Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1912-04-23
MANY RANCRMEN ARE SLAIN
MARAUDlNe BANDS KILL CAT
TLEMEN AND DRIVE AWAY
THEIR HERDS
WITH SOLDIERS SANCTION
THE MADERo FORCES so DIS
LIKE FOREIGNERS THEY WILL
NOT PROTECT THEM

| Galveston, Tex, April 2S.-Forsv
seven passengers. ali Dut one citizens
of the United States. who arrived to
day from Vera Cruz on the steamer
Texas, told of the alleged torture and
assassination of Americans in Mexico.
All the refugees left their lands,
homes. furniture and everything they
| possessed except enough money for
passage and the clothes on their backs.
| Among the entire number there were
only four or five TRUNKS.
M. H. Ish, one of the refugees, told
lof the murder of an American citi-
zen named Wait
Mr.. Wait was a neighbor Of mine"
said Mr.. Ish HE had sold several
head of cattle and hidden the money.
Failing to get it they deliberately be
headed him with their machetes, herd
ed his cattle together and drove them
off. There are many instances just
like this.
I'VE lived iu little settlement
where colony OF American families
had founded the town Of sanburn All
departed because we were afraid toll
remain longer, knowing we would be
killed or tortured.
Il went to Mexico one year ago, put
all had, $1.65O. in land and improve
ments there and today have only
my two hands and the clothes on my
back. Before leaving, we filed our
claims for damages with the Ameri
can consul in Mexico City"
John I. MCGEE, wealthy planter
who went to Mexico two years ago,
returned to America minus more than
$4,000 and left behind land and
livestock. Mr.. MCGEE tells of alleged |
cruelties practiced on an American
woman. Mrs. Shay. now in the hos.
pftal at Mexico City.
fesWhat has been true of the Shay
family" said Mr.. MCGEE. "has been
true Of scores of other
Americans, and by staying there we
took our lives in our hands. The
bandits are everywhere. The Mex
lean government is not able to quiet
them.
Many Americans believe the Ma,
dero forces SO dislike the Americans
that they would rather permit the
than try to stop it. When
ever rurales are near, the bandits dis
perse but there rarely is a shot fired"
Practically every man on board the
Texas had similar story to tell Of
experiences in Mexico. Two men
who rode horseback into Vera Cruz
after abandoning everything theg
owned. tel Of meetins follF arniadI
bandits in q narrow pass
The only reason sA are here. sIa
one of the 1pen, fhsE Ws were
lacisy snoug 10 hsl thems 10 III
Ipu 80. except right INF
the larges hes you win see desert
ID farms lfses burned, livestock
stolen an II many instances. thU
lecaying and headless bodies Of their
owners are left lying about.
THE bandits are In such large mum.
bers and so scattered over the inte-
Nor that to resist them is useless
We Americans had to give up every
thing to them when they came to the
settlements. no matter how well arm.
I'd we might be-"
sanburn, the place where the refu-
gees say some OF the alleged atrocities
occurred, is in the state Of Vera Cruz.
tS miles northwest Of Santa Lucre-
ria. It is On the Vera Cruz and Isth.
mus railway across the iathmus Of Te
huantepec and Is listed as railwai'
and telegraph station.
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