The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-04-24
BY Associated Press.

GelVeStnn, April 20. - FOTIy-SSNSn
passengers, all but one citizens Of the
United States. who arrived this morn
ing from Vera Cruz on the steamer
Texas, tell Of alleged torture and
assassination Of Americans in the re-
public. 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
are only four or five trunks.
n. H. Ish tells Of the murder Of an
American citizen named Wait.
MIR. Wait was a neighbor to me"
ssid Mr. Ish. He had sold several
head of cattle and hidden the money.
A. band of desperadoes came to his
hacineda and demanded money. Fail
ing to get it, they deliberately behead-
Ell him with their maChet, gathered his
cattle together and drove them Oft.
There are many instances just like
this.
I'VE lived in a little settlement
where a colony of eleven American
families had founded the town of San
burn. All of these eleven families left
because we were afraid to remain
longer, knowing we would all be kill
cd or tortured. I am 64 years old. I
went to Mexico one year ago, put all |
mad, $3.50, in land and Improvements
! there and today l have only this
Showing his two hands) and the
clothes on my back.
'Before leaving we fled our claims
FOR damage with the American consul
in the Mexico city. Another planter
Sho went to Mexico two years ago
returned to America minus more than
$4,000 and left behind land cattle and
live stock"
EIr. MCGEE tells Of cruelties prac-
ticsd on an American now in the hos
pjtsI at Mexico City. -
The bandits visited the home of
Mr. Shay, one of my neighbors, about
. week before 1 left the settlement,
said Mr.. MCGEE, "and demanded money
End guns. He gave them about twelve
dollars and one gun, saying that was
al he had on the place.
WOMAN WAS BEATEN.
"The land then left, but returned to
Stays 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
Ieet. Mr.. Shay and his son, to stop
he torture, gave four guns and $500
-
4 final beating Of the woman, left the
place. Mrs. Shay was badly injured
and she had to be carried to the hos
pital at Mexico City, where it was
found that nearly every bone in her
seet had been broken. She is in a Sc
zicus condition.
What has been true Of the Shay
family has been likewise true Of scores
o. other Americans and by staying
~ y /. Tr
The bandits are everywhere. The
Mexican government d. is not able to
quiet these bandits and many Ameri-
cans believe that the forces so dislike
the Americans that they would rather
permit the brigandage than try to stop
IT, Whenever rurales are near the
bsndits disperse, but there Is rarely q
shot fred"
Practically every man on board the
Texas had like tale to tell Of ex-
Ceriences there. Two men who rode
horseback into Vera Cruz after aband-
oning everything they possessed ex-
cept 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 were
lrciy enough to beat them to IT.
Everywhere you go, except right
in the largest cities, you will see de-
serted farms. houses burned, livestock
stolen and in many instances the de-
csving and headless bodies Of their
owners are left lying about The
bandits are in such large numbers and
so scattered over the interior that to
resist them is useless. The Americans
Just have to give up everything to
them when they come to the settle
rents, no matter how well armed they
may be-"