The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1912-05-01
AWFUL TALES OF
ATROCITIES TOLD
BY the American Refugees
From Mexico.
EIEE IN IAE limited eIAIEe
FLEE TO THE UNITED STATES
AsSaSsinatiOnS and TortureS
BY Rebels Are of Com
mon Occurrence.
NO EFFORTS TO HINDER DEEDS

liens of the United States, who ar
lived this morning from Vera Cruz
on the steamer Texas, tell of alleg-
/ ed torture and assassination OF
Americans in the republic. All the
refugees left their lands, homes,
furniture and everything they pos
sessed except enough money for
passage and the clothes on their
backs. Among the entire number
there are only four or five trunks.
NJ. II. Ish tells of the murder of
an American citizen named Wait.
Mr.. Wait was a neighbor to
me-" said Mr.. Ish. "He had sold
several head Of cattle and hidden
the money. A band of desperadoes
anne to his hacienda and demand
ed money. Failing to get it, they
deliberately beheaded him with
their machetes, herded his cattle
together and drove them off. There
are many instances just like this.
1--WE lived in a little settlement
where 2 colony of eleven American
families had rounded the town of
-S8nDdrn. xii Of these -eleren-fam=
lilies left because we were afraid to
remain longer, knowing We would
all be killed or tortured. | am six
ty-four years old. | went to Mex
leo one year ago, put all had, ST.
ESQ, in land and improvements
there. and to-day | have only this
(showing his two hands, and the
clothes on my back.
Before leaving we filed our
claims for damages with the Amer
lean Consul in Mexico City"
John T. MCGEE, a wealthy plan
ter, who went to Mexico two years
ago, returned to America minus
more than $4,000 and left behind
land, cattle and live stock. Mr.. Nc
Gee tells of cruelties practiced on
an American woman now in the
hospital at Mexico City.
THE bandits visited the home of
Mr.. Shay, one of my neighbors,
about week before | left the set
Element" said Mr.. MCGEE, "and de-
manded money and guns. He gave
them about $12 and one gun, say
ing that was all he had on the
place.
THE band then left, but return
ed to Shay's place and demanded
more money and arms. Not being
given the money and guns. they
took Mrs. Shay, tied her down and
began beating her feet.
Mr. Shay and his son, to stop
the torture, gave four guns and
$500 in money to the desperadoes,
who, after a final beating of the
woman, left the place. Mrs. Shay
was badly injured, and she had to
be carried to the hospital at Next
co City, where it was found that
nearly every bone in her feet had
been broken. She is in a serious
condition.
What has been true of the Shay
family has been likewise true of
scores of other Americans, and by
staying there, we took our lives in
our hands. The bandits are every
where. The Mexican Government
is not able to quiet these bandits,
and many Americans believe that
the Madero forces so dislike the
Americans that they would rather
permit the brigandage than try to
stop it. Whenever rurales are near
the bandits dispense. but there is
rarely a shot fired"
Practically every man on board
he Texas had a like tale to tell of
experiences there. Two men who
rode horseback into Vera Cruz az
.er abandoning everything they
possessed except their horses and
their guns, tell of meeting four
armed bandits in narrow pass en-
route.
"The only reason we are here"
said one of the men, "is because we
we're lucky enough to beat them to
it.
Everywhere you go, except right
n the largest cities, you will see
'eserted farms, houses burned, live
took stolen and in many instances
he decaying and headless bodies OF
heir owners are left lying about.
he bandits are in such large num-
ers and so scattered over the inte- /
tor that TO resist them Is useless.
The Americans just have to give up
verifying TO them when they come
o the settlements, no matter how
veil armed they may be-"
arhrrn. 80 Mace where the
efugees GOV sorrc Of the alleged
trocities occurred, is in the State
4 Vera Cruz, thirteen miles north