Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-09-27
ONLY CONTEMPT FOR OUR FLAG
Mexieans Don't Respect America, Says
Ranchman.

|
its citizens in war-racked Mexico Is
the most striking feature Of an inter-
view obtained by the News and Cou-
rier yesterday with an American who
operates a large cotton ranch in the
state Of Durango, near the city Of Tor
reon, and who is at present spending a
short time with his brother in Sum-
merville. This gentleman's name Is
not given for the reason that the alle-
cations which he makes are Of a sort
which might bring serious trouble upon
him when he returns to Mexico, which
| he will do shortly. He is, however, a
graduate Of the Porter Military acad-
emy in this city, and has many friends
here who remember him as a student
at that school.
No Respect for Our Flag.
The reputation Of the United States
in Mexico Is in a pretty bad way, ac-
cording to this American. Her flag is
insulted almost daily, her citizens
property rights are disregarded, the
lives Of Americans are constantly in
danger and are sometimes taken by the
rebels, who are now conducting guer-
rilla warfare in the distracted republic.
The situation, judging from the state
ments made by this ranchman, Is far
more serious than Is generally realized
by the people Of this country; and so
ineffective as a safeguard has America
citizenship become that most of the
Americans in Mexico find 1t necessary
in order to procure any protection
whatever to adopt subterfuge and an
swer all queries as to their national
ity by stating that they are Canadians.
The flag Of Great Britain, said the
ranchman, is respected, and so also Is
the flag Of Germany. The flag Of the
United States is Of absolutely no avail
for the protection Of the citizens Of this
country, and the only portion OF the
United States Of which the Mexicans
are afraid is the state Of Texas. They
fear the Texans like fire itself, but for
the rest Of the country and for the
country as a power they have the su-
premeSt contempt.
Americans Marrow Escape.
Conditions in Mexico as depicted by
this ranchman are terrible. He himself
not long ago received word that rebel
leader had given orders that he should
be taken and had sent squad Of men
to carry out this command. He hid
himself in a corral on his ranch, con-
cealing himself under a pile Of fodder.
The rebels arrived, searched the ranch
for him unsuccessfully as it proved,
though at one time one Of the searchers
on horseback passed. within q few feet
of where he lay, and proceeded to vent
their disappointment on his bookkeep-
er. This man they took and tied be-
tween two horses. They then galloped
the horses for miles over rough coun-
try, beating the captive numerically
all the while, and finally brought him
| back to the ranch more dead than alive.
In addition to this outrage, the ranch
mans horses were taken and much 9TH
er property was either stolen or de-
stroyed.
State Department Indifferent.
Asked what redress he proposed to
secure and what steps he had taken to
prevent a repetition Of this sort OF
thing, the ranchman shrugged his
shoulders and replied that he could do
nothing. Applications to the state de-
partment at Washington were, he said,
of no avail. Ambassador Wilson,
Americas representative in Mexico.
was a good man and an able man, said
the ranchman, but he could do nothing
owing to the fact that he got no sup
port from the government at home.
When. the outrages against Americans
are brought to the attention OF the
state department, said the ranchman,
the matter Is always pigeon-holed or
side tracked and finally lost to sight
in the mazes Of red tape.
FriahtfuI Massacre Of Chinese.
The ranchman was in Torreon at the
time of the massacre by the rebels OF
800 Cinnamon. He gave 1t as his opin-
ion that only the fact that torrential
| rain set in saved the many Americans
of that section from falling victims In
the same carnival Of blood that cost
the Chinese their lives. The Orientals,
he declared, were slaughtered In cold
blood. Many Of them had taken refuge
in a large three story bank build
ing in Torreon, and into this building
they were followed by the rebels and
massacred. Women and children, he
declared, were taken upon the roof of
the building and hurled into the street.
The rebels, he asserted. took the small
er children by the hair, whirled them
| around two or three times, like a man
| wringing a chickens neck. and then
| flung them out into the street.
Lives Cheap as Dirt.
The lives of the Mexicans themselves
are held as cheap as mems lives could
be by the opposing factions. Thus the
fate of a rebel when he Is captured by
the Federal troops Is to be shot at once
and strung up to the nearest tree. on
one occasion on this Americans ranch
| eight men were SuOl dho hohoNe
the American was ordered to bury
them. He followed the usual custom
of digging a hole under each swing
ing body and then letting it drop into
the hole.
The American will return to Mexico
shortly for the purpose Of getting in his
crop. He admitted that it was prob
lematical whether he would find any
crop on his return and whether before
it was harvested he would not himself
fall victim to the lawlessness Of the
Mexicans. There Is no hope now, ne
declared, of the success Of the revolu-
ton, and the rebels being desperate,
are simply conducting a guerilla war
fare of rapine and ruin.-News and
| Courier.
TAKING A CHANCE ON DEATH.