to
be all right as far Is he could see, and
expressed the opinion that the reason
the banks would not cash it was be-
cause it was on a Mexico City bank.
h {. Ferris, the general manager of
the road, said after he had been allowed
his freedom by Col OroZcO. that the
matter had been settled satisfactorily
to both the rebels and the road, but
would not say to what extent this had
been done.
Railroad Pays the money.
The Mexico North Western officials
paid $4,000 in cash TO Col Orozco
Wednesday noon for which the rebel
officer had held the employees and Of
ficials OF the road prisoners Tuesday
evening. 1t developed that this
promise was made to the rebel COM
mander when he allowed them their
freedom.
The loss of the money will not be
sustained by the railroad company, it
Is said, but by the American Smeltsr
and Refining company, as the Mexico
North Western was acting simply as
the custodian Of the check Smelter
officials say that the $4,000 was not
due the rebels and that they had paid
for all CT the expert duties on ore
and the last ore IN its assay was
proved unduitabie, as it was a low
grade ore.
Edwards Makes Statement.
I was not detained against my !
v ishes,' said American consul Edwards
I merely went TO the North West
over the payment OF the American
Smelling and Refining cOmpany's check |
for export duty. 1 was in conference |
with the railroad officials when we /
armed guards who were placed at all /
exits to the building said they would /
permit me to pass but not the railroad 4
officials, so We went back into the Of |
flee and telephOned to Col. Orozco to /
come to see u.s.
Col OrOzco that the North Western Of /
ficials, including Mr.. Carson, the au-
d1tor, who presented the check to the /
rebels, had performed their duties prop
erly and were blameless. Mr.. Edwards
explained that the check had been re-
the endorsement Of a customs broker
IN FL PaSO, designated by the American !
Smelling and Refining company. The &
North Western officials promised to
obtain the required signature for the
rebels II IS reported that the Gus
toms broker acted upon instructions
from the American concern in Chihua-
hua IN Withholding his signature. !