The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-04-24
i'll Treatment
Of AMERICANS
MURDERED AND ROBBED BY BAN
DTS IN MEXICO
Powerless Government Gives No Pro-
teetlOn-FeaFful Experiences
Narrated by Fuxitiyes

Galveston, Tex, April 24-Forty-
seven passengers. all but one citizens
Of the United States, who arrived yes
terday from Vera Cruz on the steamer
Texas. tell OF alleged torture and as
sassination of Americans in the repub-
lie. All the refugees left their lands.
homes, furniture and everything they
possessed except enough money for
passage and clothes on their backs.
Among the entire number there are
only four or five who have trunks.
NJ. H. Ish tells of the murder Of an
American citizen named Wait. Mr.
Wait was neighbor to me-" said Mr..
Ish. HE had sold several head of cat
tie and hidden the money. A band Of
desperadoes came to his hacienda and
demanded money. Failing to get it,
they deliberately beheaded him with
their machetes, herded his cattle to-
gether and drove them off. There are
many instances just like this.
I'VE lived in little settlement where
a colony of American families had
founded the town of Sanburn. All of
those eleven families left because we
were afraid to remain longer, know
ing We would all be killed or tortured.
am 64 years old. I went to Mexico
one year ago, put all l had, $1,650, in
land and improvements there. and to-
day have only this Showing his two
hands) and the clothes on my back"
Filed Damage Claims
Before leaving we filed our claims
for damage with the American consul
in Mexico City"
John T. McGee. a wealthy planter
who went to Mexico two years ago, re-
turned to America minus more than
twenty thousand dollars and left be-
hind land. cattle and live stock.
Mr.. MCGEE tells of cruelties prac-
ticed on an American woman now in
the hospital at Mexico City.
Bandits visited the home of Mr..
Shay, one of my neighbors, about a
week before I left the settlement" said
Mr.. MCGEE. "and demanded money and
guns. He gave them about twelve dol
lars and one gun. saying that was all
he had on the place.
"The bandits then left, but returned
to Shay's place, and demanded more
money and arms Not being given the
money and guns. they took Mrs. Shay
and tied her down and began beating
her feet.
stopped Tortsfe With ssMonsy
"Mr. Shay and his sons, to stop the
torture, gave four guns and $500 in
money to the desperadoes. who, after a
final beating Of the women, left the
place. Mrs. Shay. was badly injured
and she had to be carried to the hos
pital at Mexico City, where 1T was
found that nearly every bone in her
| feet had been broken. She is in a Sc
| rious 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 everywhere. The Mex
| lean government is not able to Quiet
| these bandits and many Americans be-
lieve that the Madero forces so dis
/ like the Americans that they would
rather permit the brigandage than try
| to stop it. Whenever rurales are near
the bandits disperse. but there is rare
| ly a shot fired"
/ Many Horrible Stories
| Practically every man on board the
| Texas had a like tale to tell of expert
| ences there. Two men who rode or
| horseback to Vera Cruz after aban.
doning everything they possessed ex.
cept their horses and their guns, tel
of meeting four armed bandits in
narrow pass route. 1.-The only reason
| we are here said one of the men, 81:
because we were lucky enough t
beat them to It."
Everywhere you go. except in tn,
largest cities, you will find deserted
farms, houses burned, live stock stole1
and, in many instances. the decayins
and headless bodies of their owner.
are left lying about. The bandits ar,
in such large numbers and so scattered
over the interior that to resist then
is useless The Americans just have t.
give up everything in them when the.
come to the settlements, no matte
how well armed they may be-"
Sanburn, the place where the refu
gees say some Of the alleged atrocitie
occurred, is in the state of Vera Cruz
thirteen miles northwest of Santa Lu
cretia. 1t is on the Vera Cruz AM
Isthums Railway, across the Isthmu
OF Tehauntepec, and is listed as a rail
wav and felogranh Station