The Washington herald., 1913-11-23
ALL MUST HAVE
THEM PAPERS,
Every Mexican Conspirator in
"Good Standing" Carries
discriminating Documents.
HUMORS OF SITUATION
Huerta, Says Joeular Correspondent
Was Angry Because Deputies Left
Pamphlets in Desks.


THE life Of a correspondent in Mexico City h not
what Il Is cracked up to be. War correspondents
and Mexican correspondents arc synonymous. De
spite the fact that Mexican correspondent never
knows at bist what moment he is liable to be
thirty threed," which means being fired out Of the
country. after an unpleasant and dangerous expe-
rience in Mexican jails. Mexico City correspondent
has been able to the himor OF the situation as
it exists today in the turbulent Latin American re-
piblic.-Editor'S Motel
Mexico City. Nov. 22.-The first thing a
Mexican does when he becomes a con-
spirator, or joins a rebel junta. or appre"-
tees himself TO learn the trade Of BAN
ditry, Is to supply himself with incrimi-
mating documents. No conspirator against
the provisional government of Citizen
Gen. Don victoriano Huerta, Presidente
Internio Constitutional Of the United
States of Mexico is recognized as a plot
ter in good standing unless he carries
them papers on his person.
When a man Is initiated into a circle
Of Carrancista or Zapatista or Vazquista
or some other 'ista" conspirators he
takes a terrible oath never to reveal the
secrets OF the order. even though he be
put to torture. Then signs and pass
words are given him. and large bunch
of discriminating documents Is confded to
his care. The documents" may differ in
detail. but they always contain the names
and addresses of all the conspirators and
full expose of their plans.
Carried In Pockets.
All the conspirators carry these docu-
ments in their breast pockets. when they
wear coats, and in the pistol pockets Of
their trousers when they don't. Some
times-but this is very rare-they leave
the discriminating documents in their
Office desks or lying on their bureaus at
home.
Some Of the members of the Chamber
of Deputies who were arrested by order
of President Huerta October 10 for con-
spiracy carelessly left their incriminat-
ing documents in their desks in the
chamber instead OF carrying them In
their pockets. according to custom, thus
putting the secret police to a great deal
of unnecessary trouble to ge: the papers.
President Huerta called all the mem
bers Of the diplomatic corps to the ma
tional palace. and told them in an ag-
grieved tone how those tell-tale papers
had been found in the deputies desks by
the police. He was angry about it, for.
as he and every one knows, IL Is the
correct thing in the best plotting circles
TO carry such papers on the person.
There can be little doubt that the i'm
priscned deputies will get much severer
sentences than they would have received
had they not maliciously sought TO an
noy the police and cause delay by leav-
ing these documents in their desks. In
stead of carrying them to jail. where
they could have been found without trou-
Bile.
Day after day, week after week, con-
spirators have been arrested by the
secret police OF Mexico. and there is
hardly a case on record where incrimi-
mating documents were not found on
them. There have been exceptions to the
rule but the conspirators upon whom
no discriminating papers were FOUND
usually had excuses to nffer TOR their
remissness. saying that they had changed
their clothes hurriedly anu had forgotten
| to take the documents out of their other
pockets, or they had IefC them absent
mindecly at home on the piano. The
police regard such stories with distrust
and sometimes strongly suspect that
those telling them are not conspirators at
all. but only miserable creatures posing
! as such.
Rands Formed In Prison.
Sometimes a conspirators' band is or
canized in the penitentiary among the
prisoners, and then they have great
| deal of trouble to provide themselves
with enough discriminating documents to
60 round, for paper and pens and INK
are difficult to obtain in prison There
have been violent quarrels because OF this
| scarcity Of incriminating documents IN
such cases. those without any complain
ing bitterly at the unjust discrimination
which left them paperiess-
Occasionally the police or the soldiers
have given chase TO suspect In the
open country, and have pressed him
so hard that the poor fellow has been
Obliged TO throw away his arms and
ammunition, and discard his clothes and
shoes and swim rivers and crawl naked
through the brush. And at last he has
been trafled down and caught, nearly
dead from exhaustion, bleeding, and
bruised, a mere wreck of a man with
them papers" clutched in his right
hand. giving complete lists OF al tne
conspirators of his union and their ad-
dresses, together with location OF meet
ing places with maps). and full de-
tails of an assassination plan, win
time. place, and names of those inI
volved.