The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-05-23
HAS EXCITING
LIFE IN OLD MEXICO
E. f. Knots Writes of His Elk
periences to Els Brother
in Sioux City.
From the Sioux city Tribune.

1a"t !
From the Sioux City Tribune.
Americans in Mexico are fairly safe
even In the midst Of hostilities, judging
from the experiences Of E. F. Knots,
a former Council Bluffs resident, who
operates a custom mill at Gu%anacevi.
Durango state, 100 miles south OF j
Paso. In a letter to his brother, A. B.
Knots, foreman of the Farmer &
Breeder, Mr.. Knots gives an illu1ntna-
ting account Of the warfare that Is be-
ing waged in the Interior Of Mexico.
On account of chaotic conditions, It IS
possible to e mail out of the interior
only by messenger. This is the third
letter Mr.. Knots has Q from his
brother since Christmas.
Knots. a pioneer Iowan, who was
consul at Chihuahua for eight years
under President Grant.
"A portion Of the letter from q. F.
Knots follows:
I'VE have had a swell time now for
just an even eight days. Last Friday
afternoon Guanacevi was taken by six
pretending VasQuistas, who really were
out and out bandits with no connection
to n political movement. Their
leader and n Of his brothers We're
raised here in G%uanacevi. They rode
into town without warning, rode right
into the palacio municipal, caught the
chief Of police off his guard, disarmed
him; did the same thing to the jefe
(mayor); took them both to jail and
shut them up; turned out most. OF the
prisoners and armed them and de-
clared the town under the government
of Vasquez. Afterwards they turned
loose the je5e and comandante and told
them they would be around in the
morning to disarm the police and ar
range with them
"They certainly had nerve and their
holdup should go down in history. The
next morning they disarmed the police
that is, all that didn't go over to
called all the principal merchants to
the jefatura Getty hall) and demanded
$4,000 cash Immediately from each OF
them or they would be liable to have
Fides. They marched the men through
the street to the Rodriguez Hnos.
Ftore with rifles drawn for a conference
with Don Hilario Losoya. After sew
eral hours arguing they were reduced
in their demands to $500 each for the
this was paid-about one-half. They
agreed to cave town that afternoon at
4 o'clock. but things looked SO easy
for them they decided to stay. They
came up here at 8 and dismounted and
started for the office, but when they
discovered it was an American con
Germ they said they had orders not to
bother Americans and SO went away.
But the citizens decided to take the
matter into their own and and called
@ meeting that night at 9 o'clock for
the purpose of either capturing or kill
Ing the aiders. These, however, got
wind Of what was going on and saddled
their horses and rode up to the place
and the shooting began. The citizens
were not quite ready, but managed to
kill q couple Of them outright and
wounded some more. These wounded
were caught the next morning below
town in front Of the Haciendita and
were killed and another one whom
they caught alive was taken down
rhere and executed. They got four ef
the six and two got away. wounded.
One citizen and one of the prisoners
who joined them also were killed.
Another Battle.
but no sooner had the smoke of
the execution cleared away when in
came a messenger from q large force
: out near Zape. demanding the sur
render Of the town to them. This was
refused n preparations made to de-
fend the town. The rebels arrived
!, ebout II o'clock Monday and something
: like 100 went out to meet them. The
> fighting began but the defenders sud-
. denly retreated. If the rebels had fol-
, lowed fast enough they might have
I ledhSI LII pul 4 guess lIl6y were
t afraid Of being ambushed and didn't
come down at once. Then they threat
ened to blow up the town with dyna-
mite If 1t was not turned owe to them.
| All the families were warned and all
l left town that night, but 1t was not
blown up. The fighting went on all
afternoon and as near as can be
learned nobody was killed nor wound
/ ed on either side. Finally a compro-
mise was made and they were pad
cE mn 1a-h On az AL~. Ut - L
they have done and went towards
j ~Tepehuanes, but we learn today they
' didn't go 70 there, but to the Hacienda
5 de Ramos. The jefe has resigned and
we have a new one. I don't know how
he got his appointment but he Is there
, has called all the foreigners down
: to a meeting there tomorrow morn
ing.
+ II think the trouble is over here
, and there is no moro danger especially
! when the rebels around the country
know they will have to put up a pref
9 ty good fight to take the town. I was
2 able to run the mill most Of the time
Hal to shut the battery down FOR 6
O couple of days, but managed to keeI
/ the wheels going round.
IT wish you would See what you car
do abou getting me some cyanide ii
Parral. I tried to get some from Lone
2 last spring and last fall, but he seems
to have it in 100 kilo cases and that Il
: almost too heavy for mule back trans.
f portation.
4 1.-The mill is running steady and
putting through 20 tons per day. Tht
gas engine is working fine and will
f the aid Of a power pump we got goine
r last night is making q saving ovel
wood Of about 80 pesos per day.
have plenty of ore and could max,
> some money If I could sell my product
. The shipment of precipitates T sen
i. out the first Of February is held up a
Tereon as near as I can learn
v Where the Knockers Got Theirs.
/ A. Kansas City paper hands the knock
ers this bunch:
y You remember Noah had to work a lon,
time on that ark. It was uphill business
too, at best, to go on toiling and sweat
ina day after day in the hot. boiling sun