New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-07
Hundreds of Women and Girls
Outraged, Foreigners At
tackled and Banks and
Stores Sacked.
AMERICAN EYEWITNESS
ellis Story to State Department
Confirms Henry L. Wilson,
and Says Our Countrymen
Are Signing Petition to
England for Aid.
From The Tribune Bureau. ]

From The Tribune Bureau
Washington. Aug 6.-M. A. Leach. a
an Francisco business man. with in
rests in Mexico. accompanied by
representative julius Kahn, of Cali
,rnia. gave to the State Department
DAY a statement that comprised a
vid account Of the capture and sack
, tn, city of Durango.
Mr.. Leach. who has lived in Mexico
" three years, was in Durango when
he place was taken by the rebel
roops. and remained there for eight
,avs afterWard. His tale Of pillaging
shows that for several days the city
was absolutely in the hands of the un
ontrolled soldiery of the so-called
,bels under General Urbina. An Eng
shman was killed and several for
gners were wounded. Hundreds Of
omen and girls were outraged.
All this was done practically under
Ia sanction Of the rebel leaders, who
ave their men as a reward for their
srvices absolute freedom for twenty
,ur hours. AS a matter of fact this
ariod lasted several days. The leaders
i'd nothing 10 control the situation.
A demand that the foreign consulates
re protected was disregarded. When
the British Consul went to the rebel
chief TO demand punishment Of those
who killed the British subiect-Who
was shot because he would not open a
safe. the combination of which he did
not have-he was told that nothing
could be done, as the incident occurred
during the twenty-four hours of license
allotted to the men.
View Americans as Cowards.
Mr.. Leach disapproves of the attitude
Of this government. and says that
things have come 10 such pass that
Americans in Mexico are getting up
petition asking England 10 do some
thing about il. He says that Ameri-
cans are regarded as a lot of towards
bv the Mexicans. He declares that all
The so-caIled rebels. except those in the
state Of Sonora. are Of the same ilk as
those who sacked Durango.
Mr. Leach arrived in san Francisco
on July 81 with eighty-one other Amer
leans from Durango. He says that he
thinks the people Of this country and
the administration here are not well
Informed Of the situation in Mexico.
He supports Henry Lane Wilson and
saws that 90 per cent Of the Americans
in Mexico do the same.
Following is a portion of the state
ment which Mr.. Leach. no is vouched
for by Repr ntatho Kahn, left at
the state Department to-day:
Living as l have for the last three
wears in the state Of chihuahua and
In Durango. the hotbed of the trouble,
I have been forced TO go through many
irving experiences and TO witness
many revolving spectacles. The worst.
however, that | have ever seen was
what took place in the city OF Durango,
after its capture on June Is, by the
forces of Tomas Urbina, Caliztro
Contreras, Domingo and Mariana Ar
rista and Orestes Perada, numbering
IN all some 4,2OO so-called Maderistas.
Stores Sacked and Burned.
mo sooner had these men entered
le city than they began breaking into
the cantinas (saloons), drinking
oh liquor as they found there, after
hlch the wholesale sacking and loot
Of the entir city began. Not a
1gle store escaped being completely
cked. The largest store. La Suiza'
Continued on third page. sixth column.