Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-05-23
HAS EXCITING
LIFE IN OLD MEXICO
4. F. Knots Writes of His Ex-
periences to His Brother
in Sioux City.
From the Sioux CITY Tribune.

Americans I'm MEXICO are fairly safe
even i'm the midst OF hoktiiities, Judging
from the experiences of Il. T.. Knetts.
Il former Council Bluffs resident, WHO
operates Il custom mill at G~uanacevf.
Durango state, 100 miles south ct vi
Paso. In q letter to- his brother. A. X
Knots, foreman of the Farmer &
Breeder. Mr.. Knots gives an illuImina-
ting account of the warfare that is be
ing waged in the interior OF Mexico
ON account of chaotic conditions. it il
possible to send mail out of the interior
only by messenger. This is the third
letter MIR. Knots has had from his
brother Since Christmas.
The Knots are SONS of Joseph
Knots. Il pioneer lowan. who WAS
consul at chihuahua for eight years
under President Grant.
"A portion of the letter from u. n.
Knots follows:
We have had Il swell time now for
just AN ever eight days. Last Friday
afternoon G~uanacevi WAS taken by six
pretending Fasuliistas, who really were,
out and out bandits with no connection,
to anN political movement. The1ri
leader and one OF his brothers wera.
raised here i'm Guanacevi. They rode
into town without warming, rode right.
into the palacio municipal. caught the
chief of police off his guard. disarxeil
him: did the same thing To the jefs
(mayorD: took them both tn Jail and
shut them up; turned out most of thA,
prisoners and armed them and de-
clared the town under the governments
OF Nasquez. Afterwards they turnetlA
l"ose the jefc and conl4ndante and told
them they would he around in tho
morning t" disarm the police and Az
range with them.
They certainly had nerve and thalr
holdap should gu down i'm history. Tho.
next morning they disarrned h police
that is. all that didn't go over t.,
their cause-then they Immediately
called all the principal merchants 20
the jefatura Getty halD and demanded
$4,000 cash Immediately from n of
them or they would be liable tn have
their stores looted and he Killed be
sides. They marched the men through
the street to- the Rodriguez Hnos-
store with rifles drawn for a conference.
with Don Hilarin Losoya. After sew
eral hours arguing they were reduced
IN their demands To $500 ZACH for the
robbers. or $500 i'm all. A part OF
this was paid-about one-half. They
agreed to leave town that afternoon at
4 O'Clock. but things looked SO easy
for them they decided to stay. They
am up here at 3 and dismOunted and
started for the office. but when they
discovered 1t was an American ON
Germ they said they had orders not to
,NN'RA iiiC - WV sO went aWAy>!
But the citizens decided to take tho
matter int" their w hands and called
Il meeting that night at 3 O'Clock for
the purpose OF either capturing or kills
lnG' the raiders These. however. got
wind of what was going on and saddled
their horses rode up to the place.
where the meeting was to take plaza
and TIE shooting began. The citizens
We're not quite ready, but managed to
Kill u couple OF them outright and
wounded some more. These wounded
We're caught the next morning below
town in front OF the H%aciendita and
Were killed and another one whom
they caught alive was taken down
there and executed. They got four of
the six and two got away. wounded.
One citizen and one of the prisoners
who Joined them also were killed.
Another Battle.
But no sooner had the smoke OF.
the execution cleared away when In
came q messenger from a large forcs
out near Zape. demanding the sur
lender OF the town to them. This was
refused and preparations made to de-
feid the town. The rebels arrived
about II o'clock Monday and something
like 100 went out to meet them. The
nshtlne began but the defenders sud-
denly retreated. IL the rebels had fol-
lowed fast enough they might have
taken the town. but I guess they were
''Ai"iu VI uelns aNlDuShed and didn'
come down at once. Then they threat
ened to blow up the town with dvna-
mite II IL was not turned over to them.
All the families We're warned and all
left town that night. but it was not
blown up. The fighting went on all
AFTERNOON and as near as can he
learned nobody. was killed nor wound
ed on either side. Finally a cornpro-
mise Was made and they were DaiJ
so.'oo cash to leave the country. which
they have done and went towards
I~epefuanes. bit we learn today they
didn't go to there. but to the Hacienda
de Ramos. The jefe has resigned ans
we nave a new one. l dom know how
ne got his appointment but he is ther..
and has called all the foreigners down
I" Il meeting there tomorrow morn
ing.
II think the trouble is oyer hero
and there is no more danger especiaNv
wacn the rebels around the countrv
Know thcy Will have to put up q pref
able to run the mill most Of the TIM
RAD to shut the battery down for =
couple OF days. but managed. to kesn
the wheels going round.
y wish you would see what Won c.n
co o getting me some cyanide in
farral. tried to get some from Ioax
last spring and last fall, but lie seem~
to have 1t in 100 kiio cases and ~ !.
almost too heavy for mule back trnnsA
pOrIrtiOn.
The mill is running steady and
putting through 20 toms per day. Yhe
gas engine ID working nne and With
.ns alG o. a power pump we got gofnx
wood of about 50 pesos per day. I
nave plenty Of ore and could make
some money ii i could sell my prod,,ef
shipment of pr<cipitutas I mi