Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-02-21
EYE WITNESSES
MATAMOROS COLLEGE BOYS RE-
TURN FROM MEXICO, AFTER Be
ING IN MIDST OF FIGHTING.

Five Matamoros boys who have been at
tending the Mexican National Prepara-
tory school at Mexico City, returned to
their homes yesterday, after spending five
days on the road. They came up by way
crossing into the United States at the
latter point, going to McAllen, and com.
ing to Brownsville on the branch train
last night. The boys are Alberto Benne-
vendo. EmilianO and SeverinO Fernandez,
AlphOnse Shrek and EliseO Luna.
They reported that the engineer refused
TO run the train further than Reynosa,
claiming that the rebels near Matamoros
would shoot into the train.
The preparatory school was closed on
the 10th. the day following the beginning
of the troubles in Mexico City. and its
re-Opening will depend upon the final
quicting of conditions in the capital. The
boys took advantage of their first OppOr-
tunity to leave for home, leaving the city
Sunday.
Young Bennevendo was an interested
spectator during the numrOus battles
that occurred while he was in the city,
and is relating his experiences to his
many friends in MatamOrOs. He tells Of
how the cadets of the Esperanto military
school, including infantry and cavalry,
went to the Santiago prison that memor-
able Sunday morning, where they re
leased General Reyes, and another de-
tachment of cavalry cadets went to the
penitcntiary where Gen. Felix Diaz was
held and secured his release.
General Reyes. he said, assumed COM
mand of the combined forces of the mil
itary school, and led an attack on the
palace where he was killed. In the mean
time, Diaz was moving, unknown, among
the assembled crowds and was organizing
for his attack One of the peculiar feat
ures of the fighting that Sunday morning,
according to young Bennevendo, is the
fact that the cadets of the Esperanto
school and the cadets of the Chapultepec
school were antagonists in battle, and
fought each other relentlessly. He says
that relations between the two schools
have not cen cordial for number of
years.
< One of the horrible scenes related by
him was the erection Of pyres in the bus
mess section Of the city, for the cremation
of dead bodies. The pyres were erected OF
cross ties, and bodies OF men, women,
children soldiers and horses. all were
thrown into the seething flames in great
heaps No attempt was made to aScer-
tain their names The cutters for several
davs ran thick with blood, and the grow
ing smell became more and more sicken-
ing, while the non-cOmbatant citizens be-
gan to dread typhus as well as war.
Bennevendo had one sight of General
Diaz. when the general was riding down
business thorOughfare mounted OH q
huge sOrrel horse. The general was
dressed in citizens clothes. and around
his fedora hat there was a wreath Of
flowers The horse also was decorated
literally with beautiful roses. The young
man said that though the general was
not i'm military costume. there was no mis-
taking his military bearing
The Red Cross and the White Cross
nurses were everywhere, and thousand !
Of people were thankful that the nurses
braved the storms Of bullets and shells
to give aid to the dying and the injured.